Strikeforce ‘Miami’ Preview

Strikeforce Women’s Middleweight Championship
Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos vs. Marloes Coenen

The Breakdown: Coenen, Holland’s premier female export, has the potentially regrettable task of trying to pry the women’s middleweight championship away from a full-fledged mangler. The only way Coenen can manage that feat is by hitting a takedown and working a submission before Santos flies into a rage and turns her head into a goblet.

However, Santos has proven borderline impossible to move, let alone take down. Although Coenen has shown a fair deal of striking savvy before, she will find herself well out of her depth against Santos, who takes after the sadistic style of her husband, Evangelista. Consider it takedown or bust for Coenen.

The X-Factor: Not much technical panache exists in Santos’ style; she comes forward and swings until her opponent stops moving. Coenen can take advantage of that by simply waiting on her inevitable bull rush and diving for her legs. Most of Santos’ takedown defense consists of brute strength, but that same strength will not do her much good if she gets cornered into a grappling match.

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The Bottom Line: It will take an awfully strong wrestler to beat Santos, and those are few and far between in women’s MMA. Another premeditated assault by Cyborg mercifully ends in the second round. Coenen’s face will bear the proof of Santos’ dominance.