Strikeforce ‘Miami’ Preview

Joe Riggs vs. Jay Hieron

Inexplicably left off the main card, this looks like the lone bright spot on an otherwise dreary undercard. Riggs has had a solid career, but his time as a legitimate contender is nearing an end. Meanwhile, Hieron has developed into one of Strikeforce’s premier welterweight assets. Accurate boxing and stout wrestling will keep Hieron firmly in control before he dispatches a gassed Riggs early in the third round.

Pablo Alfonso vs. Marcos da Matta

One of Strikeforce’s best prospects, da Matta, a man best known for his Brazilian jiu-jitsu game, will tackle a decent regional gatekeeper. The disparity in talent and skill will become obvious, as da Matta adds to his hype with a first-round submission win via rear-naked choke.

Michael Byrnes Jr. vs. Dave Zitanick

Two fighters with losing records battle it out on the undercard of a major Strikeforce card for reasons apparent to no one. Zitanick has more polish on his game than Byrnes, who has yet to taste victory. An uninspiring fight goes to Zitnik via unanimous decision.

Sabah Homasi vs. John Kelly

Two undefeated, albeit unknown, prospects meet, as Homasi and Kelly look to launch their careers at one another’s expense. Favor Kelly, who has the ground game to match Homasi and the striking to make him pay on the feet. One of the show’s better pairings ends with Kelly taking a late technical knockout win over an exhausted Homasi.

David Gomez vs. Craig Oxley

Because the world needed to see Oxley again, he has returned to look for his first win. Nearly a decade after his last fight, he meets Gomez in a matchup of little consequence. A useless bout ends with Gomez getting a cheap notch in his belt courtesy of a TKO in the second round.

Hayder Hassan vs. Ryan Keenan

While Hassan has looked thoroughly flawed in his short MMA career, Keenan has developed into a decent mid-range prospect. In other words, Keenan has some real upside, and Hassan’s ceiling remains considerably lower. A mismatch through and through, Keenan comes out of it smelling like roses with an easy second-round submission win.