Strikeforce ‘Feijao vs. Henderson’ Preview

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Middleweights
Tim Kennedy vs. Melvin Manhoef

The Matchup: Finally, a fight in which the much-hackneyed “well-rounded” cliché can be thrown out the window.

Plainly put, Manhoef is an eminently dangerous one-night fighter with crushing strikes, particularly his punches and low kicks. The longtime battler, who turned pro in 1995, has knocked out many a larger opponent. His list of victims includes Mark Hunt, Kazuo Misaki, Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos and Ian Freeman.

Kennedy, fresh off a tough five-round loss to Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza for the Strikeforce middleweight title, knows his work will be cut out for him here. With Souza dispatching Robbie Lawler and in need of viable challengers, a win over Manhoef could put him right back in the title picture. Kennedy is well-conditioned and as game as they come.

Manhoef’s brutal loss to Robbie Lawler a year ago was a classic case of everything he does well, only to be sundered by a single mistake. Picking apart Lawler with vicious leg kicks and a pinpoint attack, Manhoef looked like he was on the cusp of a big-time win against the former EliteXC middleweight champion, who was seemingly on frail wheels absorbing the blows.

Suddenly, Lawler rallied with a massive right hook that dropped Manhoef and followed with a booming left hand to win the fight. Still, the Dutchman remains one of the more exciting fighters in Strikeforce, precisely because he brings a terrible level of potential violence to each bout.

Kennedy’s standup is not in Manhoef’s league, but it’s good enough to close the distance and keep him guessing, perhaps long enough to seal a clinch or takedown. That is where Kennedy needs to work to run Manhoef out of gas. He is either going to accomplish that goal or get his head handed to him, because Manhoef’s striking is that stout.

Explosive strikers in MMA seem to use twice as much gas just defending takedowns or working from their backs -- it is a different kind of cardio, one that takes years to develop -- and while Kennedy could potentially get his tank rattled by a huge blow, he can also pile up points and momentum by getting it to the floor.

He will do so at some point, plying his advantages with ground-and-pound and positional dominance. Manhoef surely knows that the longer the fight goes, the more his chances wane, and he will want to make something happen early. Do not be surprised if Kennedy gets drilled and hurt in the first round, but he is tough as nails -- being a Green Beret is qualification enough -- and should be able to recompose himself and implement his game plan.

The Pick: Kennedy has shown steady improvement in wins over Nick Thompson and Trevor Prangley, and he was competitive with the supremely talented Souza. He will have enough answers to wear down Manhoef, especially when it hits the ground, en route to a second-round submission victory.

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