After the Bell: Strikeforce - Henderson vs. Babalu

I did the live blog of the Strikeforce: Henderson-Babalu card last night for Cage Potato last night, which was highlighted by highlight-reel KOs and not a whole lot of typing on my part. A few impressions:

1) Paul Daley called out KJ Noons and Nick Diaz after thrashing Scott Smith. I think both guys could take out Semtex.

2) Bigfoot Slva is only 6'3"? Anyway, his D'Arce choke was almost as impressive as him surviving the right hand of Mike Kyle that flattened him early in Rd. 1. It seems that Bigfoot isn't just getting by on good looks any more.

3) Robbie Lawler delivers. I'm still surprised that Babalu outpointed him when they fought (and I'm a Babalu fan).

4) I hate to say it, but Matt Lindland hasn't beaten top competition since his 2006 Rampage fight, which he lost...but kind of won.

5) I'd rather see Henderson fight Jacare, Rockhold, or Lawler at 185 (or 195) before Feijao (at 205).

Jake Shields Interview

I caught up with Strikeforce middleweight champ Jake Shields a little while back for a Full Contact Fighter article.

So how did it come to be that you became a coach on Team Liddell?

“Me and Chuck stayed in touch the whole time since I left [San Luis Obispo Kickboxing Academy]. We stayed friends, and when he found out he was doing the show, we were talking and figured, you know, I could come help the team out.”

What do you feel might set this season of The Ultimate Fighter apart from others?
“I don’t really know what’s going on in the house; I stay out of that and just coach. But I think we have a lot of talent on this season, and I think we’ll see a lot of good, young up-and-comers stick around from this show.”

Before joining as a coach, were you a fan of the show?

“I think [TUF] gives people an inside look at fighting - and in an entertaining way too, showing the [fighters’] lives and all that - so I’m certainly a fan of the show.”

As a Strikeforce champion, did you ever feel that you were in ememy territory, so to speak, while on the set of a UFC show?

“Everything was cool. I know Strikeforce and UFC don’t like each other that much, but I’ve never had any problems with the UFC and Dana [White]. I’ve always been a big fan, and I like Strikeforce I’m a big fan. I didn’t really feel like I was caught in the middle that much.”

So when you're not taping TUF or Bully Beatdown, you also fight -

"Every now and then, yeah."

Dan Henderson, April 17. How'd that come about?

“I think when he signed, it was kinda the logical thing. He’s an ’85-pounder, and he wants a title shot. Fighting a legend will be an honor.”

Have you followed Henderson's career? Are you a fan?

“I’ve been a big Hendo fan for years because I’m coming from a wrestling background. And back before I even fought, I watched him, and I used to always root for all of the wrestlers.”

Do you feel that 185 lbs. is the best weight for you, or do you plan on dropping back down to 170?

“I think I’ll end up dropping back down, and if it weren’t for my good friend Nick Diaz holding the belt below, I’d like to try and hold both [the welterweight and middleweight] belts at once.”

The Cesar Gracie Fight Team has now locked up the Strikeforce lightweight, welterweight, and middleweight belts. What is it about your team that's brought on so much success?

“I think we just train harder. We have the mentality to always train hard and never quit, and it’s been that way for years. We push ourselves to the limit by surrounding ourselves with people who have the same mentality.”

Is there anyone after Henderson you'd like to fight?

“I wouldn’t mind beating the crap out of [Frank] Shamrock, for real, but I don’t really think he’s at the level to fight in the cage anymore, so that might be a waste of time.”

Matt Lindland Interview

Strikeforce's newest middleweight, Matt "The Law" Lindland, talked with me a few days ago for a Full Contact Fighter article. (Such a lovely man.)

Lindland Adjusts to Evolution of MMA, Prepares for Jacare
by Matt Kaplan

The MMA landscape in 2009 has been an unpredictable, often bloody, and relatively lawless frontier. But not for long.

Matt “The Law” Lindland (21-6), the veteran middleweight and former Greco-Roman wrestling Olympic silver medalist, will make his Strikeforce debut against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu maven Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (10-2-1) on Saturday, December 19, in San Jose, CA.

Lindland fought just once in 2007, once again in 2008, and most recently back in January – nearly 11 months ago – when he was stopped by the rejuvenated fists of hard-hitting UFC middleweight Vitor Belfort at Affliction’s swan song.

“It’s been basically contractual issues” that have kept Lindland inactive, he told FCF. “With my new contract with Strikeforce, I should be able to get in three fights in the next twelve months.”

With the first of those three fights just days away, Lindland maintained that “[e]verything seems to be right near where I need it to be” when asked about his camp. The 39-year-old recognizes the leaps and bounds that MMA has taken since the days of him battling Murilo Bustamante for the UFC middleweight strap, and so as not to have sport pass him by, he’s had to adapt.

“The sport’s constantly evolving; fighters are getting better and better, and the sport is getting to be a deeper pool of athletes. So you’re going to have more good guys, especially in that middle weight. You’ve got to constantly be adjusting to all the new talent coming out, and you’ve got to be adjusting your training to what’s new, what’s working.”

What’s working for Lindland, he said, is Nike SPARQ training, which focuses “more dynamic speed and agility training.” Happy with the SPARQ trainers and its overall approach, Lindland has brought the SPARQ philosophy over to Team Quest. “That’s been a big evolution to what we’ve been doing,” he said.

Still, Lindland relies on his wrestling strengths and cage experience, which he sees as a definite advantage over Jacare, a former Abu Dhabi Combat Club and two-time World Jiu-Jitsu champion.

“I certainly think I have the experience in MMA; I was doing MMA when he was just still grappling. I feel that the clinch and takedowns are an advantage on my side, and obviously on the ground he’s got the advantage with submissions.”

“This is a tough opponent for sure,” Lindland maintains. “I don’t think he has a huge name here in the United States, but anybody that really follows the sport knows who he is, how tough he is.”

In Lindland and Jacare, Strikeforce has added two more dangerous 185-pounders to its already talented middleweight stable. Lindland recognizes the competitiveness of his new division and embraces Strikeforce’s depth at 185.

“Pretty much anybody in that weight class is a good opponent,” Lindland said of a weight class that includes the likes of Jake Shields, Robbie Lawler, Scott Smith, Cung Le, Tim Kennedy, Cyborg Santos, Joey Villasenor, and “Mayhem” Miller, just to name a few. “Those are the type of guys I’d like to fight.”

“Nobody’s going to dispute that [middleweight]’s Strikeforce’s deepest division, and it looks to be getting even deeper with the signing of Dan Henderson,” said Lindland of his long-time teammate and corner man.

“Who knows if he’s going to fight at 205 against guys like [Gegard] Mousasi or if he’s going to want to go up and try and take on Fedor. I’ve heard he has interest in that,” Lindland mentioned. FCF has learned that the “interest” in a potential fight with Fedor has been expressed by Henderson himself.

“Who knows where they’ll use Dan but he can make (185), and he just makes that weight class even deeper.”

As for UFC president Dana White’s assertion that he “let” Henderson sign with Strikeforce, Lindland doesn’t believe it to be an altogether outrageous claim.

“I think there’s probably a little truth in that statement in the fact that if Dana were to make an offer that Dan’s going to turn down, then I think he basically, you know, didn’t sight him... Dan’s looking at this as a business, and the best business move, he’s going to take.”

It seems that Henderson did in fact take the best offer, and with a few wins at 185 lbs., he may very well find himself in striking distance of the middleweight championship, possibly gunning for the same prize as his good buddy Matt Lindland. Could Henderson vs. Lindland be on the horizon?

“I don’t think that’s something either one of us are anticipating or looking forward to, but I don’t want to rule out anything. I think it would have to be worth our while for both of us to do it, and I just don’t know if anyone really wants to see that fight. If that was something the fans were dying to see, and we could each make a lot of money doing it, that would have to be something we’d discuss.”