Strikeforce ‘Marquardt vs. Saffiedine’ Preview
The Prelims
Pat
Healy was originally supposed to fight for the lightweight
championship. | D. Mandel/Sherdog.com
Lightweights
Pat Healy (28-16, 6-1 SF) vs. Kurt Holobaugh (8-0, 0-0 SF): Healy might have been the biggest loser in the Strikeforce demise, as he went from a marquee championship bout with Gilbert Melendez to a spot on the undercard against a journeyman. If anything is working in Holobaugh’s favor, it is that his most recent victory came over Ronnie Rogers, a fighter who shares Healy’s moniker of “Bam Bam.” Healy will get the best of the tie-ups, scrambles and transitions, and his grinding style will gradually wear on Holobaugh en route to a late submission or decision victory.
Middleweights
Roger Gracie (5-1, 3-1 SF) vs. Anthony Smith (17-8, 2-1 SF): Smith has won nine of his last 10 fights after submitting Lumumba Sayers with a triangle choke at Strikeforce “Rousey vs. Kaufman” in August. Smith is comfortable on his back, but he will be facing a far more competent grappler in Gracie, who dominated UFC veteran Keith Jardine for three rounds in his 185-pound debut. Gracie, a 10-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion, will be able to strike for takedowns when Smith gets too wild on his feet. From there, the Brazilian will be able to work his magic and win by submission in round two.
Advertisement
Middleweights
Tim Kennedy (14-4, 5-2 SF) vs. Trevor Smith (10-2, 2-1 SF): Though his efforts to capture Strikeforce’s 185-pound strap have fallen short, Kennedy is not a whole lot of fun for anyone to face. The U.S. Army Green Beret is tough and tenacious, and he has only been bested by superior athletes thus far in his Strikeforce career. Once a light heavyweight, Smith made the cut to middleweight after a 65-second loss to Gian Villante. The former All-American wrestler at Iowa State University will not give in easily, but Kennedy mixes striking, takedowns and clinch work effectively enough to earn a decision.
Lightweights
Ryan Couture (5-1, 5-1 SF) vs. K.J. Noons (11-5, 3-3 SF): Though he does nothing spectacular, Couture keeps finding ways to win. The 30-year-old son of UFC legend Randy Couture relies on conditioning, wrestling and solid strategy to get the job done, but he faces a stern test in Noons, one of the best pure boxers in MMA today. If Noons gets comfortable in the pocket, he could have Couture reeling with a few well-placed combinations. Couture can frustrate Noons by planting him on his back and keeping him there. Noons keeps Couture off-balance by using feints and angles before countering for a second-round knockout victory.
Lightweights
Adriano Martins (23-6, 0-0 SF) vs. Jorge Gurgel (14-8, 2-3 SF): Gurgel is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt with 10 submission victories to his credit, but the UFC veteran does not shy away from a slugfest. Martins, the Jungle Fight lightweight champion, enters this bout having won 10 of his last 11 bouts. Like Gurgel, Martins is a jiu-jitsu black belt, but he is also good at controlling range with quick low quicks, and he has shown a nice finishing instinct with power punches in his career to date. Martins will be able to negate Gurgel’s submission game while keeping his foe at a distance with strikes to win via decision.
Lightweights
Estevan Payan (13-3, 1-0 SF) vs. Mike Bravo (7-3, 0-0 SF): Payan showed a stout jab and an ability to land solid combinations in his Strikeforce debut -- a decision victory over Alonzo Martinez last January. Bravo, who has dispatched all seven of his opponents by knockout or technical knockout, seems like he would be willing to oblige the Arizona Combat Sports product in a standup battle. Payan wins by TKO in round two.
Related Articles
