Strikeforce San Jose features two championship fights highlighting both the men’s and women’s welterweight champions. Each time Nick Diaz steps into the cage he puts on a show for the crowd. He always fights as though he has something to prove, and now that he has become the welterweight champion, don’t expect him to show any signs of complacency.
He is coming into this first welterweight title defense on a seven fight win streak, with his only loss coming at the hands of his opponent, K.J. Noons. But that fight was nearly three years ago, and Nick Diaz was a different fighter. What is more impressive about his win streak is that he stopped all seven opponents (5 TKO, 2 submissions) in becoming champion.
Noons brings a winning streak of his own into this fight, and he too has grown as a fighter since his last encounter with Diaz. A seasoned striker, eight of Noons’ nine wins have been by way of KO. He has the power and striking ability to end the fight at any moment, but Diaz isn’t going to stand in front of him as an immobile target.
Diaz is a complete fighter. He has the heavy edge on the ground game, and expect him to utilize his Jiu-Jitsu skills to take Noons out of his element.
Prediction—
Diaz wins in round two via submission (rear naked choke).
In the women’s welterweight championship fight, reigning champion Sarah Kaufman will look for her second successful title defense against submission specialist Marloes Coenen.
Kaufman holds an impressive record of 12-0 as a professional MMA fighter, with 9 wins coming by way of KO. She has dominated her opponents as of late due to her exceptional strength and conditioning and although she doesn’t have any wins by way of submission, don’t be fooled. Kaufman has a strong ground game and can change the pace of the fight fast if needed. On the flip side of things, Coenen may have simply the best ground game in all of women’s MMA. An MMA veteran with 17 wins under her belt, 12 of them have come by way of submission.
This fight is going to come down to which woman utilizes her skills the most accordingly. Kaufman has the advantage in striking while Coenen does on the ground, but whoever is able to adapt to their opponents style will have the edge. Fans can expect this to be a war from the start of the first round.
Prediction— Coenen wins by unanimous decision to hand Kaufman her first lost and to become the new women’s welterweight champion.
Former Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thompson looks to make another title run as he faces Gesias Cavalcante, who will be making his Strikeforce debut. Cavalcante has explosive Jiu Jitsu, and although some have argued that his level of competition has not been a strong as Thompson’s he does hold a win over Vitor Shaolin. Thompson is a well rounded fighter who has only lost once in the past four years, the title fight against current lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez. He has more on the line in this fight than Cavalcante. If he loses, he may not have another run at the title for some time.
Prediction— A close fight fought primarily on the ground, but Thompson pulls over the unanimous decision.
The final fight on the main card features two up-and-coming fighters, Tyron Woodley (6-0) and Andrey Galvao (5-1). This is a battle between two beasts on the ground. Woodley is a tremendously skilled wrestler with five submissions in six fights, while Galvao is world renowned for his BJJ.
This fight is clearly going to be won on the ground, and although Woodley has a tremendous ground game, I don’t think he will match up good enough against Galvao. Woodley’s key to being victorious is to dictate the pace of the fight on his feet, using his strikes to open up his ground game. If Galvao is able to control the fight with his takedowns I expect Woodley to be in trouble.
Prediction— Galvao wins unanimous decision.
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