MMA Update – December 21, 2009
Brock Lesnar- It appears that Frank Mir will battle Shane Carwin for the UFC’s “interim” Heavyweight title in March. Many are speculating that Lesnar will be out for an extended period of time or his career may be over, but from what I’m hearing that isn’t the case. Look for Brock to be back in the cage to face the winner of Mir/Carwin in the July/August time frame.
Cung Le- The legendary kick boxer dominated Scott Smith for the first two rounds and was well on his way in the 3rd when Smith landed a big punch. Smith, known for his comeback wins, pulled out another shocker via TKO due to strikes. What is next for Le? If he devotes himself entirely to the sport he could still be a very good champion.
Dan Henderson- One of the sport’s biggest stars will make his Strikeforce debut in April 2009 on CBS. It’s possible Henderson will battle Jake Shields for the Middleweight Title. If it happens, this would be an interesting match-up. However, Henderson’s overall game would be too much for Shields and he would add to his already impressive resume of titles.
Fedor- The world’s greatest fighter will be in the cage in April in front of a national TV audience on CBS. Fedor could battle Alistair Overeem for the Heavyweight Title or could face Jiu-Jitsu specialist Fabricio Werdum.
Gilbert Melendez- Gilbert Melendez took on Josh Thomson for the Strikeforce Lightweight Title at Strikeforce Evolution. It was worth the wait and lived up to the hype. In what might be the fight of the year, both fighters gave everything they had with Melendez clearly winning the fight via a UD. The rubber match should take place in the near future.
Jacare Souza- Jacare started his Strikeforce career with an impressive victory over MMA legend Matt Lindland. Jacare, an impressive specimen, dominated the action forcing Lindland to tap out due to an arm triangle.
Mo Lawal- King Mo will soon be a household name. The King easily dismantled Mike Whitehead showing off his athleticism and charisma. The question is which weight class will King Mo compete? He is a small heavyweight better suited for the light heavyweight division. In either division Lawal will be a factor in Strikeforce’s future.
Rich Franklin- Rich “Ace” Franklin will likely return to the UFC Octagon in March/April of 2010. The former Middleweight Champion will compete in the light heavyweight division. There is plenty of speculation including a bout against Forrest Griffin. More details to follow.
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Merry Christmas MMA fans,
Scott Dryden
Editor-in-Chief, www.profighting-fans.com