By Russell Cejas
This is a fantastic card for fans as Strikeforce has really paired up fighters that will make each other better. Each fight has household name value and for good reason. With two title defenses, a former champ, and Japan’s poster boy all fighting April 9th in San Diego, Strikeforce’s highlight reel just got a makeover. The skill level from each fighter in the four fights on the main card is second to none. Here are my breakdowns and predictions those fights.
Shinya Aoki (26-5) vs. Lyle Beerbohm (16-1)
Shinya Aoki, as I mentioned earlier is Japan’s poster boy right. He has wins over George Sotiropoulos, Caol Uno, Eddie Alvarez, Gesias Calvacante and so forth. This is all the more reason for Lyle Beerbohm to step up his game and beat one of the best. Lyle has as many submissions wins as he does knockouts and brings a strength and size that is unmatched by his slimmer opponent. Lyle will most likely try and take down Aoki and use his ground and pound to finish the fight. His opponent however seems almost too comfortable on the ground and will use Lyle’s aggressiveness as a tool to squeeze out another submission victory, as he is aware he will not be knocking out anybody that night. This will be an interesting clash of styles for the most part.
Russel’s Pick: Shinya Aoki will somehow find a way to get Beerbohm on the ground for a submission win.
Marcos’ Pick: Aoki via submission or decision.
Anton’s Pick: Okay this fight is one that I see being Beerbohm’s to lose. I understand that Aoki is one of the best on the ground, but Beerbohm is no slouch. I think Beerbohm will have the better of Aoki when they hit the ground which is inevitable in this fight. The game changer of this fight for me is that Beerbohm will be allowed to use elbows and I predict the smaller Aoki eating a good amount of these. Beerbohm by TKO (Elbows) Round 2.
Drew’s Pick: Aoki all the way via submission.
Alex’s Pick: I believe Beerbohm is strong and intelligent enough with his grappling (not to mention how hungry he will be coming off his first professional loss) that he will be able to ride out the decision. Upset Pick of the Night.Lyle Beerbohm – Unanimous Decision
Gegard Mousasi (30-3) vs. Keith Jardine
The former champ Mousasi , will look to continue on with his third victory since his loss to King Mo. He will be tested however by a very large, unorthodox fighter in Keith Jardine. Keith steps up to the challenge on short notice when it was reported Mike Kyle was injured and unable to fight. It has always surprised me that Mousasi can compete with such big fighters considering seventeen of his fights where in the welterweight division and several more in the middleweight division. On the 9th, he will be fighting a former UFC veteran who has is also on a two fight win streak. Jardine’s recent professional boxing success will help him against the former k-1 champ. He couldn’t be fighting a more skilled opponent at 205. Mousasi has beaten some of the best and done so in several weight divisions. He will be undersized, but will have equal, if not better standup. His strength will be on the ground if he can get it there. Jardine has never been submitted, but has a suspect chin. His unorthodox stance and his powerful knock out power could prove to be too much for Mousasi.
Russell’s Pick: This fight really could go either way, but I like Gegard via TKO.
Marcos’ Pick: I am taking Gegard, he has seen all types of opponents and will showcase his striking skills once more. With a proper training camp I still Think Jardine would have a tough time winning this fight. Gegard via TKO.
Anton’s Pick: I have to say that I admire Keith Jardine’s I don’t turn down fight attitude but I don’t think that this is the fight Jardine needed to take on a few days notice and at 35 years old. Gegard said this fight is a bad one for him due to the fact if he losses he will look horrible and if he wins it was expected. Not to take away from Jardine but that is just the truth of this fight. Jardine does not look to be in fight shape in the mid-section and I am sure the paycheck will be nice for the company man, but it could be his last. Gegard Mousasi brutal KO round 1.
Drew’s Pick: Mousasi via KO in round 1.
Alex’s Pick: I think I’m with the majority on this one. Mixing the fights of Mousasi-Babalu with Thiago Silva-Jardine is a pretty solid recipe for this fight. I fear some people may actually buy into the “Jardine has fought in the UFC thus he will have the experience edge,” as that certainly isn’t the case. Gegard Mousasi – Rd 1 KO
Gilbert Melendez (18-2) vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri (27-6-2) for the Strikeforce Lightweight Championship
This will be the second meeting of east vs. west between these two fighters. This the stakes are much higher as it is for the Strikeforce lightweight championship belt. In their first meeting Melendez won by unanimous decision as he does in most of his fights. The recent devastation in Japan has made it unclear if Kawajiri will even fight Melendez. On top of which, this will be Kawajiri’s first time fighting out of Japan. The odds are stacked against him. Although he has gone eight and two in his last ten fights, this one could not have happened at a worse time for him personally. Melendez share wins with him over Josh Thomson and has fared well winning six of his last eight. The two are similar in stature and have comparable styles. Tatsuya Kawajiri’s goal should be to get the fight to the ground and hope his ground work is too much for Gilbert’s smothering type style.
Russell’s Pick: In my personal opinion the fight could be very technical and be devoid of standup exchanges but I got to go with Gilbert Melendez via unanimous decision.
Marcos’ Pick: Guys from Japan do not have a very good track record when it comes to fighting here in the states, I am also going with Gil. He will win via decision.
Anton’s Pick: I feel confident saying that Melendez is one of the top 155lb fighters in the world and this will be his chance to prove that. I don’t expect to see Melendez letting this one go to the judges. First time to fight in front of the company and I believe Melendez will prove his worth. The Crusher is a great opponent and nothing to overlook, but with Melendez looking to prove he is the #1 155lb fighter in the world I don’t think Kawajiri will have enough to withstand the storm of El Nino! Gilbert Melendez TKO Ground and Pound Round 3.
Drew’s Pick: Gilbert Melendez via TKO.
Alex’s Pick: I was rather shocked to hear that Kawajiri was not training in a cage in preparation for this fight. It’s even more shocking when you consider who he is going to be fighting. The advantage that “Crusher” does have is that he has fought much more recently than the champion.Will that play a difference? Perhaps. However, this rematch should unfold just like the first. Gilbert Melendez – Unanimous Decision.
Nick Diaz (24-7) vs. Paul Daley (27-9-2) for the Strikeforce Welterweight Championship
What a perfect matchup of two UFC veterans. This fight has potential to be the fight of the year as far as fans are concerned. These two fighters could not be any better for each other. Daley has knocked out twenty guys in his career but has only submitted two. His weakness on the ground has been exposed in ninety percent of his losses. Nick Diaz will undoubtedly showcase his ground game after some fist exchanging in the center of the cage. Diaz will still have the height and reach until they both hit the canvas. It is public knowledge that Paul Daley has the tendency to get frustrated during his fights and this one will be no different with Nick’s brash delivery. Although these two have similar personalities, there fighting styles have an uncanny resemblance. Since the better boxing will come from Diaz and the power will come from Daley, the fight will be decided by who has the better ground. This fight is going to be exciting and you would be hard pressed to call it.
Russell’s pick: My prediction is Nick Diaz via submission.
Marcos’ pick: Expect Daley to come hard in the first and knocking Diaz down. If Diaz can survive the hits and avoid getting hurt I see him winning in the later rounds. I am going with Nick Via TKO or submission.
Anton’s Pick: I wont be buying into all of the hype that Nick Diaz will be knocking out the heavy handed Paul Daley who has never been knocked out. I do think that Diaz will have the advantage on the feet and the ground, let us not forget though that Daley has the explosion in his hands to end a fight with one touch. He didn’t get his nickname for nothing. I do think Diaz would be a dummy to stay standing with Daley the whole fight. I see this ending in a brutal raping of Paul Daley on the ground and Diaz winning with either punches or a submission. If this fight stays standing though expect fireworks! Nick Diaz by Submission Arm Triangle Round 2.
Drew’s Pick: In tone with my other short and to the point answers I am picking Diaz via submission.
Alex’s Picks: When discussing this fight I have often stated that I have absolutely no idea what is going to happen. I don’t think anyone else is very sure either. The most educated opinion I can form is this: Daley will come out hot n’ heavy and get his shots in, but one must remember how solid the chin of Diaz is. We may see an up-and-down start for Nick ala his fights with Cyborg and Zaromskis. The difference maker, I believe, will be conditioning. As the fight progresses the champ will stay strong, the challenger will fade. With the use of his conditioning and kicks, Nick Diaz should retain his title. Nick Diaz – Rd 3 Submission
