Strikeforce Predictions: Strikeforce Evolution Predictions - December 19, 2009

Pro Fighting Fans is the home of Strikeforce MMA fans across the globe and we now bring you the best place to find the latest Strikeforce preview & predictions. Strikeforce is set for another great event on December 19, 2009 and our Strikeforce Evolution predictions & fight previews are posted below for MMA fans across the globe to enjoy. Check out the Strikeforce Evolutions results and buy Strikeforce tickets online here through Pro Fighting Fans and be sure to check out the latest Strikeforce predictions!

Strikeforce: Evolution Preview

Saturday, December 19, 2009 on Showtime

Strikeforce returns to action with their first major event since their CBS in November where Fedor Emelianenko defeated Brett Rogers. This time back on Showtime, Strikeforce Evolution takes place on December 19, 2009 featuring a rematch of Lightweight Champion Josh Thomson facing Interim Champ Gilbert Melendez as well as the return of Cung Le to the Strikeforce cage to fight Scott "Hand of Steel" Smith. Our Strikeforce Evolution predictions are below and fans can find the Strikeforce December 19 results after the fights are complete here at ProFighting-fans.com.

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Strikeforce: Evolution Preliminary Fights

Daisuke Nakamura vs. Bryan Travers

Lightweight journeyman Daisuke Nakamura (20-11) and up-and-coming Bryan Travers (13-1) will battle in the preliminaries on the Strikeforce “Evolution” card while making their Strikeforce debuts.

Nakamura, 29, debuted in 2002 and had his ups and downs for the first 4½ years of his career. After suffering a loss to Vitor Belfort for the Cage Rage Lightweight Title in 2006, he defeated nine of his next eleven opponents. He has however, suffered losses in two of his last three bouts, including a first round submission loss to Naoyuki Kotani at ZST 22 in November.

Travers, a four-year veteran of mixed martial arts, fought exclusively for the California-based Gladiators Challenge promotion throughout the first half of his career winning eight of nine. Over the last two years, Travers has fought for both Palace FC and War Gods organizations where he has gone unbeaten in four fights, including two victories this past May.

Prediction – Nakamura over Travers via decision

Alexander Crispm vs. AJ Fonseca

One-time Strikeforce veteran Alexander Crispim (3-2) will go head-to-head with newcomer AJ Fonseca (4-1) in a lightweight bout located on the preliminary portion of the “Evolution” card.

Crispim began his pro-career over three years ago and posted a win in a Full Contact Promotions event in California. He fought three times in 2007, winning two, including a November ’07 Strikeforce fight against Clint Coronel. He has only fought once since then, a January 2009 split decision loss to John Gunderson at Palace FC 12.

Fonseca, a four plus year veteran of mixed martial arts, lost his professional debut and then went on to win his next four fights. The Gladiators Challenge and King of the Cage veteran has fought only once over the last three years. He defeated Khomkrit Niimi via unanimous decision at Gladiators Challenge 87 in November 2008 in his most recent action.

Prediction – Crispim over Fonseca via submission

Scott Lighty vs. Antwain Britt

Undefeated former kickboxer, Scott “Lights Out” Lighty (5-0) will meet “The Juggernaut,” Antwain Britt (9-3) in a 205-pound bout on the undercard of the Strikeforce “Evolution” event on December 19th.

After 2007, Lighty had an impossible time trying to find kickboxing matches in America so he turned his attention full-time to mixed martial arts. The 31 year-old training partner of Chuck Liddell at The Pit, posted wins in the Palace FC, PURECOMBAT, and Sho XC organizations before recording a 1st round TKO victory in his Strikeforce debut on the “Carano vs. Cyborg” card this August.

Britt also began his career in 2007, winning six of his first seven bouts all by way of TKO/KO during his first 1½ years as a professional. He began this year with a loss to former IFL standout, Jamal Patterson at UWC 5 in February near Washington D.C. He would go onto win a Sportfight bout three months later and then entered a one-night light-heavyweight tournament in Aruba named Vendetta Fighting Championship. Britt won the first two of three, but was dealt his third career defeat when current UFC fighter, Rodney Wallace submitted him with a 1st round armbar in the title match.

Prediction – Britt over Lighty via KO

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Robbie Lawler vs. Trevor Prangley

Originally scheduled to fight Strikeforce gatekeeper Benji Radach, Robbie Lawler (18-5) now will face South African, Trevor Prangley (21-5), in a main card bout at Strikeforce “Evolution” after Radach could not receive clearance due to a lingering hand injury.

A former Icon Sport and Elite XC middleweight champion, Lawler, has been steady since his seven-fight UFC run ended in 2004, sporting a 4-3 record. The current H.I.T. Squad fighter has won eight of eleven fights since, defeating the likes of Frank Trigg, Scott Smith, and Joey Villasenor while fighting for a variety of organizations that included PRIDE FC, IFL, Icon Sport, Elite XC, and Strikeforce. Lawler has only fought once in 2009, losing to current Strikeforce MW champ Jake Shields in a June (182 lbs.) catch-weight bout after getting caught in a 1st round guillotine choke submission.

American Kickboxing Academy-trained Trevor Prangley has fought for notable promotions such as the UFC, Bodog Fight, and a previous four-fight stint with Strikeforce. Prangley has lost only once since his last UFC fight in April 2006 posting an impressive 11-1 record. Over the last year and a half he has not been able to get on any major fight cards, fighting for five different organizations and winning both the Maximum FC and Shark Fights light-heavyweight titles. He fought and won his fifth consecutive fight less than one month ago at Shark Fights 7, submitting Marcus Sursa with a 1st round rear naked choke.

Prediction – Lawler over Prangley via TKO

Muhammed Lawal vs. Mike Whitehead

“King Mo”, Muhammed Lawal (5-0), will fight the first fight on his newly-signed multi-fight deal with Strikeforce, taking on former The Ultimate Fighter 2 veteran Mike Whitehead (24-7) on the main card of the Strikeforce “Evolution” event.

Lawal, who will be fighting for the third time at light-heavyweight, began in 2008 and has fought four times in Japan (Sengoku) and once in America (M-1 Global). Among his five wins include victories over Travis Wiuff, Fabio Silva, and Ryo Kawamura. Only Kawamura has taken Lawal the distance, going three rounds with the Tennessee-born prospect at Sengoku 7 in March. This August, Lawal stopped UFC legend, Mark Kerr in 25 seconds with a one-punch KO at a Kansas City-based M-1 Global event.

Mike Whitehead, 28, lost four of six to begin his professional career, but rebounded to earn a spot in The Ultimate Fighter 2 and then on the UFC 57 undercard. In his only fight inside the octagon, Whitehead lost via unanimous decision against a very tough Keith Jardine. Since that February 2006 fight, he won fourteen of fifteen, appearing with the IFL, Affliction, M-1, and Strikeforce promotions. Victories over Krzysztof Soszynski, Vernon White, and TUF 10 participant Zak Jensen highlighted his incredible run. In June, Whitehead earned a unanimous decision victory over Kevin Randleman in his Strikeforce debut.

Prediction – Lawal over Whitehead via decision

Scott Smith vs. Cung Le

Former Strikeforce middleweight champion, Cung Le (6-0) will return to the promotion less than six months after relinquishing his belt in order to pursue an acting career, as he will go head-to-head against the always-tough Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith (16-6) at Strikeforce “Evolution.”

Le, 37, earned his Strikeforce title after defeating five straight opponents including Jason Von Flue, Tony Fryklund, and Sammy Morgan all on Strikeforce promoted cards. In March 2008, Le defeated Frank Shamrock via 3rd round TKO to capture the MW title at an Elite XC/ Strikeforce co-promoted event. He held the belt over a year before deciding to give it up for a run in Hollywood.

Smith, 30, is a true journeyman with a credible resume that includes stints with the WEC, UFC, Elite XC, and Strikeforce. The former two-time WEC LHW champ posted a 1-3 record inside the octagon, including a stint on The Ultimate Fighter 4: The Comeback season. Since his release, he has been victorious in four of his seven bouts, losing his most recent fight against Nick Diaz at a June Strikeforce event after submitting from a 3rd round rear naked choke.

Prediction – Smith over Le via TKO

Matt Lindland vs. Ronaldo Souza

Former UFC and Affliction stalwart, Matt Lindland (21-6) will make his organizational debut against 2008 DREAM middleweight grand prix finalist, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (10-2), who also is making his first appearance inside the Strikeforce cage at the December Strikeforce “Evolution” event.

Lindland, a 39-year old Team Quest founder, fought for several years inside the octagon earning a shot at the promotions’ middleweight belt at UFC 37. He lost to Murilo Bustamante, but was able to stick around for another three plus years until a split occurred due to a sponsorship problem with the company. Lindland has never set foot back in the octagon since his UFC 54 win, instead settling for other mid and major-level promotions where he has won six of nine. His losses have been against former UFC champions Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Vitor Belfort, as well as top heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko. He hasn’t fought in eleven months since losing in 37 seconds via brutal KO against Belfort in the Affliction promotion.

Souza will try to get back on track after having his ten-fight win streak snapped with a loss and a no contest in his last two fights. He won his first three fights in the 2008 DREAM MW GP before suffering a 1st round KO against Gegard Mousasi in the final. In May, he was hit by an illegal up kick from Jason “Mayhem” Miller at DREAM 9 resulting in a no contest.

Prediction – Souza over Lindland via submission

Josh Thomson vs. Gilbert Melendez

Current Strikeforce lightweight champ, Josh “The Punk” Thomson (16-2) will battle former LW champ and current interim LW champ, Gilbert Melendez (16-2), for the undisputed 155-pound title in the main event at Strikeforce “Evolution” held at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California.

Thomson, a 31-year old California-born fighter, left the UFC after a three-fight stint (2-1) appearing once for PRIDE FC and once for Pride and Fury. He has since participated on eight Strikeforce cards where he has been a winner seven times. He won the Strikeforce United States LW title in December 2006 defeating Nam Phan and then the Strikeforce LW title in June of 2008 when he earned a five-round unanimous decision victory over Melendez. Due to injuries, he hasn’t had the opportunity to defend the title, fighting only once in a non-title bout in September 2008 against Ashe Bowman via 1st round TKO.

Melendez, who trains out of both Fairtex Gym and Gracie Barra in San Francisco, won the first thirteen bouts of his career, appearing for Strikeforce, PRIDE, and WEC. After becoming the first WEC LW champ, Melendez moved onto bigger promotions, defeating Clay Guida for the Strikeforce LW title in 2006. He was upset by Thomson in 2008, but won the interim title later in the year after knocking out Rodrigo Damm. He defended the interim title in August against Japanese striker, Mitsuhiro Ishida at the Carano vs. Cyborg event using a 3rd round TKO for the finish.

By Nick Russell
ProFighting-fans.com Senior MMA Staff Writer

Past Strikeforce Previews & Predictions:

• Strikeforce Challengers predictions
• Strikeforce Fedor vs Rogers predictions
• Strikeforce Carano vs Cyborg predictions