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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Next week's Strikeforce: Los Angeles main event between Robbie Lawler and Renato "Babalu" Sobral may be a catchweight bout, but Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker says there is definitely something on the line for both fighters in this bout.
"If 'Babalu' looks good and wins the fight, I think that he will be first in line for a matchup [with] 'King Mo,'" Coker said during a media call for the event. "Robbie, if he wins the fight, he'll be first in line to have a title shot at 185 pounds against 'Jacare' (Souza)... Normally we don't put those fights out there, but I wanted to let everybody know that this fight will have consequences. It'll be an interesting show, and we're looking forward to putting it on."
While not completely ruling out a re-signing of Middleweight Champion Jake Shields, Coker's comments suggest that plans for a middleweight "tournament" have been scrapped in place of what would be a singular title bout for a vacant belt.
Sobral has not fought since losing to Gegard Mousasi last August, but nevertheless Coker says he's likely the first challenger to "King Mo" Lawal should he get past Lawler. For Sobral, the Lawal fight is not necessarily one he's eager to take, as the two have trained together in the past. He's more interested in fights against Dan Henderson and a rematch with Gegard Mousasi, but he would take the Lawal fight if presented.
Strikeforce: Los Angeles takes place from the Nokia Theater next Wednesday on Showtime.
Penick's Analysis: Strikeforce has a major credibility problem in this situation. It's infuriatingly short sighted to set this fight up in the first place, and to try to rationalize putting this fight together by giving the winner a title opportunity is even more short sighted. How, after defeating a middleweight in a fight at 195 lb., would "Babalu" earn the #1 contender spot? He was beaten by Mousasi in a minute last August. The same Mousasi that just got handled by "King Mo" for five rounds.
And how does Lawler move to the top of the heap with a win out of the division? I'd have no problem with him getting a spot in a tournament, but immediately getting plugged into this title shot against "Jacare" with a win doesn't make a whole lot of sense. None of the setup for this fight makes sense outside of the need for a headliner on this card.
It's hard to take any of their Champions seriously with their Championship fights set up this way. Giving Brett Rogers a title shot was excusable at the time because with Fedor and Werdum wrapped up in a bout there was no one high enough up to be given a title shot at that point, but neither of these options is sensible right now coming out of this fight.
Rich Hansen's Added Analysis: In short, if Lawler wins a fight at 195 lb., Lawler gets a shot at the 185 lb. belt. A belt currently held by someone who choked him out in like 2 minutes at 182 lbs.
And if Babalu wins a fight at 195 against someone who has never fought abouve 185 in his career, Babalu gets a shot at the 205 belt. In essence leapfrogging Mousasi who knocked him out in a minute in Babalu's most recent fight.
Things like this make my brain cry.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
STAFF COLUMNISTS: Shawn Ennis - Jason Amadi
Frank Hyden - Rich Hansen
Chris Park - Matt Pelkey
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