THE FIGHTERS MORE PRIMED TO TAKE HOME ANOTHER WIN
On the horn:
Johnny Waugh
LEAD SR WRITER
Strikeforce: Rockhold vs Jardine takes place tomorrow night, January 7, 2012, at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. This card will be free for cable viewers because it is happening during Showtime's free preview weekend. The free weekend begins Friday, Jan. 6 and runs through Jan. 8.
Although the main event has been criticized by many MMA fans and media, not because the fight itself will be lackluster but, because of Jardine's poor record (3-7-1 in his last 11 fights) and moving to a new weight class directly before the title bout.
Regardless of viewers feelings on the merit of Jardine being in the main event, it is happening tomorrow night and there will be winners and losers.
JORDAN MEIN vs TYRON WOODLEY
This match up is actually the toughest fight on the card to breakdown. There is a strong case for both fighters to take home the victory but that is what fans ask for and at least Strikeforce delivered.
Woodley (9-0) is a Strikeforce Challengers series product and has made a name for himself inside the middleweight division by winning his six Strikeforce bouts and beating names like Saffiedine and Paul Daley (29-11-2) during that time.
His opponent Jordan Mein (23-7) hasn't been finished since 2008. Although mein lost two decisions during that time frame he won 15 of his fights and finished 12 of those opponents by knock out or submission.
Mein strikes me as a guy that Woodley would have a difficult time controlling in the early going of the fight. Meins fast paced, aggressive style and demeanor has brought him 16 wins by finishing his opponents in the very first round.
(CONTINUED)...
This is the difficult part of assessing this match up because Woodley's Big 12 conference championship wrestling background has proven to be a useful tool to control his foes and implement his own winning formula of smash and rumble.
Mein clearly has power and the ability to use it but until I see someone overcome the force and power of Woodley wrestling, I can't put him on the losing end even if it is only his tenth professional bout.
"Thiago Alves hits hard," Woodley said. " I think we sparred 3-4 days in a row, 5-8 rounds, then this kid don't have that kind of lead in his hands."
WINNER: TYRON WOODLEY
TYLER STINSON vs TAREC SAFFIEDINE
Stinson is 22-7 with about 15 of those fights coming by way of knock out in the first round. Nicknamed "The Evolution", Stinson is a middleweight Team Punisher product out of Kansas and also has five submission victories to his name.
Although it does kind of bug me that he has already stated he will demand a title shot if he beats Saffiedine, which seems too contrived to really enjoy the dynamic "in the moment" feel of those types of statements, he has too many knock outs within the first minute of the match (5) to be ignored.
He does have a strange trend on his record of winning 3-4 fights and then losing just to win 3-4 more and lose again. He does have three wins coming into this bout so let's hope the trend doesn't continue, but according to Stinson his killer ways will shine.
"I go out there, and I'm ready to die in the cage," he said. "It's a sport, but once that bell rings, I flip a switch. It's kill or be killed.
WINNER: TYLER STINSON
On the horn:
Johnny Waugh
LEAD SR WRITER
 |
| Strikeforce middleweight Tyron Woodley |
Strikeforce: Rockhold vs Jardine takes place tomorrow night, January 7, 2012, at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. This card will be free for cable viewers because it is happening during Showtime's free preview weekend. The free weekend begins Friday, Jan. 6 and runs through Jan. 8.
Although the main event has been criticized by many MMA fans and media, not because the fight itself will be lackluster but, because of Jardine's poor record (3-7-1 in his last 11 fights) and moving to a new weight class directly before the title bout.
Regardless of viewers feelings on the merit of Jardine being in the main event, it is happening tomorrow night and there will be winners and losers.
JORDAN MEIN vs TYRON WOODLEY
This match up is actually the toughest fight on the card to breakdown. There is a strong case for both fighters to take home the victory but that is what fans ask for and at least Strikeforce delivered.
Woodley (9-0) is a Strikeforce Challengers series product and has made a name for himself inside the middleweight division by winning his six Strikeforce bouts and beating names like Saffiedine and Paul Daley (29-11-2) during that time.
His opponent Jordan Mein (23-7) hasn't been finished since 2008. Although mein lost two decisions during that time frame he won 15 of his fights and finished 12 of those opponents by knock out or submission.
Mein strikes me as a guy that Woodley would have a difficult time controlling in the early going of the fight. Meins fast paced, aggressive style and demeanor has brought him 16 wins by finishing his opponents in the very first round.
(CONTINUED)...
This is the difficult part of assessing this match up because Woodley's Big 12 conference championship wrestling background has proven to be a useful tool to control his foes and implement his own winning formula of smash and rumble.
Mein clearly has power and the ability to use it but until I see someone overcome the force and power of Woodley wrestling, I can't put him on the losing end even if it is only his tenth professional bout.
"Thiago Alves hits hard," Woodley said. " I think we sparred 3-4 days in a row, 5-8 rounds, then this kid don't have that kind of lead in his hands."
WINNER: TYRON WOODLEY
TYLER STINSON vs TAREC SAFFIEDINE
Stinson is taking on Tarec Saffiedine (11-3) to start off the main card and let me just inform you that if you haven't seen Stinson fight, many of you haven't, then you are in for a great show.
Stinson is 22-7 with about 15 of those fights coming by way of knock out in the first round. Nicknamed "The Evolution", Stinson is a middleweight Team Punisher product out of Kansas and also has five submission victories to his name.
Although it does kind of bug me that he has already stated he will demand a title shot if he beats Saffiedine, which seems too contrived to really enjoy the dynamic "in the moment" feel of those types of statements, he has too many knock outs within the first minute of the match (5) to be ignored.
He does have a strange trend on his record of winning 3-4 fights and then losing just to win 3-4 more and lose again. He does have three wins coming into this bout so let's hope the trend doesn't continue, but according to Stinson his killer ways will shine.
"I go out there, and I'm ready to die in the cage," he said. "It's a sport, but once that bell rings, I flip a switch. It's kill or be killed.
WINNER: TYLER STINSON
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