MMA-URLS

Strikeforce middleweight champion Luke Rockhold injured his hand in his January 7th win over Keith Jardine and has been out for a while, but is looking to get back in the cage ASAP. He told MMA Weekly that he'll probably defend his title against Tim Kennedy next: "I'm excited about the fight with Kennedy. I think he's highly underrated, very tough dude, he poses a lot of challenges. I'll be ready. It looks like it's finally going to happen. I've been waiting for that one for a long time, and I'm excited. I'm getting on my wrestling, I was wrestling yesterday. Wrestling's a key for this fight, I gotta control the wrestling." He also discusses his dislike for Strikeforce middleweight Derek Brunson, a guy that he's been warring with on twitter for the last couple of months: "Derek Brunson. There's not much to be said about Derek Brunson. We have some mutual friends, DC (Daniel Cormier) and Mo (Muhammed Lawal), so they fuel the fire a little bit. And I've heard some words before, he came at me one time a while back, said some outlandish shi*t, just making up crap, so I'm just hittin him where it hurts. He's just talking out of his ass, so, yeah. The guys wants a title shot now, right? Off of where he's at? I don't know about that one. I think he fights more like a cheerleader. That's my opinion of him. I think he needs to go back to tumbling school." ..."I want guys that have earned their spot. Derek Brunson sure as hell hasn't earned his spot." It's not clear yet when Kennedy will challenge for the title, because Rockhold's hand hasn't completely healed up yet, but my guess is that it will go down this summer. And it should be an awesome fight. You can catch the rest of Rockhold's interview below the jump.

Posted in: fight, brunson, derek, kennedy, tim kennedy

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Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza was expected to face Derek Brunson next weekend at Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey, but Brunson was forced out of their bout this week for failing a pre-fight eye exam with the Ohio Athletic Commission. Luckily for Jacare, it was revealed today that Bristol Marunde will step up in Brunson’s place to take on the former Strikeforce middleweight champ in what will be his promotional debut. Hailing from Fairbanks, Alaska and fighting out of Las Vegas with the Throwdown Training Center, the relatively unknown Marunde (12-6) will be riding a four-fight winning streak into his battle with Souza. The 29-year-old last appeared in action at Superior Cage Combat 3 in November, taking out Jay Silva via unanimous decision. Recently deposed Strikeforce middleweight champion Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (14-3, 1 NC) will be looking to rebound from his title-relinquishing loss to Luke Rockhold and put one back in the win column when he faces Marunde. Jacare dropped a unanimous decision to Rockhold when they met in the Strikeforce cage this past September to dispute the belt. Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey goes down on March 3 from the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio and will feature a title fight between Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champ Miesha Tate and challenger Ronda Rousey.

Posted in: strikeforce, jacare, brunson, bristol marunde, marunde

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Superior Cage Combat middleweight champion Bristol Marunde has signed with Strikeforce and will replace Derek Brunson against former Strikeforce titleholder Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza at next Saturday's Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey event. Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker confirmed the signing on Wednesday via Twitter. Brunson was scratched from the contest after failing his pre-fight medicals by testing below the commission's minimum vision threshold without his contact lenses. Ohio Athletic Commission Executive Director Bernie Profato revealed that Brunson's vision is 20/400, which fails to meet the state standard of "uncorrected visual acuity." Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey is slated for March 3, 2012, at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Women's bantamweight champion Miesha Tate defends her title against former Olympian Ronda Rousey in the night's main event. The late match-up switch marks an enormous leap in competition for Marunde (15-6), whose biggest previous wins came against UFC veterans Jay Silva and Rich Attonito. Training out of West Coast Fight Team, the 29-year-old journeyman recovered from early turbulence to amass nine victories in his last ten appearances, including three first-round stoppages, with his only stumble arriving via a submission loss to Jordan Smith in 2009. Souza (14-3, 1 NC), meanwhile, looks to rebound after dropping his Strikeforce middleweight title in a unanimous decision loss to Luke Rockhold last September. The setback snapped a four-fight win streak for the Black House fighter, which included dramatic wins over Tim Kennedy, Robbie Lawler, and Matt Lindland.

Posted in: strikeforce, tate, brunson, derek brunson, rousey

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In today's instant-access, Twitter-driven media sphere, it's relatively hard to keep a story under the cracks. So when word dribbled out over the weekend that former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal was caught in a medical crisis, with an ACL tear and extreme bout of staph threatening his health to a point where amputation entered the conversation, it was alarming to say the least. Now on the mend, King Mo adressed the rumors while recounting the chilling experience that changed his life. Catch up with Lawal's story, along with all the other MMA you may have missed on the Morning Report. 5 MUST-READ STORIES TO START YOUR DAY 'King' Mo Lawal discusses ACL surgery and staph infection. Lawal, for the first time, opened up about the past few weeks, during which an ACL tear and severe staph infection nearly resulted in amputation. Nate Marquardt signs with Strikeforce. The UFC castoff surprisingly inked a deal to join Strikeforce's welterweight division. After Almost Two Years As Champ, Why Does Edgar Still Have To Prove Himself To Us? Frankie Edgar examined his role as the perennial underdog and the reason he is overlooked by fans and fighters alike. Anderson Silva injury update. Silva revealed he will remain in physical therapy for the foreseeable future as lingering injuries continue to hamper him. Dana White calls out Floyd Mayweather. The UFC president is far from pleased with Floyd Mayweather's tweet about Knicks star Jeremy Lin (watch video below). MEDIA STEW Joe Rogan extensively addresses Rampage Jackson's criticisms on his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience. (NSFW, ample profanity) Check this newly released footage of Rousimar Palhares' MMA debut. Bet you can't guess how it ends. (HT: Middle Easy) Some generous individual decided to animate Bas Rutten's notorious Swedish barfight story. A host of UFC fighters give their honest opinion of Nick Diaz. Dana White unleashes on "racist" Floyd Mayweather, Jr. in Tuesday's Presidential Address. Unfortunate, but somewhat expected news for Dustin Jacoby after two straight losses. I have recently been released from the UFC, however my career is far from over. Thanks @ufc for giving me a shot so early in my career. — Dustin Jacoby (@dustinjacobyDJ) February 21, 2012 Derek Brunson explains his side of the failed medicals. Failed medicals = eye exam lol . I'm blind mf-ers . — Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunsonMMA) February 21, 2012 Ok here's the deal ... I've been fighting with contacts for 11 fights (9pro,2ams) never was an issue.Ohio won't pass my eye exam. — Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunsonMMA) February 21, 2012 and btw im bummed . I had a month to prepare for the Jacare fight . Was working a lot of stand up & td defense. Was certain to tko or ko — Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunsonMMA) February 21, 2012 Stevie Wonder can play a piano blind & blind people can drive cars , but i can't fight with contacts #doesntmakesense — Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunsonMMA) February 21, 2012 Meanwhile, Luke Rockhold has no sympathy. SO SURPRISING! The only male cheerleader in MMA backs out of his toughest fight! @DerekBrunsonMMA put down the gloves and pick ur pom pom's! — Luke Rockhold (@rockholdMMA) February 21, 2012 FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS Announced yesterday (Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2012): - UFC 146: Jacob Volkmann (14-2) vs. Paul Sass (12-0) - Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey: Derek Brunson (9-0) out against Jacare Souza (14-3) FANPOST OF THE DAY Today's Fanpost of the Day goes to BE reader Chris Groves: Breaking Down Paths to Victory for Edgar vs Henderson. To Win a Decision Benson Henderson has shown a lot of toughness when it comes to surviving submissions and recovering quickly after being rocked or dropped. Given Edgar's higher decision rate and Henderson's durability, a decision victory for Edgar is likely. To pull it off he essentially has to do what he always does. He needs to use his excellent footwork, his ability to sneak in sharp punches, and his talent for mixing in unexpected takedowns when his opponents are least expecting it. He has to 'Do what Frankie does' for five rounds. I would suggest keeping it standing and at a distance all costs, I wouldn't suggest trying to find out who can outmuscle who in the clinch with 'Smooth'. Circle, punch, kick, occasional takedown, slick combination, rinse and repeat is the name of the game here. Found something entertaining, brutal, or bizarre you'd like to see in the Morning Report? Just send it to @shaunalshatti and we'll include it in tomorrow's post.

Posted in: ufc, february, mdash, brunson, derek

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A member of Derek Brunson's fight camp informed him on Monday by a member that the Ohio Athletic Commission had denied his fight license based on an eye exam he had submitted. It was part of his licensing for a fight with Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza at next week's "Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey" event. "He's like, 'Hey, you can't really say anything,'" Brunson said of the conversation. "(UFC matchmaker) Sean (Shelby) is on a flight to Japan, but you're fight is gone. They won't approve your eye exam in Ohio."

Posted in: fight, brunson, fight license, eye exam, youre fight

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Derek Brunson discusses why he was pulled from his upcoming bout against Jacare in Strikeforce, and how badly he wants to punch Strikeforce champ Luke Rockhold in the face.

Posted in: strikeforce, luke, brunson, derek, future showdown

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Derek Brunson has been scratched from next month's Strikeforce MMA card because he failed his medical exam.

Posted in: strikeforce, month, card, brunson, exam

Read the full article at sportsnet.ca

Derek Brunson revealed on Tuesday that he has been pulled from his planned March 3 fight in Ohio with Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza, saying that the Ohio Athletic Commission wouldn't let him fight with contact lenses, as he has for his entire MMA career. But the Ohio commission says that's simply false. "That's an absolute lie, an absolute falsification or misinterpretatino from Mr. Brunson," Bernie Profato, Executive Director of the Ohio Athletic Commission, told MMAFighting.com. Profato said fighters can and do fight wearing soft contact lenses in Ohio, but in order to get licensed they need to meet a minimum vision threshold without contacts, so that it would be safe for them to continue if a contact were knocked out during a fight. And Brunson's vision is simply too bad for him to fight, according to the rules of the Ohio Athletic Commission. Profato pointed to the eye exam form that is available as a PDF on the Commission's web site, which includes the following: The commission shall deny, suspend, revoke or place restrictions on the license of any applicant applying for a professional license to participate in boxing, tough person, kick boxing, karate, mixed martial arts or any striking sports regulated by the Ohio Athletic Commission, because of any medical or visual condition, including but limited to the following: (1) Uncorrected visual acuity of less than 20/200 in either eye or 20/60 with both eyes. According to Profato, Brunson's vision is 20/400, which means that he lacks the "uncorrected visual acuity" that Ohio requires. Profato said Ohio's standards for vision are similar to those of other states, including Nevada, where Brunson fought in November. Profato said he's not sure why this is the first time this issue has arisen in Brunson's career, but as long as that rule is on the books in Ohio, Profato intends to enforce the rule. "There's nothing in our rules that says you can't wear soft contacts," Profato said. "But if they come out you can't go look for them -- it's not like a basketball game where you go out there and look and put the contact back in -- you have to keep fighting without them." Profato says he's not sure where Brunson got the idea that he couldn't fight wearing contacts. Profato said that when Strikeforce forwarded the results of an ophthalmological exam for Brunson, Ohio informed Strikeforce that Brunson's vision was an issue. But Profato hasn't had any contact with Brunson personally. "The state of Ohio can't let this guy fight when it says 20/400," Profato said. "I've never talked to him. I just got the form. Apparently Strikeforce told him he didn't meet our medical requirements but I've never talked to the guy." Profato said this is the first time he's aware of that this has come up with an MMA fighter, although he said Ohio did previously reject an applicant for a boxing license for the same reason. Ultimately, Profato said, he doesn't see any reason Brunson should criticize Ohio, as he did in a series of messages on Twitter. "Believe me, we don't want to cancel any fights," Profato said. "But the fighters' safety is our No. 1 priority."

Posted in: fight, contact, brunson, ohio, profato

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When Strikeforce announced earlier today that Derek Brunson had been pulled from a bout with Ronaldo Souza at the organization’s upcoming show on March 3 due to a failed medical it seemed like another instance of bad luck for an already embattled promotion. However, as it turns out Brunson’s situation did not stem from an injury or substance issue but rather an Ohio Athletic Commission’s policy about contact lenses. Wrote Brunson on his Twitter account, “Ok here’s the deal … I’ve been fighting with contacts for eleven fights (and it) never was an issue. Ohio won’t pass my eye exam.” “And by the way, I’m bummed,” the 28-year old continued. “I had a month to prepare for the Jacare fight. Was working a lot of stand-up and takedown defense. Was certain to TKO or KO (him).” Brunson is 9-0 as a professional with seven stoppages. His last outing came in November where he won a Unanimous Decision over Nate James, his third victory as a Strikeforce middleweight. Strikeforce has said it is seeking a replacement for Brunson though it remains unclear whether or not they’ll be able to find one given the short amount of time involved. PHOTO CREDIT – TWITTER/STRIKEFORCE

Posted in: strikeforce, brunson, nate james, ” brunson, contact lenses

Read the full article at Five Ounces of Pain

Middleweight prospect Derek Brunson will not compete as expected against former champion Ronaldo Souza at Strikeforce “Tate vs. Rousey,” according to promotion CEO Scott Coker.

Posted in: strikeforce, prospect, brunson, derek brunson, derek

Read the full article at Sherdog

Stop the presses. Earlier today (Feb. 21, 2012) during the media conference call for Strikeforce: "Tate vs. Rousey," Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker announced the planned middleweight bout between former champion Ronaldo Souza and undefeated prospect Derek Brunson had been cancelled due to the latter failing his medicals. Coker stated that they're looking for a late replacement opponent for Souza and still plan on featuring him on the main card. The Strikeforce head honcho would not elaborate on what particular issue forced Brunson out of the fight, only stating that Brunson's problem was not severe. However, Brunson himself took to Twitter to explain the situation. And it's not at all what you would think. Immediately after the announcement, Brunson explained that it was a failed eye exam which cost him an opportunity to compete in what would be, by far, the biggest fight of his burgeoning career. "Failed medicals = eye exam lol. I'm blind mf-ers.....Ok here's the deal ... I've been fighting with contacts for 11 fights (9pro,2ams) never was an issue. Ohio won't pass my eye exam.... and btw im bummed. I had a month to prepare for the Jacare fight. Was working a lot of stand up & td defense. Was certain to tko or ko...Stevie Wonder can play a piano blind & blind people can drive cars , but i can't fight with contacts #doesntmakesense" Brunso also stated that he's immediately scheduling some corrective laser surgery "FYI I'm working on getting lasik this week, I'll be back in no time!!!" As an added bonus, apparently Strikeforce middleweight champion Luke Rockhold decided to kick Brunson while he was down. "SO SURPRISING! The only male cheerleader in MMA backs out of his toughest fight! @DerekBrunsonMMA put down the gloves and pick ur pom pom's!" Brunson, as expected, didn't take the insult lying down. "@rockholdMMA 100% I'd ko you, you're to weak and slow. my style trumps yours ... Karate kid. You're the champ by default." Do you feel this delayed opportunity will be good or bad for Brunson's career? Sound off!

Posted in: fight, strikeforce, brunson, eye exam, exam

Read the full article at MMA Mania

Just 10 days before its next event, Strikeforce is scrambling to find a new opponent for former middleweight champion Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza. Derek Brunson, who was slated to fight Jacare on March 3 in Columbus, Ohio, has dropped out of the card because he did not pass his pre-fight medicals, Strikeforce has announced. So what was the medical issue? According to Brunson, it's that the Ohio athletic commission won't let him fight wearing contact lenses. "Ok here's the deal," Brunson wrote on Twitter. "I've been fighting with contacts for 11 fights ... never was an issue. Ohio won't pass my eye exam. ... Stevie Wonder can play a piano blind & blind people can drive cars, but i can't fight with contacts." I'm not sure who those blind people driving cars are, but Brunson says he's getting Lasik soon. Unfortunately, it won't be soon enough to fight Jacare in a week and a half. Losing Brunson vs. Jacare makes an already thin Strikeforce fight card even thinner. The card had already lost a planned fight between Gegard Mousasi and Mike Kyle when Kyle dropped out with an injury. One option for Strikeforce could be to put Jacare and Mousasi in the cage together in a rematch of the 2008 Dream middleweight tournament final, which Mousasi won with an upkick knockout. But that's probably not realistic, as Mousasi has since moved up to light heavyweight. Strikeforce's shallow middleweight division doesn't have many other potential opponents for Jacare, but as of Tuesday afternoon the promotion is working on finding someone who can step in and take on one of the best Brazilian jiu jitsu practitioners in the world on 10 days' notice. The March 3 Strikeforce card is headlined by a women's 135-pound title fight between Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey.

Posted in: fight, strikeforce, jacare, contact, brunson

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Strikeforce’s March 3 event took another hit after it was revealed earlier today surging middleweight prospect Derek Brunson had been pulled from the lineup after an inability to pass a set of required medicals. Though no specifics were given on his condition it was revealed the injury was minimal in nature. Though the card recently lost a co-headlining clash between Mike Kyle-Gegard Mousasi, CEO Scott Coker explained the organization is seeking a replacement for Brunson meaning they’re hopeful his opponent, Ronaldo Souza, will still compete at the show. Brunson holds a 9-0 mark including three wins under the Strikeforce banner. He was last seen outpointing Nate James in November, only the second decision win in his young career. Brunson Addresses Removal from Strikeforce Card Even absent Souza-Brunson the card is still relatively strong with a headlining title-fight between champion Miesha Tate and contender Ronda Rousey as well as match-ups such as K.J. Noons-Josh Thomson, Ryan Couture-Conor Heun, and Kazuo Misaki-Paul Daley. PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE Tweet

Posted in: strikeforce, card, brunson, strikeforce fight, brunson meaning

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On today's Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey conference call, Scott Coker announced that Derek Brunson did not pass his medicals and thus has been removed from his scheduled bout with Ronaldo Souza. Coker did not give any details beyond saying that it was "not severe" and he "couldn't get into it." The search is on for a new opponent for Jacare, but it's going to be interesting to see if the promotion can land anyone up to Souza's level with only a little more than a week's notice. For Brunson, this is a disappointing setback. He had upped his professional record to 9-0 with a one sided (but lackluster) decision win over Nate James at Strikeforce Challengers 20. Despite having some technical flaws in his striking, he still has a lot of upside and many expect big things. Then again, maybe it's not all that disappointing for Brunson fans given that he would have entered the cage as a significant underdog for the bout. SBN coverage of Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey

Posted in: strikeforce, souza, brunson, derek brunson, brunson fans

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Undefeated Derek Brunson has been forced out a "Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey" fight with fellow middleweight Ronald "Jacare" Souza. Officials today announced that Brunson failed his medicals for the fight, though the undisclosed ailment is "not severe" in nature, according to Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker. A replacement is being sought for next week's card.

Posted in: strikeforce, vs, tate, brunson, derek brunson

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Strikeforce has stepped up to establish a top contender for middleweight champion Luke Rockhold by booking a fight between former title-holder Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and hard-hitting, unbeaten grappler Derek Brunson for the company’s March 3 visit to Columbus, Ohio. While not confirmed through an official announcement, Brunson revealed the deal was in place on Twitter. Brunson has racked up nine consecutive wins in his eighteen months as a professional fighter including three under the Strikeforce banner. He was last seen outpointing Nate James in November at Strikeforce Challengers 20 to cap off a 4-0 year. However, Souza will easily represent the best opponent he’s faced to date and will be a major step up in competition compared to Brunson’s relatively unknown adversaries to date. “Jacare”, seen as one of the elite BJJers in MMA, is coming off his championship loss to Rockhold where he was outpointed in a competitive five-rounder last September. The 32-year old Brazilian holds an overall record of 14-3 with three submissions and past success against Matt Lindland, Robbie Lawler, Tim Kennedy, and Jason “Mayhem” Miller. Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Tate is headlined by bantamweight queen Miesha Tate defending her belt against undefeated judoka Ronda Rousey and also features fights such as K.J. Noons vs. Josh Thomson and Gegard Mousasi vs. Mike Kyle. PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

Posted in: strikeforce, vs, souza, brunson, features fights

Read the full article at Five Ounces of Pain

This March, former Strikeforce middleweight champ Ronaldo Souza will take the first step of his journey back towards the title he lost to Luke Rockhold when he sees action in Columbus, Ohio against unbeaten finisher Derek Brunson. Though not officially announced by the organization, Brunson took to Twitter on Thursday night to reveal he’d been booked to battle the widely respected submission specialist. Brunson currently holds a 9-0 mark including seven opening round stoppages and a fairly even split between TKOs/tap-outs. The 28-year old, who spends much of his time training with Greg Jackson’s camp in New Mexico, last fought in November where he outpointed Nate James at Strikeforce Challengers 20. In “Jacare” Brunson will face the stiffest test of his career, a 14-3 BJJ blackbelt with past victories over Matt Lindland, Jason Miller, Robbie Lawler, and Tim Kennedy. The March 3 fight will come nearly six months to the day Souza dropped his belt to Rockhold after a hotly contested five round affair. Souza Retires from BJJ Competitions to Focus 100% on MMA Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Tate is headlined by Miesha Tate’s defense of her bantamweight belt against Olympic judoka Ronda Rousey with other match-ups including Paul Daley vs. Kazuo Misaki, Gegard Mousasi vs. Mike Kyle, and KJ Noons vs. Josh Thomson. PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE Tweet

Posted in: strikeforce, vs, souza, brunson, march

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Strikeforce's 185-pound class has had a champion presiding over the division since 2008, when Cung Le defeated Frank Shamrock by TKO. Despite two of its middleweight champions having since vacated the title (first Le, and then his successor Jake Shields), Strikeforce has also been relatively quick in establishing a new one. Most recently installed at the top spot is Luke Rockhold. Given that the weight class has more or less always had a standard bearer in place, then, it's surprising the division is in such disarray. The confusing middleweight state of affairs is no more clearly characterized than in Rockhold's upcoming title defense against Keith Jardine-a challenger who has never fought at middleweight, and whose promotional record stands at zero wins, zero losses, and one draw. And while I think Jardine is actually a much more dangerous opponent than most are giving him credit for, I don't think it's good for the organization's legitimacy when a contender is picked seemingly out of the blue, irrespective of promotional rank. More coherent matchmaking and a greater sense of divisional hierarchy is a must. I believe Strikeforce has the talent to make it happen. Let's take a look... The Top Five Former champ Ronaldo Souza has put together a 4-1-0 record in Strikeforce on the strength of his phenomenal grappling game and ever-improving, surprisingly effective striking skills. His multi-faceted approach served him well in his victory against Tim Kennedy. He nearly duplicated this success in his fight against Rockhold, but gassed badly in the third round. Despite questions about his endurance, Jacare remains one of the pillars of the middleweight division. Though he was billed early in his career as a kick boxer, Tim Kennedy has displayed a knack for the ground game during his time with Strikeforce, outwrestling Robbie Lawler and submitting Zak Cummings, Melvin Manhoef, and Trevor Prangley. He's easily in the top three of the division. Strikeforce has an interesting trio in Yancy Medeiros (9-0-0), Derek Brunson (9-0-0), and Adlan Amagov (9-1-1). All three have remained undefeated in the organization-Medeiros and Amagov throughout two bouts each, and Brunson across three-and all have a tendency to put away their opposition by either submission or TKO. They've been flying under the radar, but Amagov, at least, will soon get a chance to break away when he takes on Robbie Lawler this January. && More middleweights after the jump... Best of the Rest Neither Robbie Lawler nor Trevor Prangley have faired quite as well in Strikeforce as I'd expected. At nearly 40 years old, Prangley's best days are most probably behind him, while Lawler seems to have lost much of the fury that characterized his early career. I myself have something of a soft spot for both of them, though, and since they've both done a little bit of division-hopping for Strikeforce (Lawler in his catch-weight bout with Renato Sobral and Prangley in a light-heavyweight fight against Roger Gracie), I think they each deserve another low-key shot in Strikeforce. Lawler, at least, gets one against Amagov in January. Much the same can be said of Benji Radach. Being prone to injury, Radach hasn't had much of a chance to show that he's better than his 0-2-0 Strikeforce record suggests. Radach deserves another chance following his gutsy, if lopsided, decision loss to light-heavyweight Ovince St. Preux. Melvin Manhoef has gone winless in two Strikeforce appearances. However, given his wrecking-ball style, international cred, and relatively low fee (he received 10K in his fight with Kennedy) I think Manhoef adds a lot of valuable wattage to a card. Similar to Medeiros, Brunson, and Amagov, Andreas Spang, Nate James, and Lumumba Sayers have done some decent but little-seen work in Strikeforce. Spang remains undefeated in the organization, debuting last November with a TKO over Willie Parks. James most recently suffered a decision loss to Brunson, but a win over UFC vet Danillo Villefort remains to his credit. And though Sayers stumbled in his promotional debut (also against Brunson), he made quite a turnaround with his KO win over Antwain Britt. Being relative novices, it's hard to know where they figure in among the Strikeforce middleweights, but with a division in flux, there's no better time than now to find out. And so... As with the lightweights, I think a tournament would sort out this division in definitive and entertaining fashion. After a glance at its roster, it seems that Strikeforce has not only enough fighters but the right mix of new and veteran talent needed to keep an eight-man series both interesting and affordable. Of course, in the past year, Strikeforce had already considered and then declined to put on a middleweight tournament, though the "why" of the decision was never entirely clear. Maybe the concept will resurface now that the deal with Showtime has been firmly renewed.

Posted in: strikeforce, division, lawler, middleweight, brunson

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Derek Brunson has yet to lose, and that's the way he likes it.

Posted in: showdown, jame, brunson, brunson levelheaded, levelheaded

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A middleweight bout between undefeated Derek Brunson and veteran Nate James is slated for next month's Strikeforce Challengers 20 event. Brunson and Strikeforce officials announced the fight via Twitter. Strikeforce Challengers 20 place Nov. 18 at The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.

Posted in: strikeforce, strikeforce officials, brunson, nate james, derek brunson

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Undefeated welterweight prospect Derek Brunson Wednesday announced that he will face American Kickboxing Academy representative Nate James on Nov. 18 at Strikeforce Challengers 20.

Posted in: strikeforce, challenger, jame, james bout, brunson

Read the full article at Sherdog