This pay-per-view, a co-promotion between Strikeforce and EliteXC, certainly won’t draw anything like a UFC number but Shamrock and opponent Phil Baroni can talk up a fight like few others.  Roundly abusing each other in online videos, forum posts and interviews they’ve certainly built up interest with some uncommonly personal insults and there will be plenty of people eager to see them fight.  Strikeforce crowds have dipped significantly without Shamrock on hand as he’s a major name in San Jose.  With him back on the show this should be a serious box office success.  Few would expect another 18,000 to pack the HP Pavilion (part of the allure last year was the ‘first event in town’ effect) but there should be a hefty crowd on hand for a show that features a fascinating undercard showcasing local San Shou superstar turned MMA fighter Cung Le, this is a pay-per-view well worth watching.

Line-up:

Frank Shamrock vs. Phil Baroni
Cung Le vs. Tony Fryklund
Falaniko Vitale vs. Joey Villasenor
Paul Buentello vs. Carter Williams
Josh Thomson vs. Nick Gonzalez
Charles ‘Krazy Horse’ Bennett vs. Victor ‘Joe Boxer’ Valenzuela
Duane Ludwig vs. Paul Daley
Jason Von Flue vs. Luke Stewart
Mike Pyle vs. Aaron Wetherspoon
Rex Richards vs. Steve Jester
June 22nd
San Jose, California

Frank Shamrock vs. Phil Baroni

A five round fight for the vacant Strikeforce Middleweight title, this has been a long time coming.  Numerous false starts, all kinds of online bickering and name-calling (“idiot”, “meathead”, “faggot”, “punk”, “cheat”, “coward” and “asshole” are some of the nicer comments) and finally Shamrock (21-8-1) faces the only other man capable of picking up 266 mortal enemies every day before breakfast.  Both Shamrock and Baroni (10-7) know how to market themselves.  Ever the emotional one, Baroni’s hatred seems almost genuine while Shamrock is, as always, motivated by the almighty dollar and building up the Frank Shamrock brand.  If only he and Dana could get along, they’d both be making even more money.  Neither man is realistically at the top of the 185 pound division these days.  Let’s face it, Shamrock’s best years may have been spent sitting at home and Baroni will never be the BEST EVA!!!!, no matter what he says.  Both have real strengths, but both have weaknesses too.  The widely acknowledged master of conditioning who taught Tito Ortiz the hard way, Shamrock’s training regime is brutal and should ensure he remains effective well into the later rounds, if the fight goes that far.  Baroni is by far the bigger puncher but his own conditioning has been woeful at times.  An excellent strategist, Shamrock excels at plotting out a patient gameplan and sticking to it.  Baroni on the other hand has often shown a tendency to leave his brain at home and just throw down.  Infuriatingly inconsistent, Baroni’s single-minded obsession with rendering his opponents unconscious often masks his much-underrated wrestling skills.  Those close to him also note his inability to fight or train effectively when his usually turbulent personal life is especially chaotic.  His constant moving from one camp to another has been a problem too.  The San Jose based AKA and Marc Laimon’s Cobra Kai in Las Vegas have been recent stops on the Baroni express but he seems to have settled well at Randy Couture’s camp in Vegas and can only benefit from working with the second greatest fighter in MMA history.  He should also be in great shape and a currently settled personal life and his antipathy for Shamrock indicate we may see a very, very focused Baroni in this fight.

Shamrock faced the very best in Pancrase when that promotion was home to most of the world’s best fighters.  But we’re a long way from 1994 and 1995 right now.  Flexible, athletic and beautifully balanced, Shamrock is the smarter, more skilled fighter but it’s hard to escape the feeling the sport may have passed him by.  It’s almost eight years since his triumph over Ortiz and he hardly looked like a legend against Renzo Gracie.  His takedown defence in that fight was awful and Baroni is a very good wrestler.  If only he can remember that and actually use it.  Shamrock is good on his feet and is more than capable of standing with Baroni for a while, even if he’d be playing a dangerous game to try that for too long.  Shamrock’s real edge is his conditioning but that won’t help him much if Baroni takes him down, avoids Shamrock’s submission attempts and pounds away with punches.  Baroni needs to fight with composure and intelligence, but still harness his power and aggression, just as he did in his win over Yosuke Nishijima.  Can he do that?  Perhaps.  If he does, Shamrock could be in serious trouble.  Baroni isn’t the meathead Shamrock says he is.  He needs to win early before he almost inevitably runs out of steam.  If Baroni uses his wrestling skills he can win by bashing Shamrock on the mat.  If he’s obsessed with landing that one big punch then he’ll find himself gassed out and at Shamrock’s mercy.  It’s Baroni’s decision.  Just for once, he may make the right one.

PREDICTION: Baroni by TKO early in the second round.

Other Fights:

Miletich camp regular Tony Fryklund (14-8) brings a decade of MMA experience with him as he faces a far superior striker from a more limited form of fighting.  Spectacular San Shou star Cung Le (3-0) will get his usual great reception from the hometown crowd but this is by far the biggest test of his short MMA career.  Given San Shou’s rules allowing throws he’s ahead of most recent converts from kickboxing in terms of clinching and takedowns but his proficiency on the mat has yet to be seriously tested.  A smart wrestler and a tough, well-rounded fighter, Fryklund should be just the man to test that aspect of Le’s fighting arsenal.  Dangerous and experienced, Fryklund has faced far better opposition than Le has so far in his short MMA career.  But Le is probably catching 36-year-old Fryklund at exactly the right time.  Aside from a quick submission win over England’s Alex Reid last September, Fryklund has few notable wins in the last four years.  He’s gone 4-6 since the start of 2004 and a long, hard career may well be catching up with him.  None of Le’s MMA fights have gone past the first round and his speed, technical skill, balance and sheer array of punches and kicks put him far ahead of Fryklund on his feet.  Fryklund has been in there with some great fighters but his November 2006 loss to KOTC regular Thomas Denny may be an indication of where he stands these days.  Le is far from the finished article but with such a definitive edge in striking, look for him to win what looks like his toughest fight to date sometime in the second round, using his fists and feet.

Poor Joey Villasenor (23-5).  With original opponent Murilo ‘Ninja’ Rua failing a medical a week before the fight, Villasenor’s five round fight for the vacant EliteXC middleweight title against a genuine MMA star now becomes a fairly interesting fight against a late substitute over three rounds.  Like Villasenor, Falaniko Vitale (22-7) is a capable, respected, experienced fighter who for some reason has serious trouble when matched with Robbie Lawler.  ‘Ruthless’ Robbie is hardly the best middleweight out there but he’s the owner of two KO wins over Vitale and a 22-second, flying knee KO over Villasenor.  Problems with Lawler aside, these two have plenty in common.  Both made their names with plenty of fights on a specific local circuit or promotion (Vitale in Hawaii and Villasenor in KOTC) and both have come up short at a higher level.  Vitale went 1-1 in UFC against Matt Lindland but his victory was a serious fluke as Lindland suplexed Vitale, slipped and essentially KO’ed himself.  In the rematch a rampant Lindland just dominated every moment and finally finished Vitale with punches and elbows late in the third round.  Villasenor’s Pride career saw him go 0-2, dropping a close decision to the inconsistent Ryo Chonan and being blitzed by Lawler.  Villasenor decisioned David Loiseau at the first EliteXC event in February but Loiseau remains an indistinct shadow of his former self since being so comprehensively humbled by Rich Franklin.  Villasenor has slightly more KO/TKO wins, but also has an impressive ten submission victories.  Vitale is a quality grappler with 12 tapout wins to his credit.  Villasenor is likely the better striker and has spent plenty of time training at one of the sport’s most respected camps, regularly working with Diego Sanchez and Keith Jardine under Greg Jackson in Albuquerque.  Training for one of the biggest fights of his life against Rua, Villasenor should be in great shape.  Drafted in with a week’s notice, Vitale may struggle to cope with Villasenor’s energy, aggression and stamina.  The promoters deserve credit for finding a good opponent so late but look for Vitale to fade fairly early as Villasenor uses his busy striking and good wrestling to avoid Vitale’s submission attempts and bash his way to a stoppage win.

A sloppy striker boasting more than a decade as a professional MMA fighter, Paul Buentello (22-9) faces an intriguing challenge in the form of K-1 veteran Carter Williams (3-1).  ‘Headhunter’ Buentello could be in serious trouble.  He’s riding a three-fight winning streak since his 15 second KO loss to Andrei Arlovski at UFC 55 but has never faced such a gifted kickboxer.  He outclassed the late Gilbert Aldana, KO’ed the embarrassing Tank Abbott and punished and stopped Ruben Villareal last time out.  Buentello obviously has the edge in experience under these rules but Williams has been dabbling in MMA since 2002.  Ominously for Buentello, this fight is unlikely to hit the mat before Williams gets to unload with his numbing power and sheer aggression.  Every MMA fight begins standing and Williams has stood with Peter Aerts, Alexey Ignashov, ‘Mighty Mo’ Siliga and Ray Sefo under K-1 rules.  His K-1 career even hints at him being better suited to MMA, having got in trouble for several MMA-style rules infractions (use of his elbows, using the clinch to drag his opponent onto his heavy knees).  Williams even showed off some solid ground n’ pound in his last MMA fight against Tom Howard.  But Williams hasn’t fought under MMA rules since late 2004 and if he can withstand the opening assault, Buentello may be able to take advantage of that.  Expect a short, hard-hitting fight with a decisive KO finish.  And expect Buentello to be the one flat on his back.

Former UFC regular Josh Thomson (11-2) has been one of the Strikeforce group’s most dependable performers.  3-1 for the company, Thomson went five epic rounds with Clay Guida in a gripping fight at the first event in San Jose, dropping the decision.  Since then the long time AKA member has tapped out Harris Sarmiento and Duane Ludwig and outclassed Nam Pham, cruising to a decision win.  Thomson is a major step up in class for Texan Nick Gonzalez (11-4).  A good fighter, Gonzalez still doesn’t look like troubling Thomson too much.  ‘The Punk’ is just too talented, and too experienced.  Look for him to add Gonzalez to a list of victims that also includes Daisuke Sugie, Hermes Franca (an iffy decision to be fair) and Rob McCullough.  Look for a great performance and a submission win by Thomson.

Fighter - comedy act - criminal Charles ‘Krazy Horse’ Bennett (17-13-2), a man who never bothered to learn how to fight properly, Bennett is exceptionally entertaining with his wild brawling style, clowning antics and bizarre interviews.  The man who once credited frenzied masturbation for his bicep development faces 37-year-old Victor ‘Joe Boxer’ Valenzuela (5-1-2) in a rematch of their 2005 two round draw in a KOTC fight that saw Bennett saved by the bell.  Both can be fast starters, with Valenzuela winning three times in two minutes and Bennett eight in a similar time frame.  Both are heavy handed and neither is particularly well-rounded, although Valenzuela is in form, riding a five fight win streak and picking up some submission wins.  Neither really belongs on a major pay-per-view, but Bennett’s crazed persona makes him memorable, even if he almost always loses against quality opposition.  Of his victims, only KJ Noons, Yoshiro Maeda and Gerald Strebendt stand out as being good fighters.  Valenzuela’s wins are against even lesser opposition and Bennett at least has the edge in experience on a big stage.  Predictions are fairly pointless with Bennett involved but expect some silliness (even in Armando Garcia’s strictly regimented, quasi-totalitarian state) and some wild swinging in a short, entertaining fight.  OK, Bennett by TKO early.

A beautifully booked match pits experienced striker Duane Ludwig (15-6) against Cage Rage regular Paul Daley (14-6-2) in what should be a superb fight.  A heavy-handed, talented, if sometimes uncontrolled striker, ‘Semtex’ Daley has consistently been tagged as one of the British scene’s emerging stars for the last couple of years.  A few times now, Daley has seemed poised on the very edge of a major breakthrough but has just fallen slightly short.  His decision win over Dave Strasser was masterful but his first trip to Pancrase ended in a submission loss to Satoru Kitaoka.  Last December, Cage Rage somewhat hopefully matched Daley up with Chute Boxe star and Pride: Bushido regular Luiz Azeredo.  Going the distance with such a talented, aggressive fighter as Azeredo was a real achievement for Daley and something that would have been very unlikely just 18 months earlier.  Daley lost a unanimous decision but landed some heavy shots and for the first time it looked like a genuine world class breakthrough was on the way.  Since then, Daley is 2-0 with inside the distance wins over Germany’s impressive Daniel Weichel and last time out, stopping old rival Paul Jenkins with a perfect body shot.  With his much improved ground game and the extra maturity and experience that comes with fighting so regularly, the time could finally be right for Daley.  Unfortunately, Ludwig is a very, very talented fighter.  He’s also been mixing with world class fighters for much longer than Daley.  Ludwig had picked up a somewhat controversial decision win over Genki Sudo (‘Bang’ was the beneficiary of a restart rule that was subsequently changed) and a then-shocking KO win over Jens Pulver before Daley even made his pro debut.  Since then, Ludwig’s results have been mixed as talented grapplers like BJ Penn and Josh Thomson have submitted him and he’s been pounded to defeat by Sam Morgan and Tyson Griffin.  That said, he’s picked up some very good wins over Jonathan Goulet and Tony Fryklund.  A very neat kickboxer, Ludwig has real power and some excellent technique.  Daley still leaves himself open to too many punches but his energy, aggression and striking mean he’s rarely anything less than dangerous and always entertaining.  Some fights end up being so good that the result really doesn’t matter.  This could easily be one of those.  All Daley really has to do is be competitive all the way.  He’s definitely capable of doing that and even if he just falls short, this fight will finally mark his emergence as a genuine name fighter.  Look for Ludwig to take the win by a late TKO or a close decision, but underdog Daley walk away with a much-enhanced reputation.

Former TUF contestant Jason Von Flue (12-7-1) faces Strikeforce discovery Luke Stewart (2-0) in a fight that looks like ending by submission.  Stewart is yet to go past the 2:29 mark and both wins have come by submission.  A lanky, awkward, but very busy fighter, Von Flue has picked up ten submission wins in his on-off eight-year career.  Clearly he has a major edge in experience but Stewart has talent.  Von Flue is far from a great fighter but he’s a stiff test for Stewart.  Look for Stewart to pass that test and go 3-0.

Well-rounded veteran Mike Pyle (13-4-1) faces the aggressive Aaron Wetherspoon (6-1) in a fight where Pyle’s experience and submission skill may make the difference.  Wetherspoon has yet to fight outside the KOTC circuit but does hold a win over the very experienced LaVerne Clark and is riding a six-fight winning streak.  If he catches Pyle (owner of a potentially suspect chin) early, this could an explosive welcome to a bigger stage for Wetherspoon.  But the chances are, Pyle will prove too patient, too skilled for Wetherspoon. Pyle has some good wins over Ross Ebanez, Gustavo Machado and Shonie Carter.  Look for him to beat Wetherspoon, most likely by submission.

Unbeaten heavyweight Rex Richards (3-0) should keep his perfect record against Steve Jester (0-1), probably with an early submission over a man whose professional MMA career has so far lasted 12 seconds and saw him TKO’ed.

Predictions Re-cap:

Phil Baroni TKO2 Frank Shamrock
Cung Le TKO2 Tony Fryklund
Joey Villasenor TKO1 Falaniko Vitale
Carter Williams KO1 Paul Buentello
Josh Thomson SUB1 Nick Gonzalez
Charles Bennett TKO1 Victor Valenzuela
Duane Ludwig DEC3 Paul Daley
Luke Stewart SUB2 Jason Von Flue
Mike Pyle SUB1 Aaron Wetherspoon
Rex Richards SUB1 Steve Jester

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