Three title fights, three decisions, and a brawl to top things off. Yes, it was quite a night for mixed martial arts Saturday night as Strikeforce held their second MMA card to take place on network television. With all three fights ending in manners that few saw beforehand, we here at North Texas Fisticuffs reached out to pick the brains of two respected experts, Jeff Fox of MMA Manifesto, and Sergio Hernandez, co-host of Tap or Snap Radio.
Will Jake Shields take his talents to the UFC?
Sean – Heading into his middleweight title defense against Dan Henderson, rumors seemed to have circulated around the web that Dana White and the UFC were seriously interested in signing Shields when his contract with Strikeforce ended following his fight Saturday. Well, it’s hard to believe that Shields will forgo the increase in money and popularity that he would find in the UFC, let alone the increase in quality opponents. Shields may not posses the necessary tools to dethrone Anderson Silva, but for a fighter who has shown considerable heart in the cage, it’s hard to not believe he will jump ship to the greener pastures of the UFC as soon as possible.
Jeff Fox (MMA Manifesto) – Shields certainly did nothing on Saturday night to dissaude the UFC from courting him. The UFC marketing machine would have a field day if they were able to snatch a rival company’s champion, plus one that just beat a UFC defector to boot. While undeniably the UFC could make Shields a bigger star and give him far better competition, who knows if that is what he is necessarily seeking. It might be about the money for him, and Strikeforce might pony up more dough than the UFC. Or maybe he likes being the big fish in a small pond. But, if I was a betting man (which I am), I would expect to see Jake Shields in the Octogan sooner rather than later and if things go as planned I wouldn’t be surprised to see him challenging Georges St-Pierre at 170 or 185 somewhere down the road.
Sergio Hernandez (Tap or Snap Radio) – Although everyone seems to to think so and it appears to be a foregone conclusion, I don’t believe we’ll be seeing Shields in the Octagon anytime soon. He talked the same game after EliteXC folded but ended up signing with Strikeforce anyway. I know Dana White would love to sign Shields and have him Alundra Blayze the Strikeforce Middleweight title on a UFC card (all my pro wrestling fans know what’s up!) but Shields knows the smart, easy money is with Strikeforce. Scott Coker will throw whatever money is necessary to keep their champ on their roster; that’s the smart part. And who else does Strikeforce have to challenge Shields? Rematches with Miller, Lawler, or Hendo, guys he’s already beaten? That’s the easy part. Shields will re-sign for three or four more fights and expose how truly top-heavy Strikeforce’s roster is.
What is the future of Dan Henderson in Strikeforce?
Sean – With the lone exception of Fedor Emelianenko, no other signing by Strikeforce resonated in the world of MMA like Dan Henderson’s decision to leave the UFC for the upstart promotion. In the first round of his title fight with Jake Shields, Henderson looked like he would deliver on the hype that he was still a force to be reckoned with even at the ripe old age of 38. Unfortunately, Shields would not simply roll over and usher in Henderson as the face of Strikeforce. Sure, Henderson’s loss in his first Strikeforce fight probably gives Dana White a reason to smile, with Shields immanent departure to UFC, Henderson still stands atop the heap of second tier talent in the Strikeforce middleweight division.
Jeff Fox (MMA Manifesto) – It’s never a wise business decision to invest in soon-to-be 40-year-olds with plenty of miles on the odometer. That being said, Strikeforce needs bodies, not to mention bodies that have “name recognition” so Henderson should be good for them in the long run. There are still plenty of guys with big enough names in the middleweight division for Henderson to match up against and help earn Strikeforce some return on their investment in him. And since the quality of the fighters (on a whole) is lower than in the UFC, Henderson should be able to win often enough to stick around a while.
Sergio Hernandez (Tap or Snap Radio) – Match-ups that are sure to highlight his strengths (one punch knockout power, granite chin, good wrestling) and hide his weaknesses (reliance on aforementioned one punch knockout power, age). Strikeforce really *^%# the bed with Hendo. He was such a huge favorite but I didn’t understand why. And granted, after the first round, I started to feel foolish for picking Shields to win. But the underrated Shields is mentally tough and came out and worked his gameplan. There are good losses where both fighters come out looking good and there are bad losses where the loser loses a ton of stock. Henderson was seemingly exposed as a one-trick pony on Saturday. There isn’t much for Hendo, especially at his age.
Was Shinya Aoki’s loss an indictment of Japanese MMA?
Sean – Aoki, the Dream lightweight champion, was thought to be Japan’s best shot at putting a damper on America’s surge in MMA mastery. Unfortunately for Aoki, he ran up against a focused and determined Gilbert Melendez who fought as cerebral a fight one can against the submission machine that is Aoki. But, therein lies the chief complaint with MMA practitioners in the Far East, they are too one-dimensional to flourish in today’s modern game. As mixed martial arts has continued to grow in reach and relevancy, fighters are no longer comfortable being well versed in one discipline. Today’s modern gladiators have to posses strong skills in all facets of the games, striking, wrestling, and submissions. A one dimensional fighter is doomed to be dominated by more well rounded counterparts. Aoki’s domination at the hands of Melendez drives home this point, and until this line of thinking takes over the promotions in Japan, expect American domination in the sport.
Jeff Fox (MMA Manifesto) – One-dimensional is exactly the term I used to describe Shinya Aoki last night. His loss to Gilbert Melendez has to be considered an indictment of Japanese MMA because 1) Japanese MMA officials and Aoki himself made this fight more than just Aoki vs Melendez – they made it USA vs Japan and 2) Melendez’s complete domination of Aoki left no doubt who the better fighter was. While hardcores like myself will always enjoy watching Japanese MMA, no one can argue about the lack of many high quality fighters in their promotions – hence, we get to see guys like Bob Sapp enter the ring/cage.
Sergio Hernandez (Tap or Snap Radio) – Aoki does not represent Japanese MMA. I can’t stress that enough. He is one-dimensional and any of his future opponents need only look at the Melendez fight for a blueprint on how to beat him. Unfortunately, the Japanese MMA talent level has been dropping considerably since Pride FC died (pour out your 40, homie). I have absolutely no idea why Strikeforce has not brought over Tatsuya Kawajiri. He is a solid top 10 lightweight whose style easily translate stateside and to the cage.
How viable a champion is King Mo Lawal?
Sean – While many have anointed “King Mo” as a future star in the sport, his relative short resume has left many people doubting the hype. Such was the reason why most people pegged Gegard Mousasi to pummel Mo into submission. But a funny thing happened; Mausasi was thoroughly dominated on the ground by Lawal, who captured the Strikeforce light heavyweight title with his upset victory. But how good is Lawal? Most publications have him ranked outside of their top ten light heavyweights. Lawal didn’t look spectacular in winning his fight, and there are wholes in his game that need to be plugged but that doesn’t make him a paper champion. Does he break into the top ten light heavyweights? Probably. Mausasi was wildly considered one of the top five fighters in the game, and Lawal controlled him for long stretches of the fight. Not sure if this has more to do with apathy from Mausasi, or Lawal’s talents, but with a less than stellar group of fighters in Strikeforce’s light heavy division, I would image that Lawal will be able to rack up the victories as reigning champ.
Jeff Fox (MMA Manifesto) – King Mo’s performace last night (and Gegard Mousasi’s lack of performance) totally blew me away. He has to be taken seriously now. While I don’t think he would last too long with the big dogs in the UFC, luckily for him he is in Strikeforce’s much more easier to maneuver light heavyweight division. Just scroll through Strikeforce’s very amateurish website and find a 205er that Lawal can’t beat. Isn’t Sokoudjou being considered for Mo’s first title defense? Nuff said.
Sergio Hernandez (Tap or Snap Radio) – Muhammed Lawal winning was the best thing to happen for Strikeforce on Saturday. In King Mo you have a young, charasmatic fighter who has loads of potential. Cardio is an issue but not one I feel won’t be addressed. If Strikeforce doesn’t throw their full promotional muscle behind Mo, they’re fools.
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