Seen as a feeder league to the Strikeforce big show and other prominent events around the world, this series has always been used to showcase up-and-coming talent on the Showtime network This will time will be no different with promising young talent front-and-center on the main card, set to hit your TV screens at 10pm Texas time.
Let’s take a look at the main card for Strikeforce Challengers 15: Wilcox vs. Damm and try to offer up some predictions on the action.
155 – Rodrigo Damm (9-4) vs. Justin “The Silverback” Wilcox (10-3)
A former NCAA champion wrestler, the 5’6” Justin Wilcox reminds me of former UFC champion Sean Sherk with his aggressive, powerful style. Coming off a unanimous decision over highly-regarded Vitor “Shaolin” Ribiero this past November, Wilcos is riding a fice-fight win streak heading into this bout with Rodrigo Damm, who has dropped three out of last four. A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, Rodrigo has solid grappling skills but has struggled in the past guys with a mix of wrestling and knockout power. He does have some impressive wins though, most notably against Jorge Masdival, so eh can’t be completely counted out.
Prediction – Wilcox over Damm via TKO in round two.
155 – Caros “The Future” Fodor (7-2) vs. David “Tarzan” Douglas (6-2)
Not to be confused with Fedor, Caros “The Future” Fodor is a7-2 fighter from the AMC Pancration camp in Washington. Making his 3rd Strikeforce Challengers appearance, Fodor has won two in a row utilizing a technical and and methodical submission game. Facing off against David Douglas, this bout will display a contrast in styles as the Cesar Gracie-trained “Tarzan” is a much more aggressive fighter, as evident in his last victory in Austin, TX over Nick Gonzalez. This one may be close early but look for Douglas to impose his will and finish Fodor in the midde rounds.
Prediction – Douglas over Fodor by submission in round two.
205 – Lorenz Larkin (8-0) vs. Scott Lighty (6-1)
A longtime training partner to none other than former UFC champion Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell out there in San Luis Obispo, Scott Lighty has made appearances in K-1 to go along with his 6-1 MMA resume. Coming off a TKO win in his last fight (Aug 2010), Lighty will be taking on a late replacement after Japanese Judo champion Satoshi Ishii ran into visa issues rendering him unable to fight. Undefeated at 8-0, Larkin has been making the rounds in smaller promotions around California and is known as a knockout artist. Look for him to try and overwhelm Lighty early but the step up in competition coupled with taking the fight on such short notice will be tough to overcome.
Prediction – Lighty over Larkin via TKO in round two.
170 – James Terry (9-2) vs. Josh Thornburg (6-2)
This bout will feature another late replacement as Josh Thornburg steps in at the last minute for injured Eddie Bravo disciple Conor Heun. Trained by San Shou master Cung Le, James Terry is stepping into bout winning his past Strikeforce bouts. Also owning an extensive collegiate wrestling background, look for Terry to wear on the late substituting Thornburg, who lost just four weeks ago decisively against Roger bowling at the Strikeforce show up in Columbus, Ohio.
Prediction – Terry over Thornburg via unanimous decision.
170 – Damian Douglas (3-1) vs. Wayne Phillips (5-3)
The slightly bigger twin brother of David “Tarzan” Douglas, Damian is a Cesar Gracie-trained welterweight prospect needing to get some solid experience under his belt after being idle since 2008. The AKA-trained Phillips has a little more cage experience with 8 fights overall and has two straight wins heading into this bout. Look for Phillips to take advantage of his experience to push the pace early and try to wear him out en route to the victory.
Prediction – Phillips over Douglas via unanimous decision.