Lightweight bout: Josh Thomson vs. Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante
Odds: ( -170 Thomson /+140 Cavalcante )
Betting Pick: Josh Thomson
The co-main event is a very competitive Lightweight bout pitting skilled wrestler Josh “The Punk” Thomson against K-1 and DREAM veteran Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante. Cavalcante is one of the most dynamic stars in the Japanese scene, but Thomson is notorious for completely neutralizing his opponents’ offense with dominant wrestling and top control, so JZ is going to have his hands full in his Strikeforce debut.
Cavalcante, who has fought mainly in DREAM and K-1 Hero’s, is a very dynamic and well-rounded competitor. A skilled striker with solid boxing and good punching power, he also has a very good ground game and is quite effective at submitting opponents. He is also a very tough guy, having never been finished as a professional, which is especially impressive considering he has fought some of Japan’s best Lightweights. The only real hole in JZ’s game is his wrestling, both offensively and defensively. While he is capable of submitting guys off his back, his positioning on the ground and ability to sweep and escape are not up to snuff yet, and his takedowns and takedown defense are both mediocre, which is going to be a real problem against Thomson.
Josh Thomson, one of the most underrated Lightweights in the world, has won nine of his last ten fights and his only loss came to current Strikeforce Lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez, who he also has a victory over. Thomson’s striking is definitely nothing to write home about, but he makes up for it with very good wrestling, a dominant positional control game, and very underrated submissions from top position. Thomson’s fights are not always pretty, but he is one of the best in the division at taking guys down and holding them there, preventing them from mounting any real offense against him.
This fight is going to be very difficult for JZ to win. He has a very clear edge in the striking department, but he doesn’t have what it takes to keep Thomson from taking him down at will. On the ground, JZ has some decent submissions, but Thomson has great defense and is excellent at controlling position from the top. JZ went the distance with Shinya Aoki, so it is unlikely that Thomson will be able to submit him or finish him on the ground at all, but “The Punk” should have no problem taking JZ down, sitting on top of him throwing shots, and earning a lopsided decision win.
Fight Prediction: Josh Thomson via unanaimous decision.
To add a little excitement come fight night, you can bet on this fight at Sportsbook.com Odds. They allow you to start with as little as $20, and you can bet on all of the fights for the night. Check out my review of Sportsbook here…
