by Jovan Negovan<\/p>\n
This Saturday marks the return of the San Jose based promotion to CBS. Back in November, the organization launched a successful initial foray into the national television market.<\/p>\n
Last fall\u2019s card was headlined by a heavyweight slugfest between Brett \u201cGrim\u201d Rogers (10-1), the former Sam\u2019s Club tire technician turned knockout artist, and the legendary Fedor \u201cThe Last Emperor\u201d Emelianenko (32-1).<\/p>\n
In the opening minute of the fight, the young prospect surprised the heavily favored Emelianenko with a crisp jab that opened a large gash on the bridge of the Russian\u2019s nose. Rogers managed to keep the Emelianenko on the defensive for much of the first round, but just as he had done on so many other occasions, Fedor persevered and ultimately managed to knockdown the much bigger Rogers in the second. Emelianenko followed up the devastating blow with a barrage of punches to the downed Rogers, forcing the referee to halt the bout midway through the second round.<\/p>\n
Nearly 5 million viewers witnessed the emphatic finish, but can Strikeforce catch lightning in a bottle the second time around?<\/p>\n
Much has changed for the organization since that fateful inaugural card. Importantly, Emelianenko is currently sidelined due to contract negotiations, thereby making him unavailable for this weekend\u2019s event. Fans need not fret though, to compensate for his absence, Strikeforce has scheduled an impressive three championship fights.<\/p>\n
The card\u2019s main event will feature a showdown between the promotion\u2019s middleweight champion, Jake Shields (24-4-1), who is unbeaten since 2004, and former Pride champion and recent UFC defector, Dan Henderson (25-7). Shields captured the vacant title last November on CBS in a dominant but dull victory over Jason \u201cMayhem\u201d Miller. In that match, Shields utilized his superior grappling en route to an easy unanimous decision, but it remains to be seen whether he is capable of employing the same against Henderson, a former two time Olympic wrestler. Henderson recently signed with Strikeforce after a tumultuous stint with the UFC. In his last outing, at UFC 100 in July, Henderson destroyed middleweight contender, Michael \u201cThe Count\u201d Bisping, with a looping right hand that separated the Brit from his senses. It appears that the impact from that crushing punch is still resonating with oddsmakers, as Shields, the champion, is considered a significant underdog in this fight.<\/p>\n
In other action, Gegard Mousasi (31-2), the soft spoken Armenian knockout artist, is scheduled to make his first light heavy weight title defense against the brash up and comer \u201cKing\u201d Mo Lawal (6-0). The recent war of words between the two has only managed to heighten interest in an already compelling clash of styles.<\/p>\n
Mousasi, who not only trains with Fedor, but also shares Emelianenko\u2019s icy demeanor, will look to add another victory to his stellar 31-2 record. Standing in Mousasi\u2019s way will be the undefeated prospect, Lawal, a wrestling standout who dispatched his last opponent via KO in the first round. Mousasi is currently riding a 15 fight win streak, with 13 of those victories coming via KO or submission. During the last CBS broadcast, Mousasi battled and defeated Sokoudjou, the 2001 US Open judo champion. In that bout, Sokoudjou scrambled for several takedowns and managed to make it a competitive affair in the first round. However, he could not capitalize on the advantageous positions and he eventually wilted to Mousasi\u2019s unrelenting punishment late in the second.<\/p>\n
King Mo is a far superior wrestler than Sokoudjou, so it\u2019s quite likely that he will manage to put Mousasi on his back at some point in the fight. That being said, this fight is a tremendous step up in competition for King Mo. Many feel that Strikeforce has fast tracked Lawal\u2019s career, perhaps a bit prematurely, due to a lack of credible title challengers in its light heavyweight division. However, King Mo is improving leaps and bounds each time he steps into the cage and I expect an exciting scrap this Saturday night.<\/p>\n
In the final championship bout of the night, the recently crowned lightweight champion, Gilbert \u201cEl Nino\u201d Melendez(17-2), will seek to defend his strap against Shinya Aoki (23-4), who will be making his US debut. The Japanese star is on loan in accordance with the cross-promotional alliance announced last year between Strikeforce and the Tokyo based fight organization, DREAM.<\/p>\n
Aoki, the current DREAM lightweight champion, is best known for his submission game and uncanny flexibility. He employs an extremely aggressive approach to his Jiu-Jitsu, often taking his opponents by complete surprise. His style has earned him the nickname \u201cTobikan Judan\u201d, which translates to the \u201cmaster of flying submissions.\u201d Aoki was last seen in action at Dynamite 2009, the promotion\u2019s annual New Year\u2019s Eve event. Aoki entered that bout with a chip on his shoulder due to a last minute change in opponent. His frustration culminated in a controversial hammerlock submission, which broke his foe\u2019s arm in the first round.<\/p>\n
Melendez defeated Josh Thompson via unanimous decision last December to become Strikeforce\u2019s undisputed lightweight champion. With that win, Melendez avenged the second of his only two losses to date.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s no secret that Aoki would prefer to take this fight to the ground, even if that means pulling guard against the stronger American wrestler. Melendez, on the other hand, will look to utilize his superior striking to keep the DREAM standout at bay. Aoki will enter the contest at a significant size disadvantage since Japanese fighters tend not to follow the regimented weight-cutting program that is so common in the US. Nonetheless, Aoki\u2019s dynamic submission game is lethal. The outcome of this match will likely be determined by where the fight takes place. If it remains standing, Melendez should take it easily. If it goes to the ground, Aoki might return to Japan with both, the Strikeforce belt, and Melendez\u2019s arm as his trophy.<\/p>\n
The main card will be broadcast live on CBS from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, on Saturday, April 17 at 9 p.m. ET.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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