Strikeforce: Feijao vs. Henderson Preview
For the first time in the promotion’s history, Strikeforce is hosting an event in the MMA-rich state of Ohio, and they couldn’t have chosen a better time to make their initial visit to the Buckeye State. Occurring this weekend in Columbus, are the Ohio High School Athletic Association State Wrestling Tournament from Thursday through Saturday, as well as the 22nd Annual Arnold Classic, which runs Thursday through Sunday. The Arnold Classic is a fitness expo that has evolved from a bodybuilding competition, to a celebration of all things fitness. The event is named for former bodybuilder turned Terminator turned California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. With a mass of grappling-minded people descending on Columbus, the Capitol City is primed and ready for mixed martial arts action. Traditionally, the folks at Zuffa had jumped at the opportunity to have a fight in Columbus around the time of the Arnold, with the UFC starting the trend before passing the baton to the WEC. Zuffa decided not to hold an event at Nationwide Arena this year, and Strikeforce wasted no time booking an excellent fight card for the fans in Columbus. ProFighting-Fans Senior Staff Writer Curt Heinrichs will be in attendance to liveblog the event, and previews the event below.
Welterweight Bout (170 lbs)
J.P. Felty vs. John Kuhner
Felty is making his professional debut, after a lengthy amateur career. Kuhner has 3 professional fights under his belt, but has dropped the last 2 fights. Each man will be looking to make a real statement, but I see Felty taking this one by submission.
Middleweight (185lbs) Bout
Marc Cofer vs. Mitch Whitesel
Whitesel and Cofer are both seriously experienced fighters, both of whom have seen a great number of fights for a great number of organizations. Cofer has some serious submission skills, and Whitesel has been susceptible to submissions, but I have a feeling that Whitesel’s experience will lead to a victory for him in this bout, by way of decision.
Middleweight Bout (185 lbs)
Brian Rogers vs. Ian Rammel
Rogers is a Cleveland native and fights out of the excellent Strong Style gym. He was initially slated to face Cincinnati’s Mojo Horne, until Horne backed out of the fight due to injury. Ian Rammel stepped in on short notice to replace Horne, and Rammel should be feeling confident coming into the fight. He’s riding a 4 fight win streak, but hasn’t faced a striker of Rogers’ caliber. Rogers has knocked out his last 5 opponents in the first round, and will look to do the same against Rammel. Rammel has a background in wrestling, and will probably look to take the fight to the ground, but I think that Rogers’ takedown defense will be on display, as well as his violent fists, feet, and most importantly, knees. I’m taking Rogers by 2 nd round TKO in this one.
Heavyweight (265 lbs) Bout
Jason Riley vs. Jason Freeman
Both Riley and Freeman have tested their skills against high-level competition, especially Riley, who has lost to both former UFC Heavyweight Champ Tim Sylvia and up-and-coming Strikeforce heavyweight Daniel Cormier. Freeman typically fights at 205, but has some serious power in his hands, and I’m picking Jason Freeman to win this fight by 1 st round TKO against a bigger fighter in Jason Riley.
Welterweight (170 lb) Bout
Roger Bowling vs. Josh Thornburg
Bowling is a young fighter with great potential, and continues to improve each time he steps into the cage. With only one loss as an amateur and 7 straight victories to begin his professional career (he lost a rematch in his 8 th professional bout), Bowling knows how to find a way to win. Thornburg is a tough fighter with a promising upside, but he hasn’t faced the caliber of fighters that Bowling has. Additionally, Bowling has fought for Strikeforce before, including a stint as a headliner in a Strikeforce Challengers card, so fighting under the bright lights won’t bother Bowling. I’m predicting Bowling to take this bout by 2 nd round submission.
The following fights will be featured on the televised portion of the card, which can be seen on Showtime.
Lightweight Bout (155 lbs)
Billy Evangelista vs. Jorge Masvidal
Evangelista is a tough rising star with knockout power in his hands. Masvidal is the more experienced of the two, and has fought a much tougher lineup of opponents, but doesn’t really have a signature win over anybody with a name bigger than Joe Lauzon. Evangelista is comfortable in grinding out a decision, as is Masvidal, so neither fighter has a distinct advantage the longer the fight lasts. Masvidal has a tough chin, evident since he was able to last 3 rounds with Paul Daley without giving up a brain-rattling knockout. Due to more cage experience with tougher fighters, I’m going to give the edge in this fight to Jorge Masvidal. I think he takes this fight by decision.
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Middleweight (170 lb) bout
Tim Kennedy vs. Melvin Manhoef
United States Army veteran Tim Kennedy had a tough time getting anyone to agree to a fight with him. When Mayhem Miller stepped up to fight Kennedy for a 3 rd time, Miller was soon replaced on the card by Luke Rockhold, who was injured and couldn’t fight. Enter Melvin Manhoef: a Dutch kickboxer with 23 knockouts in his mixed martial arts career. Kennedy has above-average skills on the ground, and has a number of submission victories to his credit as well as knockout power in his hands. Kennedy has a good chin, and if he can get the fight to the ground, he should be able to finish Manhoef or at least grind out a victory. I’m predicting Tim Kennedy will win the fight by way of 2 nd round submission.
Women’s Welterweight Championship Bout
Marloes Coenen (champion) vs. Liz Carmouche
Coenen has been fighting for 11 years, and has developed quite a nasty submission game in her time in the sport. Carmouche has been fighting professionally for less than a year, yet has fought 5 times since May of 2010. Coenen brings 22 fights worth of experience in comparison to Carmouche’s 5 professional fights, so Coenen probably has the advantage. While it was a big step up for Liz Carmouche to jump in and take a crack at the champion on short notice, I think Coenen’s submission game will prove to be too much for Carmouche. I’m predicting a victory for Marloes Coenen by 1 st round submission.
Light Heavyweight Championship Bout
Rafael “Feijao” Calvacante (champion) vs. Dan Henderson
Feijao is a dangerous Brazilian striker that trains with 3 of Henderson’s former opponents in Antonio Rogerio Noguiera, Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera, and Anderson Silva. Hendersonhas fought a veritable who’s who of mixed martial arts, and just keeps coming back for more. Both men have the ability to dish out a devastating knockout, and both said in the conference call prior to the fight that they’d like to end the fight by knockout, so the fans should be ready for some fireworks by the time the first bell rings. Henderson has never been knocked out, even against great, devastating fighters like Wanderlei Silva, Anderson Silva, Vitor Belfort, and Rampage Jackson, so it is safe to say that Hendo can handle himself against a dangerous striker. Feijao, on the other hand, has been knocked out, so Henderson will be sure to take his chances when sees them. Henderson is a wise veteran, who has had time to dissect Feijao’s victory over King Mo Lawal and find a weakness in Feijao’s gameplan. While Henderson is a world-class wrestler, he may look to avoid the ground, as Feijao has impressive ground skills. Though it may be a bit of an upset, I’m predicting that Dan Henderson wins this fight by 4 th round knockout to earn a title in yet another promotion.
Press Release Published March 03, 2011