Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Picks & Predictions
The semifinals of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix take place on Saturday night and also a pair of intriguing side bouts.
Here are my picks for the four bouts that will be featured on tonight’s Showtime card.
Heavyweight Grand Prix Semifinals – Josh Barnett vs. Sergei Kharitonov – I think Barnett will be smart and handle Kharitonov similar to how he did Brett Rogers. Look for Barnett’s wrestling to eventually lead to a submission finish in the second or third round.
Heavyweight Grand Prix Semifinals – Antonio Silva vs. Daniel Cormier – Silva vs. Overeem would have been a bigger draw for Strikeforce, but now their champ is with the UFC. Still, Silva has shown some improving skills and I think he will be able to handle Cormier, who is still developing his skills. Cormier can wrestle, but Silva is stronger and should have better conditioning. I look for Silva to out-strike and out-grapple Cormier to earn a decision victory.
Strikeforce Middleweight Championship – Ronaldo Souza vs. Luke Rockhold – Rockhold is a nice little fighter, but Souza should have no trouble with him. The submission wizard should find a way to work his magic in this fight and force a tap. Rockhold hasn’t faced a lot of tough talent and is just proof that Strikeforce doesn’t have much of a middleweight division.
Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Bout – Muhammed Lawal vs. Roger Gracie – King Mo hasn’t fought in over a year and young Roger Gracie is off to an impressive start to his career, submitting the likes of Trevor Prangley and Kevin Randleman. Lawal is going to want to keep this fight standing, but he has a strong wrestling background that may ultimately lead to his demise. I see the better-conditioned Gracie using his skills to get the fight to the ground and choking out the former Strikeforce champ.
Posted in: Events, Fighters, News, Predictions, Strikeforce
Tags: Antonio Silva, Barnett vs. kharitonov, Daniel Cormier, grand prix semifinals, heavyweight division, heavyweight semifinals, Josh Barnett, luke rockhold, MMA heavyweights, mma picks, mma predictions, muhammed lawal, roger gracie, Ronaldo Souza, Sergei Kharitonov, silva vs. cormier, Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, strikeforce light heavyweights, strikeforce middleweight championship, strikeforce picks, strikeforce predictions
