Friday, May 18, 2012

Weekend Menu: Bellator Appetizer, Strikeforce Entree, Plus Hors D'Oeuvres

The weekend is upon us, and with it comes a solid meal of combat sports packed with eleven essential vitamins and minerals.  What does the menu entail?  There's an appetizer course featuring some expertly-prepared Bellator bouts, followed by a hearty serving of Strikeforce bouts as a main course, and if you're not easily sated (read: fat), there's a tray of hors d'oeuvres floating about.  Take a gander at what's in store!

-TakeOn Muay Thai - Tonight.  In Flushing, Queens.  These fights are some of the aforementioned hors d'oeuvres, and the intimate venue plus up-close-and-personal action makes for definite good time.

-Maiquel Falcao vs. Andreas Spang, Bellator - Tonight.  Bellator 69's main event.  It's the final of the Season Six middleweight tournament, and given that these two are noted ass-kickers, there should be fireworks.

-Megumi Fujii vs. Jessica Aguilar, Bellator - Despite getting out-pointed by Zoila Frausto-Gurgel, Fujii is still one of the best 115-pound female fighters around, and she's get skill and experience for days.  Aguilar ain't no slouch, either, so hold onto your salad fork for this one.

-Karl Amoussou vs. David Rickels, Bellator - I like Amoussou's fighting style as of late, and I'm figuring that he's going to deliver a beating in a pretty exciting fight for this welterweight tournament semifinal match.

-Al Iaquinta vs. Andy Ogle, TUF Live - Tonight.  Iaquinta was for the longest time one of the best lightweights in the Northeast circuit, and during his tenure as resident killer got battle-tested and burnished into hardened steel.  We all saw him win earlier in the season; now watch him win again.

-Gian Villante vs. Derrick Mehmen, Strikeforce - Saturday night.  The preliminary card for Strikeforce's latest, which you can catch on Showtime Extreme.  Villante was a beast in ROC, and while it's taken some time for him to transition successfully to the big stage, he should be back to being beastly.

-Nah-Shon Burrell vs. Chris Spang, Strikeforce - When Burrell went from fighting in CFFC to Strikeforce undercards, he definitely made the most of the opportunity, racking up exciting wins like a man on a mission.  Now the hard-hitting and dynamic fighter is on the main card.  Yeah, that's what's up!

-Gilbert Melendez vs. Josh Thomson, Strikeforce - It may be a rubber match, but that doesn't mean it won't be fast-paced and thrilling.  Melendez has been top dog in Strikeforce's 155-pound division for some time now, and since he's cleaned out the division, why not give Thomson - who went the distance with him last time - another shot?  Plus, there's always a chance Melendez is going to hit Thomson just right, and Thomson will come apart like man made of Legos.

-Josh Barnett vs. Daniel Cormier, Strikeforce - Can you believe it's been ten years since the Strikeforce heavyweight tournament began?  Crazy, right?  Anyway, here are the two finalist, who are literally the last two Strikeforce heavyweights left on Earth, ready to scrap.  Barnett's got the experience and the sub skills, Cormier's got the Olympic wrestling and fists of fury.  It should be fun.  Or something.  It will be closure, at least.

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