Strikeforce ‘Miami’ Preview

Bobby Lashley vs. Wes Sims

The Breakdown: After a small army of potential challengers disappeared as quickly as they were rumored, the always verbose Sims has stepped in to take on the hulking Lashley. Obvious comparisons to UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar aside, Lashley remains a legitimately talented prospect with a solid collegiate wrestling background.

Unless Lashley does something incomprehensibly dumb or Sims has somehow learned how to use his simian reach to his advantage, this fight looks like a lopsided wrestling meet. Sims’ pre- and post-fight interviews could turn into the most exciting aspects of this bout.

The X-Factor: It may be easy to discount Sims’ chances, but most of his failures have resulted from a simple lack of serious training. Flashes of talent abound throughout his career, and Lashley has not shown the sort of overwhelming dominance that makes him a shoo-in against anyone. What’s more, Lashley continues to split time between MMA and professional wrestling, which suggests he is an unfocused fighter waiting for a reality check.

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The Bottom Line: Lashley is far too valuable a commodity for Strikeforce to put him in any real danger, and this matchup proves as much. Another ho-hum win for Lashley awaits, as he quickly puts Sims on the mat and pounds out a standard-issue technical knockout win.