Strikeforce ‘Miami’ Preview

Herschel Walker vs. Greg Nagy

The Breakdown: The idea of a 47-year-old former NFL running back entering mixed martial arts based on the strength of some tae kwon do experience sounds absurd on paper, but Walker seems committed where Jose Canseco and Johnnie Morton failed. So little is known about these combatants that it makes this fight difficult to handicap.

Up until now, Nagy was a completely unknown fighter, and his sudden ascension to Strikeforce has done little to change his state. While he certainly has the edge in actual MMA training, this sport has been littered with examples of matchmakers stacking the deck in favor of their would-be golden boys. In short, there are no certainties entering this fight.

The X-Factor: Getting tackled on a football field will prove a far cry from getting hit in the face inside a cage, and training in traditional tae kwon do will not prepare one for MMA competition, either. We have seen plenty of converts quickly fall apart the second a fist gets too close to their face. Worse yet, the beating Walker absorbed on the gridiron probably has not done wonders for his durability.

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The Bottom Line: Flip a coin, consult an astrological table or just ask some random person on the street. This fight seems as unpredictable as they come, but logic leads one to believe Strikeforce has lined up an opponent Walker can handle.