Chrom Hall of Famer
Posts : 5966 Standard Cash : 23052 Reputation : 257 Join date : 2011-07-06 Age : 43 Location : Minnesota
| Subject: Roger Gracie hopes to clear out light-heavy division, move on to UFC Tue Aug 30, 2011 4:33 pm | |
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- With the exodus of Strikeforce light-heavyweight champion Dan Henderson nearing reality, there's a belt that could be vacant very soon.
And while Strikeforce 205-pounder Roger Gracie isn't ready to begin a campaign for a title fight, he would like to make a trip to the UFC inescapable.
"I think there will be one point, hopefully, where I will have fought the top guys in my weight division and there will be nowhere else for me to fight," Gracie told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "I will have to step up."
Gracie (4-0 MMA, 2-0 SF) fights former Strikeforce light-heavyweight champ Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal (7-1 MMA, 2-1 SF) at "Strikeforce Grand Prix: Barnett vs. Kharitonov," which takes place Sept. 10 at U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati. Gracie vs. Lawal is part of the night's Showtime-televised main card.
Like many of the bookings that populate the promotion's calendar, there's uncertainty about the future of Strikeforce talent. Henderson appears headed to the UFC, and heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem is in negotiations to make his octagon debut possibly before the end of the year.
Gracie is among a handful of standout fighters who stand to benefit from Henderson's exit. Light heavyweights Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante, Gegard Mousasi, Keith Jardine and Ovince St. Preux could be within spitting distance of a title shot. If Strikeforce and UFC crossovers become a reality (or the two promotions merge), the champion is in a position to capitalize.
So Gracie's road to the title may have gotten shorter, and a win over a former champ definitely wouldn't diminish his prospects. But he's undecided on whether something good will come of the recent shakeups.
"We'll see," he said. "The UFC, every single organization they bought they end up merging. We [don't] know how long they'll keep Strikeforce. They might keep it for a couple of years. They might kill it tomorrow. You never know."
For now, he's focused on his fight with Lawal. After undergoing knee surgery this past summer, Lawal hopes to return to form after a TKO loss to Cavalcante that stripped him of the belt.
Lawal brings top-shelf wrestling skills to the Sept. 10 fight, though Gracie believes he'll try to strike his way to victory. Gracie, of course, is a highly decorated jiu-jitsu player.
"I think if he can be slippery and keep the fight standing, he'll have a chance not to get submitted," Gracie said. "But I think if we fight on the ground, his chances are not very good."
Gracie is training at Renzo Gracie's academy in New York City as the date nears, and while he's surrounded by grapplers, his training hasn't changed much compared to other fights.
"I think that I train less ... in jiu-jitsu because he's not a great jiu-jitsu player, and I'm sure I won't have to worry about him trying to submit me," he said. Source So what are your guys opinions on Roger? Do you think he can beat King Mo... will ever be in the UFC? Personally I don't think he is gonna make it past King Mo, but he does have a ton of potential. | |
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Triggerman99 Title Holder
Posts : 5981 Standard Cash : 59646 Reputation : 512 Join date : 2011-07-11 Age : 43 Location : New York
| Subject: Re: Roger Gracie hopes to clear out light-heavy division, move on to UFC Tue Aug 30, 2011 5:25 pm | |
| I can't really think of any top 205ers in the UFC that he could hang with at the moment. But like you said, there's potential there.
Wrestling is so prevalent in the LHW division that if fighters want to make him stand and trade, they won't have much resistance. Because of that, he needs to work on his stand-up and get it to the point where he can be threatening on the feet. Otherwise, I see a long stretch of fights with him just getting picked apart by guys who can easily shrug off his takedown attempts, and therefore have no fear of his ground game. | |
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Krieger Title Holder
Posts : 2176 Standard Cash : 5933 Reputation : 194 Join date : 2011-08-12 Location : Calgary
| Subject: Re: Roger Gracie hopes to clear out light-heavy division, move on to UFC Tue Aug 30, 2011 6:00 pm | |
| Roger will do well. He appears to be a very patient well rounded BJJ practicioner and has some good speed, accuracy and power in his punches. Given time he will be tough to beat. Clearing out the division may be a bit premature but stranger things have happened. As for King Mo? Itll be tough, Lawal a wrestling ground and pounder with power and a killer instinct. As an added bonus he has the shit-talking and antics of Evans.
I did pick Roger to win but take a look at my fake dollars.... heh | |
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| Subject: Re: Roger Gracie hopes to clear out light-heavy division, move on to UFC | |
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