Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos doesn't take much of a liking to second and third rounds. The Brazilian would rather dispatch his opponents in a fashion true to his Chute Boxe roots: quickly and painfully.Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz, on the other hand, likes to build an opus of pain a dozen punches at a time. He might not put you out on the first punch, but you'll drop after the 12th.
The polar opposites clash Saturday at "Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Cyborg," which takes place at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., and airs live on Showtime.
Diaz (23-7 MMA, 4-0 SF), who attempts to defend his 170-pound belt a second time, never has hidden a lack of excitement about the bout. There's no personal heat between Santos (18-13 MMA, 1-0 SF) and him as there was in his first title defense this past October against K.J. Noons. But he's intrigued by the aggression Santos brings to the table, and he's aware that he could end up flat on his face if he doesn't give due respect to the brawler.
"I think he's a brawler, and he kicks well," Diaz said. "He has knockout power, and he hits hard. He can hurt you with one punch. If you hit anyone right with a good punch, they'll go down."
The champ was polite as a Diaz can be Thursday during a press conference in support of the event, which was a stark contrast to the anger and disinterest that characterized his appearance on a media conference call this past week.
"I feel good, and I’m ready to fight," Diaz said. "'Cyborg' has a unique style, and I know that he will give it his all and be as crazy as ever. But that's good because I'm crazy, too.
"I have great respect for 'Cyborg.' He is strong and has skills and comes real hard. I feel he deserves a shot."
Diaz, in fact, almost showed sympathy for his challenger. He said the Brazilian hasn't had an easy road in his previous fights at middleweight and is better suited to compete in the welterweight class, which became a reality this past June at "Strikeforce: Los Angeles."
Unfortunately, "Cyborg" will get no quarter from him.
"I think he was fighting guys too big when he was fighting at middleweight, but I might be too big for him too," Diaz said.
Santos, meanwhile, downplayed the idea that he would lose power with less bulk behind his punches. (He, of course, had no problems in his welterweight debut in June when he picked up a first-round knockout against one-time contender Marius Zaromskis.)
"I feel strong and very comfortable at 170, and (I'm) looking forward to a great fight," he said.
Santos, the husband of Strikeforce women's middleweight champion Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos, said he will do no different than he's done in any other fight. When the bell rings, he will press the action and look for the knockout. He's waited a long time for the right opportunity to showcase his skills.
"After 15 years of training and sacrificing, my dream is finally almost here," he said. "I am very excited at the chance to make my mark. I can promise you I will do my best to pull out the win."
Lawler looks to add to belt collection
In a middleweight title bout, champion Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza (13-2 MMA, 3-0 SF) meets Robbie Lawler (20-6 MMA, 2-2 SF) in the first attempted defense of a belt he won this past August with a win over Tim Kennedy at "Strikeforce: Houston."
On paper, it's a pretty classic striker vs. grappler matchup. And it looks like the reality is going to be much the same.
"Jacare," who names his takedowns after himself, gave little indication that he'll do anything other than look for the right moment to put Lawler on his back.
"This is going to be a tough fight and a very dangerous one," Souza said Thursday at the event's pre-fight press conference. "Lawler is very heavy-handed, and I know to win I am going to have to play my game, which is to take him down and try and finish the fight."
Souza took note of the fact that his win over Kennedy largely was due to an effective striking attack. But against Lawler, he admitted that strategy might be risking too much.
"If I have to stand, I will," he said. "But I know it is important that I keep control. I don't feel either of us think that we can afford to make a mistake."
Lawler, too, feels that one slip could be catastrophic in his quest to win another title since his brief run as champion of the now-defunct EliteXC.
"Guys are so good at this level," he said. "Make a mistake, and it will cost you."
NFL's Walker returns
In other main-card action, NFL legend Herschel Walker (1-0 MMA, 1-0 SF) returns to the cage for his second professional bout when he meets Scott Carson (4-1 MMA, 0-0 SF). The two were expected to meet this past December at "Strikeforce: Henderson vs. Babalu II" before Walker was forced to withdraw due to facial a cut.
Carson returned to professional competition this past June after a nine-year layoff. But he's picked up the slack recently by training with a room full of killers at Reign Training Center, where standouts Mark Munoz, Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal and many others work.
Walker, meanwhile, has continued his MMA journey with MMA powerhouse American Kickboxing Academy, where he has worked with UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and Strikeforce prospect Daniel Cormier, among others. Three of Carson's four wins come by way of submission while Walker goes into the bout with one ground-and-pound TKO win under his belt.
Additionally, decorated submission grappler turned MMA fighter Roger Gracie (3-0 MMA, 1-0 SF) continues his reinvestment in the sport with a fight against Strikeforce mainstay Trevor Prangley (23-6-1 MMA, 4-2-1 SF).
The full card for "Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Cyborg" includes:
MAIN CARD
- Champ Nick Diaz vs. Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos (for welterweight title)
- Champ Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza vs. Robbie Lawler (for middleweight title)
- Herschel Walker vs. Scott Carson
- Roger Gracie vs. Trevor Prangley
- Nate Coy vs. Nate Moore
- Isaiah Hill vs. Bobby Stack
- Ron Keslar vs. Eric Lawson
- Germaine de Randamie vs. Stephanie Webber
- Lucas Gamaza vs. James Terry
- Jenna Castillo vs. Charlene Gellner
- Anthony Dariano vs. Alan Perez
- Niko Jackson vs. Ricky Jackson
- Sam Bracamonte vs. Armin Safiari
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