STRIKEFORCE
PHOTO CREDIT: STRIKEFORCE.COM
Tomorrow night on Showtime Frank Shamrock will meet ever-stoned Nick Diaz at a catch-weight of 179. Both are exciting fighters with different sorts of crazy causing their antics; and both are more similar than they'd like to admit. Shamrock grew up bouncing around foster homes until he was taken in by the Shamrock family in his late teens. Diaz grew up father-less; he dropped out of high school after his freshman year and has been fighting since he can remember. Both have an incredible work ethic and both have probably been the best they'll be. Diaz could arguably come back and get a title... but first he has to get an organization that will allow his attitude as well as actually picking a weight class (that already exists).
All-in-all it will be a good fight. If Diaz has gotten his power up he can TKO Shamrock, but, I'm going to go Shamrock via split.
The other bout on the card I'm super amped for is Cris "Cyborg" Santos vs. Hitomi "Girl Fight Monster" Akano. Santos is a phenomenal fighter and always exciting. Hitomi has a great ground game (11 of her 14 wins via submissions) and should be a good challenge for "Cyborg".
UPDATED
At weigh-ins yesterday Cyborg came in at 152. That's 7 lbs over the 145 limit, and considering Hitomi normally fights at 135 she only weighed in at 143.5... that's 8.5 lbs difference. California State Athletic Commission only allows a 6 pound difference between fighters (at weigh in). Cyborg was given extra time and eventually made the weight. Still Hitomi threatened to pull out of the fight due to the tremendous weight difference. Even if Santos dropped the 2.5 lbs she needed to to get within the 6 lb difference by 8PM last night, after 24 hours of eating and drinking she's at least back to 152- if not more. I don't blame Akano for wanting to pull. After all was said and done the fight is back on... with Santos being fined 20% (yeah, only 20%) of her purse due to missing weight.
Scott Smith is one of my favorite fighters. His fight with Benji Radach should be exciting. Both of them are good stand up guys and it will be good to see if they stand and bang it out.
Also on the card is:
Gilbert Melendez v last-minute-Thomson-replacement Rodrigo Damm
Scott Smith v Benji Radach
Brett Rogers v Ron Humphrey
INKED
UFC 100 is almost complete. the most recent bout added is Mac Danzig (Winner of T.U.F. 6) will face Jim Miller (who was recently beat by Danzig's fellow-XC-teammate Gray Maynard in March).
Chael Sonnen has been signed to fight Wilson Gouveia at Portland's UFC 102. Both are coming off loses (Sonnen to Maia and Gouveia to Marquardt) and will be looking to prove themselves. Chael was 2-1 in the WEC before being moved to the UFC in February. Wilson had back-to-back wins against Ryan Jensen and Jason MacDonald before his loss to top-middleweight-contender Marquardt.
Kim Couture has agreed to fight 5-1 Meisha Tate. Tate's only loss was against Kaitlin Young in 2007. Couture (1-1) and Tate will be part of StrikeForce's "Challenger Series" to take place May 15. Accompanying them on the card will be Billy Evangelista taking on Mike "BJ Penn-trained" Aina.
Chris Leben will enjoy a hometown advantage when he faces Jake Rosholt at UFC 102 in Portland.
EXTREME BEATDOWN
This evening in Globe, AZ is Extreme Beatdown. Brock Lesnar will be the "Special Guest Star". Michelle Waterson, of Oxygen's "Fight Girls" will be on the main card. (Interview with her to be posted tomorrow).
Miss something? Comments? Questions? E-mail me: samantha.lynn.johnson@gmail.com
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