Punch Drunk Preview: Strikeforce Los Angeles

The good folks at Strikeforce must have known that I would be exhausted after spending last week on the mainland covering UFC 115 for the Vancouver-based newspaper I work for.

That has to be the reason that just 24 hours before they take to the cage at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California there isn’t a complete fight card available for analysis. Unless all they plan on putting on is six fights, at which point I renew my “Why didn’t they just combine this with the Fedor card?” objection.

Anyway…

The four fights that make up the main card are actually all pretty solid, and while the main event doesn’t completely make sense to me, I don’t have to agree with the company decisions to enjoy a good ol’ fashioned scrap.

The two undercard fights that are announced are getting left out of this endeavour because, well, because they are. Here we go…

KJ Noons (8-2-0) vs. Connor Heun (8-3-0)

Having KJ Noons back in the cage is something I can get on board with because (1) he’s a talented lightweight in an organization devoid of talented lightweights and (2) his old man is kind of crazy and I like crazy old men.

The former Elite XC lightweight champion looked strong in defeating “Dida” Amade in Japan earlier in the year, and while facing off with the last man to beat him would have been fun to see, any appearance of the fighter formerly known as “Crazy Horse” always has the potential of disaster.

Connor Heun is a tough kid who impressed a lot of people – me included – with his slugfest last year against Jorge Gurgel. Sure he lost, but you can’t win’em all, and much like Jason Brilz against “Lil’ Nog,” Heun earned the admiration of the fans and more of a following in defeat than he had with his eight wins.

Trevor Prangley (22-5-1) vs. Tim Kennedy (11-2-0)

Two dudes that people don’t give enough credit meet up in a middleweight contest with potential title ramifications, as the durable Prangley faces the former Green Beret Kennedy in what should be the best fight on the card.

Kennedy is one of those “under the radar” guys that addicts like me love; a potential star who has only lost to Jason “Mayhem” Miller and Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith, while posting wins over Miller and Nick Thompson between tours of duty as a bad-ass army commando. He also won the Army Combatives tournament not once, not twice, but thrice. Excellent…

Trevor Prangley has literally fought everywhere; UFC, Shark Fights, MFC, Bodog, Strikeforce. The guy would probably fight in your backyard in front of 37 people if it was properly regulated and there was a belt on the line. He’s also tough as nails, having only been finished twice. Hell, he’s only lost five times in his career and they’re all to quality competition.

See why I’m excited for this fight?