Strikeforce ‘Henderson vs. Babalu’ Preview

Middleweights
Robbie Lawler vs. Matt Lindland

The Matchup: There are matchups one thinks about before they are ever made, and this one has always been on my list, namely because it represents such a contrast in styles. Once one of the best takedown artists in MMA, Lindland always relied on his Greco-Roman prowess to force chest-to-chest tieups, invariably tossing people to the mat -- a move he would have pulled off against heavyweight uber-man Fedor Emelianenko, if it were not for the Russian grabbing the ropes.

What made Lindland’s success so impressive was that he never really developed much stand-up; it was more an awareness of how to avoid shots, close the distance and then take it to the mat. Lindland did, however, cultivate a good bottom game, with a strong sense of sweeps, escapes and a killer guillotine. He gave the much bigger Quinton “Rampage” Jackson fits in their 2006 match, which Lindland won by close decision.

In Lindland’s last three outings, he hit a rough patch. Taken out in a pair of 2009 outings against Vitor Belfort and Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, he returned against prospect Kevin Casey in May at a Strikeforce Challengers event. With just four fights under his belt going into the match, Casey gave Lindland a surprisingly competitive tussle before losing via technical knockout in the third round.

Against Lawler, Lindland faces someone with the kind of explosiveness and upper-body strength needed to match up well against him. Lawler’s takedown prowess and upper-body strength are rarely displayed because he prefers to stand and slug.

For Lawler, the game plan seems simple: keep it standing. As both are southpaws, Lawler will want to circle to his right to keep extra distance between the two, while looking to use his big right hook and the occasional kick to keep Lindland off-balance. Lindland tends to push his punches out at times -- which cost him against the laser-like counter of Belfort -- and Lawler should bait him into these kinds of gap-closing shots to hammer him. Barring a quick barrage that ends it early, however, Lawler at some point is going to find himself chest-to-chest with Lindland, and that is where takedown defense and survival will be critical.

He will want to keep backing up and get himself against the cage, where he can use it as a lever, as well as to get back on his feet. Lindland is exceptionally good at controlling from top position and has a good sense of when to pound away, as opposed to risking position to go for a submission. Lawler’s bottom game is rarely seen, but he is well-schooled.

This is an interesting match, pitting an aging fighter with a once-dominant skillset against a fellow veteran with more tools. Expect Lawler to explode at some point in this bout; his drab showing against Sobral was probably more a case of fighting at too heavy a weight and how their styles matched up.

The Pick: Lawler should win this one, using his striking and athleticism to deliver a third-round knockout. He is rarely put on his back, though, and Lindland should pose some interesting questions regarding that fact.