"Let the strikeFORCE be with you"

The future of each division for MMA's new-look Strikeforce

Strikeforce has instantly become a member of MMA’s elite promotions. When acquiring the rights to many of Elite XC’s top fighters Strikeforce will have more than enough talent to put on quality shows. With some of the fighters’ signings announced, it is making the promotion look very appealing to free agents.

Strikeforce now has more fighters trying to capture championship gold. Each division, except the Welterweight division, has a current champion. And with the recent signings, each division has at least a couple of legitimate contenders as well. Below is a brief summary of each division’s champion including the top contenders to dethrone the current champ.

Strikeforce Lightweights (155 LB):

Gilbert Melendez

Gilbert Melendez is Strikeforces’ current Interim Lightweight Champion. He earned this title by winning an April 11, 2009 match against Rodrigo Damm. The fight was originally scheduled against current Champ, Josh “Punk” Thompson.

“El Nino” is a wrestling specialist who has an overall MMA record of 15-2 including 5-1 as a Strikeforce participant. He currently trains at Fairtex Gym and Gracie Fighter with partners such as Jake Shields, Nick Diaz, Nate Diaz and Dave Terrel.

The 27 year old Mexican-American is 2-1 in his last three fights with wins over Damm and Gabe Lemley. Melendez is known for his ground game but is very capable of striking with his opponents. He has 9 career TKO wins to go along with 5 decisions and a submission. He also holds the distinction of never being stopped in a fight during his 6 ½ year career.

Melendez who fought less than two weeks ago doesn’t have a scheduled opponent at this time. He is almost certain to face Josh Thompson for the second time, sometime late in 2009. Melendez is among the worlds’ best 155 LB fighters and would be competitive in any organization.

Josh Thompson

Josh Thompson was crowned the Strikeforce Lightweight Champion June 2008 when he upset Gilbert Melendez by unanimous decision. He was able to consistently earn points from the judges by taking Melendez to the ground and staying on top of him. He was awarded the win 50-45 on all three scorecards.

“The Punk” is an American Kickboxing Academy student with an overall record standing at 16-2. His record as a Strikeforce fighter is 7-1. He is a ground specialist with 8 submissions to go along with 4 TKO and 4 decisions wins. His two losses have come by way of a TKO and a decision.

The 5’10 155 LB fighter is unbeaten in his last 8 fights. He has not had the chance to defend his current title due to a broken leg suffered just days before his first scheduled defense with Gilbert Melendez. He has fought once since earning the title, in a non-title fight against Ashe Bowman in Strikeforce at the Playboy Mansion II in September of 2008.

The Punk has fought for a variety of top organizations including UFC, Pride FC, and World Fighting Alliance. He has career wins over Duane Ludwig, Nam Phan and Hermes Franca. He has also lost tough fights against top lightweights Yves Edwards and Clay Guida.

Josh Thompson is no doubt in the top tier of lightweight fighters in any organization. He has been unlucky recently with injuries delaying any title defenses. Although unlucky, he will likely face Gilbert Melendez late in 2009 to determine the true Strikeforce champ.

Billy Evangelista

Billy Evangelista is a dark horse when it comes to contenders in the 155 LB division. He is a California native that has up until now, been kept out of the limelight. He holds unlimited potential and is being billed as a top “up and coming” fighter.

Evangelista fights out of Team Buhawe with his brother Jorge Evangelista and Mike Moreno, being two of his training partners. The wrestler/jiu-jitsu fighter is 9-0 overall and 5-0 for Strikeforce, all coming within a three year MMA career. He has 4 TKO and 5 decision victories to his credit.

Billy has been impressive in his last three fights, winning all via decision. He has wins over Harris Sarmiento, Luke Caudillo and Nam Phan in his last three fights. Other than Strikeforce, Evangelista has fought for solid promotions including Palace FC, WEC and Gladiator Challenge.

Evangelista fought less than three months ago but will be in action May 15 in a newly created Sho MMA event. He will be fighting near his hometown of Parlier, CA in Fresno at the Save Mart Arena against Mike Aina. With a win over a solid fighter like Aina, Evangelista is sure to be considered as a title contender. Look for his name on future Strikeforce cards.

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Strikeforce Welterweights (170 LB):

Jake Shields

Jake Shields is always mentioned when discussing top Welterweight fighters, no matter what organization he fights for. Shields is a 30 year-old Cesar Gracie Jiu- Jitsu trained fighter. He has also worked as head instructor of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA at Fairtex-Gracie affiliate school in San Francisco for over 6 years. Recently, Shields has opened his own school where he trains regularly with partners such as Nick and Nathan Diaz and Gilbert Melendez.

Shields is clearly at the top of his game at this point in his career. He has now won 11 straight fights dating back to his last loss in December 2004. His career mark is now a solid 22-4-1. He is mostly known to dominate on the ground, as evidence of his 9 submission wins, but has the ability to strike (3 TKO) and go the distance (10 decision wins) with his opponents. Shields is well rounded in all aspects of the fight game including defense. He has only been knocked out 1 time and never has been submitted during his career.

Shields has been caught in the middle of the recent Elite XC promotional dispute. When Elite XC was bought out by Strikeforce Shields had the green light to resume his fighting. He is now free to fight whenever Strikeforce needs him to. His last fight was in October 2008 when he submitted Paul Daley in the 2nd round for Elite XC. Before Daley, he submitted Nick Thompson and Mike Pyle both in the first round of Elite XC fights.

Shields has also fought for Rumble on the Rock, Shooto, K1 Heros and Pancrase, among others. He has notable wins over tough fighters such as: former WEC champion Carlos Condit, current UFC fighter Yushin Okami and the very experienced Dave Menne. His last loss came to Akira Kikuchi at a 2004 Shooto event when he lost via unanimous decision.

He has been criticized in the past for not fighting the top Welterweights, but there should be no criticism about the caliber of his next opponent. Shields, which fought last, over six months ago, will have to wait 2 more months when he will get to test his skills against the hard hitting Robbie Lawler in a catchweight bout. The fight is set to take place in St. Louis, Missouri at the Scottrade Center on June 6. With a win over Lawler, he will solidify his spot as a top Welterweight.

Nick Diaz

Nick Diaz is one of the top welterweights listed on the Strikeforce roster, although he fights in the lightweight division as well. He is well trained in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, earning his black belt from Cesar Gracie in 2007. His training partners include Gilbert Melendez, Jake Shields and his brother Nathan Diaz.

The Stockton, CA native has a respectable overall MMA record of 19-7, which includes 11 TKO’s. He is currently riding a 4 fight win streak with all 4 wins coming from TKO’s. His last win was less than two weeks ago when he stopped “The Legend”, Frank Shamrock. He dropped Shamrock and pounded him out by strikes in the 2 nd round.

The 25 year olds’ last loss was in November 2007 when he was cut by a KJ Noons punch at the end of the 1 st round of their Elite XC fight. As the decision was being announced, the corners of both fighters engaged and had to be separated. Diaz was also the center of another controversial fight, this time in Japan, against Takanori Gomi. Diaz submitted the ground specialist in the 2 nd round but after failing a drug test for marijuana, the fight was ruled a no contest.

Diaz has over 25 fights on his record fighting for many different promotions. He is a 10 fight veteran of the UFC, fought 4 times for the former Elite XC, and once each for the Dream, WEC and Pride FC organizations. Diaz is always looking for a tough fight no matter what the division. Although he will not fight Jake Shields he will surely be game to fight Srikeforces’ other top welterweights in the near future.

Phil Baroni

Maybe one of the most underrated Welterweight fighters on the Strikeforce roster is the “New York Bad Ass”, Phil Baroni. Baroni is a 33 year old former All American wrestler turned MMA fighter. He trained at Team Hammer House with wrestling specialist Mark Coleman for many years until his recent move to Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas.

Baroni’s overall record is not outstanding at 13-10, but he has never been one to shy away from fights. Currently riding a three fight win streak, Baroni has recent wins over Olaf Alfonso, Ron Verdadero and Scott Janson. In his most recent fight in September of 2008 he won a unanimous decision over Alfonso at PFC 10.

Other notable wins include Dave Menne, Ryo Chonan and Yuki Kondo. The Long Island, NY resident has been in the cage with guys like Frank Shamrock, Evan Tanner and Matt Lindland as well. The knockout specialist has fought for other top promotions including the UFC where he lost his roster spot because of a 3-5 record.

The dangerous striker is not as well rounded as the other top welterweights but is always dangerous with his one punch power. He will try and showcase that power against Joe Riggs on June 6 at the next Strikeforce event. With another win he may be knocking on the door and next in line for the vacant Strikeforce Welterweight belt.

Strikeforce Middleweights (185 LB):

Robbie Lawler

“Ruthless” Robbie Lawler is the former Elite XC Middleweight champion, who in February had his contract purchased by Strikeforce. The hard-hitting Lawler has also made a move with his training. He was a long time teammate at Militech Fighting Systems until last year when he, along with UFC veteran Matt Hughes, opened their own gym, the H.I.T. Squad in Granite City, Illinois.

Lawler is a dangerous striker who excels in boxing and is also an above average wrestler. He has an excellent career record of 16-4 including 13 TKO victories. In his last fight in July 2008 against Scott Smith for Elite XC, he won a dominating brawl via 2 nd round TKO. The first match between Smith and Lawler was declared a No Contest when Lawler accidently poked Smith in the eye thus halting the bout late in the 3 rd round.

Only 27 years old, Lawler has been fighting professionally for eight years. Over the course of his eight year career Lawler has seen his ups and downs. He has fought for some of the most recognizable MMA promotions. He has fought in cages for the IFL, Icon Sport, King of the Cage, Pride FC as well as the UFC’s octagon.

While fighting for some of the top promotions he has come across some worthy opponents. He holds notable wins over Frank Trigg and Chris Lytle. While he only has 4 career losses, they have come via some of MMA’s best, including the late Evan Tanner, Jason “Mayhem” Miller, Nick Diaz and Pete Spratt.

“Ruthless” is set to headline the next Strikeforce event in June against Welterweight Jake Shields. Lawler is arguably the best Middleweight on the Strikeforce roster. His brawling style makes him a very exciting fighter to watch. He should be on top of the Middleweight rankings for years to come.

Scott Smith

Scott Smith is a 29 year old California native who has the potential to be a future champion. “Hands of Steel” trains out of Capital City Fighting Alliance in California. He is making a name for himself as a crowd pleaser, with all of his dramatic fights.

Smith is a veteran of many MMA organizations. He has experience in the IFC, Gladiators Challenge, WEC and UFC. He was also a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter: Comeback season. He has compiled a 15-5 overall record fighting for those, and other promotions. The heavy handed Smith knows how to finish fights, 13 of his 15 wins are by stoppage.

Smith’s last two fights are proof of how dangerous he can be. In November 2008, it took all of 24 seconds to knock Terry Martin out in his first Strikeforce fight. In his most recent fight, less than two weeks ago, he battled through 2 ½ rounds with Benji Radach before he finished him off late in the fight with a KO. Maybe his most memorable fight was for the UFC against Pete Sell. Sell had delivered a devastating body punch that had Smith on his heels but as Sell came in to finish Smith off he was caught with a surprise right that immediately floored him.

Smith may not have the best wrestling or jiu-jitsu skills but he will always be dangerous with the power he possesses. Coming off 2 impressive KO wins with his new home, Strikeforce will likely find him a formidable opponent in a future card. Any type of win in his next bout and he may find himself fighting for a Strikeforce title.

Cung Le

The current Strikeforce Middleweight champion hails from San Jose, California. He is a former professional kickboxer who has transitioned well into Mixed Martial Arts. As a kickboxer, Cung was a three time world champ and carried a record of 22-0. As a mixed marital artist he has 6 wins with 0 defeats.

He has fought all 6 of his fights for the Strikeforce organization. All six fights have been decided by a KO or TKO. As a new competitor in MMA, Strikeforce gave Le some experienced veterans like Tony Fryklund, Jason Von Flue and Sammy Morgan to battle. After finishing some of the promotions’ most experienced fighters and going 5-0, Cung was placed in a title fight against the legendary Frank Shamrock. Cung smashed through Shamrock, breaking his arm in the process, last March, to win the title.

Since defeating Frank Shamrock over 13 months ago, Cung has been busy with other interests, such as his acting career. Receiving parts in two films, Le has not been able to defend his belt as of late. Strikeforce will likely try and put Le in the cage sometime late in 2009.

Any of Strikeforce’s top Middleweights, including Robbie Lawler and Scott Smith would line up to fight for the title. For now, Le is content with juggling the two careers but I would also not be surprised to see him go out and retire while on top on his game. We will have to wait and see what Strikeforces’ top Middleweight will do.

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Strikeforce Light Heavyweights (205 LB):

Renato Sobral

“Babalu” is the current Strikeforce Light-Heavyweight champion despite only fighting for the organization one time. He currently trains at the Gracie Barra Combat Team in California with well-known trainer Erik Paulson. The 33 year-old Brazilian is known mostly for his slick submission skills as well as his hot temper.

Sobral began fighting in 1999 and consistently stayed busy with a variety of organizations including UFC, Rings, Cage Rage and Affliction. He was a mainstay with the Zuffa LLC promotion, until he held a submission choke too long on an unconscious David Heath in August of 2007. Before his release, he did have his opportunities fighting for UFC. He was given a title chance against Chuck Liddell but lost his chance when he was victim of TKO at UFC 62. Babalu has also been in the cage against some of MMA’s finest including Fedor (L), Dan Henderson (L), “Shogun” Rua (W) and Jeremy Horn (W).

Recently, Sobral has been back and forth with Affliction and Strikeforce. He won a tough fight against Mike Whitehead on an Affliction show in July of 2008. He then had the opportunity to fight Bobby Southworth for the title, which he took, in November of 2008. Since he captured the Strikeforce title, he fought one more time against a very tough Sokoudjou and submitted him in January at the last Affliction show.

The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and wrestling specialist was set to put his 5 fight win streak on the line against Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante. In the past week it has been announced that “Babalu” will not put his title on the line. Instead he will stay by the side of his wife who is carrying the couples’ second child. Strikeforce fans will have to wait and see Sobral in action on a Strikeforce show later in 2009.

Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante

Rafael Cavalcante has yet to fight for Strikeforce but will be an immediate contender for the Light-Heavyweight belt. “Feijao” is no stranger to being in the cage with champions; he currently trains with Team Nogueira, which includes partners Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and UFC Middleweight champ, Anderson Silva.

The 6’2”, 205 LB Cavalcante has only 8 fights to his credit, registering a 7-1 mark along the way. He hit the mainstream fighting scene when he ran roughshod through Elite XC opponents. He put down John Doyle with a 1 st round KO in February of 2008. He moved on to fight a much more experienced Wayne Cole with another 1 st round TKO in June. His last fight was one month after his TKO victory over Cole, when he tallied yet again another 1 st round TKO over King of the Cage veteran, Travis Galbraith.

With a 7-1 record, Cavalcante hasn’t faced much turmoil. His only loss came to former UFC fighter Marcio Cruz at a June 2007 IFL fight. He fought well but loss due to an illegal kick he gave to Cruz late in the 3 rd round.

The muay-thai specialist will be sure to give Strikeforce fans a treat when he finally gets back to the cage. He was set to face “Babalu” for the Light-Heavyweight belt in June but Babalu pulled out for personal issues. It has been announced that instead, he will match up against fellow Elite XC fighter Jared Hamman. The winner of Cavalcante/Hamman fight will likely get Sobral later in 2009.

Kevin Randleman

Kevin “The Monster” Randleman is a veteran in every sense of the word. He will make Strikeforce the 8 th different organization that he has fought for during his 12 ½ year career. A former member of Mark Coleman’s Team Hammer House, Randleman now trains in Las Vegas with XTreme Couture. The 37 year-old Randleman also is a 2 time NCAA wrestling champion at Ohio State University.

Back from almost a 2 year layoff from an illness involving his kidneys, Randleman was victorious in his return bout. At a May 2008 World Victory Road bout, Randleman used his wrestling skills to outmuscle Ryo Kawamura and earn a unanimous decision win. The win brought “The Monster’s” record to 17-12.

Fighting primarily for UFC (4-3) and PRIDE FC (4-7), Randleman has been in battles with legends and superstars of the sport. He holds the distinct honor of being the first person to KO Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic during his years in PRIDE FC. He also has hard earned decision wins over Babalu Sobral and Pete Williams, the latter of which gave him the UFC Heavyweight belt that he defended for one other fight.

Randleman is not the most exciting fighter but is very dangerous with top level wrestling. He will be able to compete with Strikeforce Light-Heavyweights, even at this stage of his career. “The Monster” is not yet scheduled to fight on an announced card but is rumored to be heading to the cage very soon. If he were to win a fight or possibly two for his new fighting home, he will likely get his opportunity to fight for yet another championship belt.

Strikeforce Heavyweights (206-265 LBS):

Alistair Overeem

Alistair Overeem is the current Heavyweight title holder for Strikeforce. The “Demolition Man” is a veteran of 41 total MMA fights and many of the world’s top promotions. He also has a professional kickboxing record of 3-3. He trains at the famous Golden Glory fight club in Holland.

Submitting Paul Buentello is not an easy task but it is one that earned Overeem the Strikeforce Heavyweight belt in November of 2007. He has not been able to defend the belt for Strikeforce but has stayed busy with other organizations. He hasn’t lost in 5 fights spanning almost 2 years. During that time, he fought primarily for the Japanese based DREAM promotion.

The 28 year-old, 11 year bruiser has an impressive MMA record of 29-11-1. He has wins over fighters like Mark Hunt and Vitor Belfort (2 wins). He also has been on the losing end of fights with Chuck Liddell, Fabricio Werdum, and Mauricio Rua. His last fight was a 1 st round massacre of Gary Goodridge.

It has been rumored that Overeem will defend his belt that he has held for almost 2 years, this summer. While no opponent has been named for Overeem, there is no shortage of Strikeforce Heavyweights willing to square off with him. Fans of Strikeforce’s heavy hitters will enjoy seeing the new and improved “Demolition Man” in action soon.

Fabricio Werdum

Former UFC and PRIDE FC star, Fabricio Werdum has brought instant credibility to the Strikeforce heavyweight division. The Chute Boxe fighter brings a wealth of experience and a well rounded skill set with him. The black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a two time world champion in his country’s popular sport. He also earned a brown belt in Judo over the course of his career.

The 6’4, 242 LB Werdum has an 11-4-1 record overall and a 2-2 mark in his last four fights, all of which came in the UFC. His last fight, with Junior dos Santos at UFC 90 in October 2008 was one of his shortest career fights. He was knocked out 1:21 in the 1 st round. All was not bad for Werdum with the UFC, he earned solid wins over both Brandon Vera and Gabriel Gonzaga, two of the UFC’s best.

Before his UFC days Werdum graced the PRIDE FC ring. He recorded a 4-2 mark with the Japanese based company. He has 4 TKO’s, 5 submissions and 1 decision win throughout his career. Werdum has only been stopped one time in his career, his last fight versus dos Santos.

Werdum will likely get a title shot with champion Alistair Overeem on an upcoming Strikeforce card in 2009. The submission specialist gives a different look to an otherwise heavy hitting division. He has never been able to get the opportunity he will likely get with Strikeforce, which is to fight for a Heavyweight title.

Brett Rogers

Brett “Grim” Rogers made a name for himself while fighting for the bankrupt Elite XC. He is the wild card when discussing the Heavyweight title picture. Although only 28 years old and 9 fights under his belt Rogers would like to see his name on that Heavyweight belt.

With a 9-0 record and 8 TKO’s, it is obvious why Rogers is a dangerous foe for all opponents. He breezed through the minor MMA promotions fairly easy, earning a 5-0 record. He then advanced into the major league circuit with Elite XC. Rogers earned a submission win in his Elite XC debut then slammed his way to 2 consecutive knockouts over James Thompson and Jon Murphy. After dispensing Murphy, Rogers remained inactive for almost a year while Elite XC folded and Strikeforce acquired one of its most surprising but productive assets.

In his initial Strikeforce bout, Rogers was matched up against another big, strong hard hitting Heavyweight, Ron Humphrey. The result was the same, even though it took one more round than usual. Never making it to the 2 nd round, Humphrey took Rogers there only to lose via yet another TKO, this time via Rogers’ knees.

The Team Bison fighter may have made his point to Strikeforce officials with his KO streak to earn the right to fight for the title. He may also be put on the “back burner” until Overeem and Werdum settle things. Regardless of whether it is now or later, the future is bright and the opportunity will nonetheless come.

By Nick Russell
ProFighting-fans.com Staff Writer