Strikeforce Evolution: Three Impressions (actually six, but who is counting)

Looking back at the previous fight card I will discuss three people/fighters that impressed me and three that disappointed me.  The individuals listed are not necessarily the fighters who performed the best or worst, but those who surprised me or failed to meet my expectations.

Three Who Impressed:

Strikeforce:

The promotion is doing an excellent job of providing the fans with exciting fights on a consistent basis.  Every single fight on Saturday was entertaining and displayed true mixed martial arts skill.  We got to see a top level prospect KO his opponent, a world class grappler submit an Olympian, a five round battle that could be up for fight of the year, and another remarkable comeback thanks to Scott Smith.  The casual fans (yea, punched in the face) and the hardcore fans (an omoplata into a triangle choke, need to change my pants) all had something to watch.  An added bonus from Strikeforce is the consistency with which they put these cards together.  Rogers/Fedor was in November, their January card is looking fantastic, and the next CBS fight night is in April.  Even if they went Bobby Fisher during February and March they would still be providing us the fan with four excellent cards over a six month span.  A pretty solid addition to the always solid UFC cards.

SBN coverage of Strikeforce: Evolution

Ronaldo de Souza:

If anyone has read about the fight or watched it they should be aware why I am impressed with Mr. Souza.  His striking has made significant strides in the right direction and he is on the path to becoming a force in the Middleweight division.  His grappling credentials preceded him and the ending was no surprise once the fight hit the mat, but the athleticism and improvement he on the feet show his potential.  Training at Black House appears to be having a rapid effect. 

To be fair it did not appear that Souza landed many of his strikes and his speed probably appeared more impressive thanks to Lindland's lack of speed.  However, the strikes themselves were tight (as in not loopy), quick, and technically sound.  Souza did not leave his chin out in the open or square up when he threw power punches.  Those traits prove that Souza is taking his learning to heart, but what impressed me is how comfortable he looked on the feet.  Some fighters are the most technical and impressive fighters when sparring, but once they step in the cage it all goes away.  The fact that Souza appears comfortable on his feet is a strong sign for future success.

Josh Thomson and Cung Le:

The punk moniker is clearly no longer an accurate representation of who Josh is now.  Very rarely do we the fan get to see a losing fighter act in an adult manner.  I am not referring to saying the right thing and being a good sport, I am talking about acting like a mature adult would in the real world.  Following their fights neither Thomson nor Le offered any excuses.  Both even mentioned how their opponents were the "better man that night."  I hate that saying, but the meaning is what is important here.  Thomson even went on to praise Gilbert, offer congrats to the new uncle, and squashed any injury excuses before they had a chance to begin.  Le, who dominated the whole fight minus one fake right left hook, made no mention that he felt the fight was his.  He simply offered his congratulations to Smith and let the fans know he gave it his all.  Maybe I am overreacting to their responses, but I found the mature answers to be a refreshing change.  To be fair, I do not remember hearing Whitehead or Lindland speak afterwards so they may have offered the same appreciation.

P.S. Big John should be on this too.  He proved the importance of having a good referee.

Those Who Disappointed

Strikeforce:

The fights were very enjoyable and a pleasure to watch, but there are some issues the promotion needs to work out.  I am not sure if this falls on Showtime or Strikeforce, but their pacing is still off.  In the past two fighters did not even get to fight.  This time the card took only two hours when they allotted two and a half for the show.  I know the Lawler fight fell through, but there were other options.  This brings me to my next point.  We only got four fights.  Great fights, yes, but four in total is simply not enough.  Why not bump the Antwain Britt/Scott Lighty fight to the main card.  The fight was clearly the top undercard and the winner (turned out to be Britt) was going to be pushed by Strikeforce as one of their young talents.  There was no reason, barring contractual obligations, that this fight was not shown.  I am thrilled we got to see such great fights, but seven total fights and four shown is weak. 

Matt Lindland:

I am not trying to beat a dead horse, but it appears he has fallen off the old age cliff.  Professional athletics is one of the few professions where a competitor/employee's performance can fall of a cliff.  Sometimes with athletes there is no steady decline, but instead a rapid and dangerous plunge to average.  Lindland's two fights (Jacare and Belfort) are against top talent, but he is approaching 40 years old and looked it.  His punches were slow, he lacked combinations, got taken down, and was unable to complete a takedown when he had a major positional advantage.  The rest of career will depend on him.  He can win some fights by fighting less than stellar competition, fight other past their prime fighters, or try and test himself against top competition which would probably end poorly. 

A few here and there:

There are a few people I could put here, but none are too large a disappointment for more than a few comments.  Whitehead is supposedly a gym rat, but looked incredibly out of shape.  I guess Roy Nelson proves that a gut does not mean out of shape though.  The Strikeforce announcing crew once again acted as if they were watching the world unfold or something else that occurs once in a lifetime.  Hyperbole to the left, Shamrock self promoting comment to the right, etc...