Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum – Preliminary fights preview

J.Z. Cavalcante(15-4-1, LW #11) vs. Justin Wilcox(11-3, LW #25)

Gesias “J.Z.” Cavalcante may be the most talented fighter fans don’t know. Though it seems as if JZ has been the fight game for years, he is only 27 years old. He has faced a long list of top competition, primarily in Japan. At one time, following his win over a then #1-ranked Vitor Ribeiro, he was thought to be the best lightweight in the world. Shortly thereafter, Cavalcante started to run into injuries and defeat. He lost decisions to Shinya Aoki and Tatsuya Kawajiri. Following those losses, Cavalcante took a year off to rehab his knee, and returned with win over Katsunori Kikuno. Cavalcante did not receive payment from Dream for his fight, and ventured to the USA, where he made his Strikeforce debut in 2010. JZ lost his debut fight to Josh Thomson in a tightly-disputed decision, that could have gone either way. What is clear though after that fight, is that the vintage JZ Cavalcante may be gone forever. Injuries seemed to have sapped some of his athleticism and fights much more cautiously than in the past.

Justin Wilcox is a former bodybuilder, who shares a room with Phil Baroni, while training at American kickboxing Academy. Wilcox looks completely dedicated to becoming a top fighter in the sport and his recent 6-fight win streak over solid competition speaks volumes about his growth as a fighter. His last two wins over Jiu-Jitsu phenoms, Vitor Ribeiro and Rodrigo Damm, proved to many that his submission defense can no longer be considered a weakness. Though Wilcox is still limited in his stand-up skills, his takedowns and ground ‘n’pound, usually make up for it.

This is a really solid matchup between a fighter on the rise and a fighter potentially on the downfall. Though Cavalcante is technically the better skilled fighter, Wilcox has just been a beast as of late. This is Cavalcante’s fight to lose, but unfortunately that has been his m.o. for his last 4-fights, almost all which he ended up losing. I am not sure if JZ is 100% healthy, so I am content with presuming Wilcox will show more hunger and aggression to win this fight via decision.

Personally, I wish the winner of this fight would face Gilbert Melendez for the title, instead of KJ Noons/Jorge Masvidal.

Magno Almeida(9-1, LW #86) vs. Conor Heun(8-5)

Magno Almeida used to fight in anonymity, but thanks to being mentioned by Leland Roling as a top 10 lightweight prospect, he gained some type of notoriety amongst fans. Almeida is a BJJ black belt, hailing from Sao Paulo, Brazil, though he now lives in California. Recent 1st round submission wins over Mike Campbell and Mikhail Malyutin must have caught the eye of Zufffa officials, as Almeida looks primed to show his skills on the big stage. Almeida will be fighting a tough opponent in Conor Heun. Though Almeida has faced wrestlers before, Heun may be the best yet. Heun has solid submission defense, and is very capable striking, as he showed against K.J. Noons and Jorge Gurgel. Heun is only averaging 1-fight per year, and I think that could be the x-factor in this fight. Heun has been in some tough battles over the last couple of years, and it is questionable how much he desires to be the best considering his activity. If Heun can keep it standing he should be able to win by decision, otherwise Almeida’s submission game should be too slick for Heun on the ground.

Joe Ray(5-1) vs. Nah-Shon Burrell(5-1)

Joe Ray has had hype surrounding his career since his debut. He suffered his first career loss last year, those it was via controversial decision. Ray should be the bigger, stronger, and more talented fighter coming into this fight. There is not much known about Burrell, but from what I’ve seen of Joe Ray, I imagine he should come out victorious.

Mike Bronzoulis(12-2-1) vs. Todd Moore(13-4)

Mike Bronzoulis was one of the top free agents out on the market. He was thought to have signed with fellow tour, but strikeforce scooped him up, and he will make his debut against WEC-Veteran Todd Moore. Bronzoulis has beaten some tough competition over the years including a recent win over Lucas Lopes. Moore is a crafty veteran who is looking to show that he deserves a spot in the top MMA promotions. Moore has bounced around between lightweight and welterweight, and has fought top competition over the years, including a loss to Shinya Aoki. Though Moore will hold the experience advantage, Bronzoulis looks to be the better fighter at this stage in their careers.

Brian Melancon(5-1) vs. Isaac Vallie-Flagg(11-3-1)

Brian Melancon is a fast rising prospect, who recently defeated Derrick Krantz and Todd Moore. Melancon’s only career loss was to undefeated featherweight Adam Schindler. Vallie-Flagg has gone 8-0-1 since his loss to Rudy Bears back in 2007. He hasn’t faced elite competition, but at least deserves a look. Melancon should be considered a strong favorite, since Vallie-Flagg struggles when the fight hits the floor.

Predictions:
Justin Wilcox
Magno Almeida
Joe Ray
Mike Bronzoulis
Brian Melancon