Drock
11-07-2009, 07:48 AM
Strikeforce’s weekend of mixed martial arts action is officially halfway over as “Challenger Series IV” is now in the books from the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California.
Former UFC lightweight fighter and jiu-jitsu stud Jorge Gurgel squared off against hometown favorite Billy Evangelista in the night’s main event, and as expected it was an all out war.
Gurgel is known for abandoning his ground game in favor of a more entertaining stand up fight, which usually means a good scrap for the fans and a close loss on the scorecards for him, which is exactly what happened again tonight.
Evangelista traded blow for blow with the Cincinnati resident and used timely takedowns to squeak out a judge’s decision.
Afterward, the undefeated hometown winner was asked how he felt about a potential match up with Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh “The Punk” Thomson, and he surprisingly didn’t seem too warm on the idea, stating that he and Josh were friends but he would do whatever Strikeforce wanted.
We’ll have to wait and see how the Strikeforce brass handles that scenario, but a Josh Thomson vs. Billy Evangelista title fight certainly sounds like it would be a fun one to watch.
Full Story At
http://mmamania.com/2009/11/07/strikefo ... iscussion/ (http://mmamania.com/2009/11/07/strikeforce-challengers-evangelista-vs-gurgel-recap-and-post-fight-discussion/)
Former UFC lightweight fighter and jiu-jitsu stud Jorge Gurgel squared off against hometown favorite Billy Evangelista in the night’s main event, and as expected it was an all out war.
Gurgel is known for abandoning his ground game in favor of a more entertaining stand up fight, which usually means a good scrap for the fans and a close loss on the scorecards for him, which is exactly what happened again tonight.
Evangelista traded blow for blow with the Cincinnati resident and used timely takedowns to squeak out a judge’s decision.
Afterward, the undefeated hometown winner was asked how he felt about a potential match up with Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh “The Punk” Thomson, and he surprisingly didn’t seem too warm on the idea, stating that he and Josh were friends but he would do whatever Strikeforce wanted.
We’ll have to wait and see how the Strikeforce brass handles that scenario, but a Josh Thomson vs. Billy Evangelista title fight certainly sounds like it would be a fun one to watch.
Full Story At
http://mmamania.com/2009/11/07/strikefo ... iscussion/ (http://mmamania.com/2009/11/07/strikeforce-challengers-evangelista-vs-gurgel-recap-and-post-fight-discussion/)