Strikeforce Challengers 15 Preview

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Lightweights
Caros Fodor vs. David Douglas

The matchup: They come from top camps, Fodor from AMC Pankration and Douglas from Cesar Gracie’s crew. Both have solid submission games, which typically cancel out each other, forcing the winner to find a Plan B in better striking or wrestling.

Douglas does not mess around, coming after opponents like a trailer park pit bull let off a chain. His 2008 EliteXC war with Thai boxer Mongkhon “Malaipet” Wiwasuk was a showcase of unabated violence. Douglas started strong, faded, ate a boatload of shots standing and still managed to win via a third-round ground-and-pound, literally coasting to the finish on fumes.

Douglas appears significantly larger at lightweight, packing a size advantage. After losing to Justin Wilcox via third-round submission in August 2009, he has rebounded with two wins on the Challengers series.

Fodor has two wins on the series, as well, but against lesser competition. He may have his hands full in a ground battle, and the bigger Douglas, while sometimes wild on his feet, appears to generate more juice on his shots.

The Pick: Douglas wins by second-round knockout after a lively back-and-forth battle, as both push to dictate the action in a hotly contested bout.

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