Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields

[jmt225]

Main Card

• Catchweight 182lb bout: Robbie Lawler vs. Jake Shields
• Heavyweight bout: Andrei Arlovski vs. Brett Rogers
• Catchweight 179lb bout: Nick Diaz vs. Scott Smith
• Welterweight bout: Phil Baroni vs. Joe Riggs
• Light Heavyweight Bout: Kevin Randleman vs. Mike Whitehead

That's a great, great card.

Robbie Lawler vs. Jake Shields should be an AWESOME fight and one that's impossible to predict. It will all depend on whether or not Shields can get it to the ground, but I'm not sure if he will be able to. Lawler is much bigger and stronger, and he comes out of the Matt Hughes Camp, whose strongest attribute is obviously wrestling, so it's going to be hard to take someone like Lawler down. But if Jake can do so, then I think he can catch Lawler in a submission. But if not, while Jake's striking isn't bad at all, I don't see him being able to defeat Lawler in a stand-up war. Either Jake will get knocked out, or Lawler will win a decision. If you put a gun to my head and demand me to make a prediction, then I'll say Robby Lawler wins a decision after defending Jake's takedown attempts and landing a bunch of shots on the feet, but in no way am I confident about this decision. Jake Shields is Pound 4 Pound one of the best fighters in the World and I wouldn’t be surprised in the least bit if he’s able to pull off the upset.

Andrei Arlovski vs. Brett Rogers is interesting, but I'm not really looking forward to it. I have little respect for both individuals as fighters. Arlovski is a great technical striker, but he probably has the weakest chin in all of MMA, so all it will take for Rogers to win this is one good shot, which he very well could get. But at the same time, if Arlovski simply avoids Rogers, Rogers will gas quickly and Arlovski could then take full control of the fight. And that's how I see it going down. Arlovski wins by TKO in the 2nd.

Nick Diaz vs. Scott Smith is going to be awesome. Smith has some heavy, heavy hands, but I don't think they're heavy enough to knockout Nick Diaz, whose chin is unbelievable. So, yeah... this will be a stand-up war and I see Diaz taking it by either KO in the 2nd or 3rd. Smith's gas tank isn't too good and Diaz's is phenomenal. Smith goes for wild punches and fast KOs, while Nick is very technical with his striking. Nick should have no problem picking this dude apart and finishing off in the 2nd or 3rd round like I said.

Phil Baroni vs. Joe Riggs should be a good fight. Hopefully they kill each other because I can't stand either of them. No prediction here, just hoping for a war between two overhyped pieces of shit.

And I hope Kevin Randleman is able to win his fight. I've been a fan of his for years, so I'd like to see him start working his way back up the Heavyweight ladder.

EDIT: By the way, the event is this Saturday (June 6th) on Showtime at 10:00 PM American Eastern time.

 

[WrestlingAuthority90]

I really want to watch this. But I'm not paying $20 a month for Showtime. Lawler vs Sheilds has potential to be fight of the year. Both are young and exciting fighters that the fans love. I really dont know who I think is going to win. But I'm leaning towards Robbie Lawler via knockout. Arlovski vs Rodgers should be pretty damn good too. Both are top 10 heavyweights IMO. It should be a stand up slugfest that'll keep the fans on their feet. I predict Andrei will pick up the win via leg kick. And lastly, Nick Diaz vs Scott Smith should be pretty good. I hope Diaz picks up the win and keeps proving that the UFC fucked up by releasing him.

 

[jmt225]

AWESOME show tonight!

Nick Diaz, once again, put on a terrific performance and kicked some serious ass, in what was definitely The Fight of the Night. The guy just gets better and better, and his fights are ALWAYS entertaining as hell. It's why he's currently my favorite fighter in MMA. The dude is awesome and I can't wait to see what's next for him.... hopefully, a fight/title shot against Cung Le is the answer to that. I like Le, but he needs to stop being such a bitch and defend his damn title.

Also, let me say something about Scott Smith... it's impossible to dislike this guy. He has as much heart and toughness as anyone in MMA, but the dude seriously needs to work on his defense. He's going to end up like Gerald McClellan with the way he fights, and no one wants to see that happen, especially to a guy who seems as good of father as Scott Smith seems to be. He should seriously consider Diaz's offer and go to a training camp where he'll learn to defend himself, and also reach his full potential as a fighter.

Anyway, Jake Shields was spectacular tonight. The dude's Pound 4 Pound one of the best fighters in the World. If Strikeforce can't come up with anything good for him in the next couple of months, hopefully we see him in the UFC soon. Shields is one of the few Welterweights in the World who would give GSP a run for his money, and I, for one, would LOVE to see that fight go down. And as far as Robbie Lawler goes... he just got caught. He'll rebound from this and come back better than ever.

Andrei Arlovski vs. Brett Rogers was a fucking disgrace. Arlovski needs to go ahead and hang them up. He seems like a great guy and I really do feel bad for him, but enough is enough. When you get beat that bad against a clown like Rogers... there's something seriously wrong. Hopefully, Strikeforce calls Alistair Overeem to be Rogers's next opponent so we can finally see the douchebage get exposed and his ass beatdown.

Phil Baroni vs. Joe Riggs... eh, who cares? They both suck, especially Baroni.

And Kevin Randleman vs. Mike Whitehead was a great fight. I was disappointed with the outcome, but both guys put up a performance that they should be proud of. The 1st and 3rd Rounds were very entertaining and both guys went all out. That's what you love to see. Hopefully Randleman can rebound from this and get his career on track, and hopefully Whitehead is one his way to some good things.

 

[Marquis]

Great show, semi stacked card.

Nick Diaz Vs. Scott Smith. Wow was this a great fuckin match. One sided, but great to watch nonetheless. Diaz again came in showing he has one of the best stand up's in MMA. Great technique, combos, and set ups. His punches may not be the most powerful, but fuck do they take their toll on the opponent. Which is what happened to Smith. I admire Smith for his heart and all, but he needs to improve his gameplan. Smith used no head movement whats so ever, just to try and get Diaz into his range. It wasn't working, and he still insisted on it. Diaz kept his distance and started mixing it up with body shots. Eventually one of the shots dropped Smith, and Diaz went in for the RNC to secure the win. Its fine that Smith has an iron chin and all, but one has to worry about his health. Taking shots like that is not healthy, and it could possibly cause damage in the long run. I think hes a great fighter, and with some proper movement can be a real threat. More so then he is now.

Shields Vs Lawler. Wow was this one a bit of a shocker, for me at least. I expected Lawler to negate Shield's takedowns and Knock Shields the fuck out. Which looked like was gonna happen in the first few minutes of the match. Till Shields pulled a surprising guillotine choke. I think i blinked once and saw Shields lock in the choke. At first i thought Lawler might be able to get out of it, till he decided to lift Shields. At this point it could be seen clearly how tightly locked in it was, and then he tapped. Very Beautifully done by Shields. Hopefully, as Jmt pointed out, we see him in the UFC soon. If you're a welterweight the UFC is the place to be. I would love to see himself actually be tested against top caliber welterweights. Shields is pretty one dimensional, but its worked for him so far. I think it won't in the UFC against the top welterweights, but we will have to wait and see for the day that he signs.

Arlovski vs. Brett Rogers. Yet someone else who needed proper head movement tonight. I can't believe what i saw out of Arlovski. Arlovski threw a kick, and Brett countered with a punch that didn't even land, but what does Arlovski do? O right, back peddle. He starts moving back, Brett starts throwing more punches, Arlovski doesn't move his head, keeps his hands down, and gets knocked out. I really expected better from Arlovski. He should have been the one pressing forward! Not Rogers. Arlovski had the speed and technique advantage in this match up, but sadly didn't utilize it. Its looking pretty bad for Arlovski. With his glass chin and the hesitation he showed tonight, i don't know if he can ever compete against top 10 heavyweights again.

 

[machomadness413]

the strikeforce ppv was good ... nick diaz vs. scott smith ... to me was thebest fight .... randleman gassed out ... wowwwwwwww arlovski kO ... sO much for his chin ... he one of the best out there but come on just didnt look like him ... rogers looked more dedicated