FACEBOOK TWITTER RSS APP PODCAST Opinion & Analysis : Reader Reax STRIKEFORCE EVOLUTION REAX: "Damn oh damn oh damn, what a card to watch. I enjoyed every second of the show that didn't involve Quadros talking when there wasn't a fight actually going on."

Dec 20, 2009 - 12:21:20 PM

The following review of Strikeforce: Evolution was posted in the comments section on the site. Feel free to to post your reactions to last night's event in the comments as well!

Rich Boles, MMATorch Reader: Didn't see the WEC show (DirecTV), so I can't comment on that.

As for Strikeforce. Well, clearly their talent level is nowhere close to that of the UFC, but no one credible is actually saying that it is. Other than Melendez, and maybe Jacare, there was no one on the card who really made you think that you're watching someone who could be the best in the world at this craft.

But damn oh damn oh damn, what a fun card to watch. I enjoyed every second of the show that didn't involve Quadros talking when there wasn't a fight actually going on. His banter is awful, and his interviews with fighters are death. But back to the topic sentence of this paragraph (all my English professors would be ever so pissed at me right now...), screw it, new paragraph.

So, Strikeforce needs stars, right? Especially at 205, right? So why in the holy hell would they not show Mo Lawal's entrance? Face it, the casual fan watches fighters they like (see Miller, Jason), not fighters who dominate but bore (see Shields, Jake). So put his fricking entrance on the screen for crying out loud. The fact that I'm not talking about the fight itself should tell you all you need to know about it. Well, if Lawal faces Mousasi next, he dies in 4:00 or less.

I'd feel bad for Lindland if he wasn't so adept at burning bridges. I just don't care about, or for, him anymore. I'm very unsympathetic to the plight of fighters who hang on too long. You want to keep fighting? Well, great, you can't, go home. I was surprised he was able to go 4 minutes with a crusher like Jacare. Really fun stuff on the ground, from *both* men, to be fair.

People calling for Jacare v. Miller because they think it would be a good fight are getting on my nerves. The fight needs to be made, but so as to build up Jacare. We already saw it once, and Miller got outclassed to the point where he hasn't stopped making excuses about his "strategy" to this day. But Miller wants it, Jacare wants it, and most fans want it, so yeah, put them on CBS, feed Mayhem to the Gator, and hope that Mayhem's mayhem can make Jacare a star. I don't think I want to see Shields v. Jacare, though because I don't know if it would get to the ground, and the idea of those two in a kickboxing match? Moving on.

Gilbert Melendez is the only 155 pounder in the world with the ability and the style to beat BJ Penn. I've been saying the Melendez is top 3 at 155 for a while now, and I feel justified for being ahead of the curve on that one. The fight was very entertaining, albeit a little sloppy. I think these two against each other have a touch of Marcus Davis and Scott Smith disease where they think they can only be considered 'tough' if the fight is standing the entire way. Of course, I could also be 100% wrong (aka, pulling a Bent), too, and their wrestling bases just canceled each other out. Thomson v. Noons excites me. I want to see Melendez v. Alvarez, Hansen, or Kawajiri, but I don't think Strikeforce can negotiate with any of them. Which means Aoki it is. Aoki's going to die.

And in the nominal main event, between two, oh let's be generous and say top 40, middleweights, Scott Smith Scottsmithed Cung Le. I sure wish I would've posted my prediction about this one ahead of time. I was off by one minute, and one point. I figured with 30 seconds left, down 20-16, Scott Smith would Scottsmith Cung Le. Just like he did to Drago. Just like he did to Benji Radach. Just like he did last night.

Look, Cung Le is absolutely as enjoyable as the way you feel 20 minutes after you barf last night's bottle of Jack out of your system. But he's not a top contender, and anyone who says so is wrong. And Cung knows this. And God love him for striking while the iron was hot and jumping out of the sport and making a shit-ton of cash. Good for him. He's wise enough to maximize his value, he's wise enough to get out when his division became stacked, and he was wise enough to hand-pick an opponent that he could crush. Oh yeah. Um, oops. Uh, Cung, uh, we're gonna neeeeed you to come in on Saturday and 'finish' your fight. Oh, oh, and I almost forgot. Ahh, I'm also gonna need you to go ahead and come in on Sunday, too...

I have no idea what to do next with Scott Smith. You can't put him in against anyone that you want to make a contender out of, because he might Scottsmith them (side note, how in the fuck did Nick Diaz knock him out? I loved the performance, not cracking on Diaz, just asking...). I mean, if you put Jacare or Manhoef in against him, they might dominate and get, well, Scottsmithed, and then they are each damaged goods. Maybe Mayhem.

Ooooo, I like that. Mayhem is already damaged goods, but the monkeys love him. Let's do Jacare v. Cung Le, which frees up Mayhem for Scott Smith. Mayhem is damn nead unfinishable, and solid all-around. And Jacare v. Le could be billed as (not actually BE, just billed as) the best striker v. the best jj guy in the world. That could sell itself. And then the winners fight each other for a shot at Dan Henderson's middleweight title.

[Scott Smith photo provided to MMATorch by Strikeforce]

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