For that reason I’m hunkering down with the family, save for Saturday morning errands and my weekly Sunday Gymboree trip that helps my two-year-old unleash his energy on something other than household items. It’s also why a small part of me wishes I was in Miami, where natives and transplanted northeasterners enjoy beach weather year ‘round. Miami is the place to be these next two weeks. A strong Strikeforce show followed by the NFL Pro Bowl headlines this weekend. Then South Beach braces for the Super Bowl invasion, and a week of hype and parties leading up to next Sunday’s big game between the Colts and Saints. I was in New Orleans for Super Bowl 24. Even for us commoners it was an amazing time.
The week that was in Yankeeland saw the Johnny Damon saga reach an apparent conclusion. Damon is a goner, though he said on Friday his heart is in New York and is hoping for an eventual return through the back door (you can thank his agent, the commission-hungry Scott Boras, for putting his client in a position where he’s out of work and Jim Edmonds is reporting to Brewers camp on a Minor League contract). Another thing we know: Randy Winn will be a Yankee after he passes his physical. I can only hope he’s employed as the fourth outfielder instead of the everyday left-fielder. Brett Gardner’s best baseball is still inside him. Time to let it out.
That’s for next Saturday and Super Bowl Eve. MMA’s focus will be Saturday in Miami and a card so good even UFC cult loyalists need to pay attention. Long Island’s Jay Hieron faces former Zuffa standout Joe Riggs in an undercard bout in such heavy demand it’ll be broadcast on EASportsMMA.com. Herschel Walker and Bobby Lashley make their heralded MMA debuts against Greg Nagy and Wes Sims (hookers not included). Robbie Lawler looks to get back on track against Melvin Manhoef, himself returning to the United States. Cris Cyborg makes her first title defense against Marloes Coenen. And in the main event it’s Nick Diaz and Marius Zaromskis vying for the vacant welterweight title.
My editor at MMA Worldwide, RJ Clifford, offers predictions in his first “Contenders and Pretenders” column. I’ll leave it to RJ to provide the analysis. From a storyline perspective it’s a proving ground for both Walker, a Heisman Trophy winner and MMA rookie at age 47 (not a typo) and Lashley, the latest pro wrestler to make the transition to this sport. I’m intrigued to see how Walker, his whole life an incredible athlete, fares against Nagy, who I believe will put up a credible fight. Sims, well, not so much. He’s an entertaining character, but being fed to a lion like Lashley.
To be clear, I have Cyborg winning her fight, but she won’t annihilate Coenen like some have predicted. Like Gina Carano, Coenen has the tools to compete with Cyborg, but Carano gave into fear during Cyborg’s destruction of the female face of MMA. There’s something about Coenen that tells me she’ll survive the battle of wills, but not the skills. Cyborg has that aura of invincibility that will remain uncracked. Still, I see it being a better fight than most think.
Zaromskis made his name on the international circuit, but faces a major challenge on Diaz’ turf. For whatever reason it didn’t work out for Diaz in the UFC. He has a chance to become a lynchpin in Strikeforce and he’ll get it done by finding a way to use his superior wrestling to take the feared striker to the mat.
If half of these fights live up to the hype – you know Cyborg-Coenen will – it’s another feather in Strikeforce’s cap in its mission to not compete with the UFC (yet), but become a major player in MMA. Fedor Emelianenko-Fabricio Werdum and Dan Henderson-Jake Shields are on tap for CBS in April. The momentum of a strong Miami show and Strikeforce’s marketing machine will get its chance to take it to another gear.
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