Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum main card spotlight: K.J. Noons vs. Jorge Masvidal

A potentially classic lightweight duel opens the main card in Dallas as former Strikeforce welterweight title contender K.J. Noons looks to rebound from disappointment against street-certified banger Jorge Masvidal. Professional boxer Noons went 2-0 after signing with Strikeforce with wins over Conor Heun and Jorge Gurgel but fell short in his last outing in October as he dropped a unanimous decision to Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz. Noons returns to the cage this weekend aiming to earn a shot at the lightweight champion, Gilbert Melendez, but to do so he’ll need to get past ‘Gambred’ first.
American Top Team’s Masvidal has found consistency hard to come by in recent years but the Miami native holds a wealth of experience gained in such promotions as Bellator and Sengoku. ‘Gamebred’ last tasted defeat in September when he dropped a unanimous decision to British bruiser Paul ‘Semtex’ Daley but Masvidal rebounded well in March as he made his Strikeforce debut against undefeated Billy Evangelista. Masvidal became the first man to defeat Evangelista with a dominant decision and another solid showing this weekend could be enough to earn ‘Gamebred’ a title shot of his own.
The Verdict: This writer senses an upset brewing here as Noons enters the fight as a firm favourite but Masvidal has, on paper, the skills to cause him a major headache on the weekend. Noons may have the better pure boxing and some serious power to with it but Masvidal has been scrapping on the streets since he was a kid and this brawler has the iron chin and aggressive streak one would expect. ‘Gamebred’ is definitely the better mixed martial artist of the two and don’t be surprised to see him land a few takedowns on Noons if things get a bit too close for comfort standing. Expect to see the bombs fly for three rounds with Noons looking prettier while doing so but Masvidal will frustrate him with his reach and hurt him on occasion. ‘Gamebred’ excels in an ugly, drawn-out brawl and he’ll succeed in turning this fight into just that. Masvidal, decision.
By Steve Davies