Strikeforce ‘Barnett vs. Cormier’ Preview

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Light Heavyweights

Rafael Cavalcante (11-3, 4-2 SF) vs. Mike Kyle (19-8-1, 1 NC, 3-3-1 SF)

The Matchup: In 2009, Kyle earned his first victory under the Strikeforce banner and upset Cavalcante by second-round technical knockout. Their rematch figures to be different, if only because “Feijao” will be in better shape this time around. Before he gassed in their initial meeting, the Brazilian was still able to execute a sloppy takedown on the King of the Cage champion and land some decent offense inside his guard.

That does not bode well for Kyle, whose takedown defense is not going to help keep him upright for the type of brawl he favors. The 32-year-old likes to move forward, attacking his foes with straight punches and jabs. His right hand is potent -- it once rocked Antonio Silva -- but Cavalcante can negate much of the threat using good movement and footwork. That is not a given; while he does possess well-rounded striking, Cavalcante has struggled at controlling distance in the past.

When he is in good condition, Feijao has excellent takedown defense, which means Kyle will expend a lot of energy attempting to get the fight to the ground if he finds himself getting the worst of the standup. The Team Nogueira black belt can also land dangerous knees in the clinch. This could be problematic for Kyle because his best plan for escaping such situations is to rely on brute strength. If that does not work, his frantic movements leave him susceptible to taking serious damage.

To win, Kyle needs to vary his attacks and connect with his jab before changing levels in hopes of forcing Cavalcante to fight from his back. The American Kickboxing Academy representative has good ground-and-pound and is capable doing damage even while in guard. A prolonged standup battle favors Cavalcante, who figures to have plenty of chances to counter against Kyle.

The Pick: Unless Kyle can daze Feijao with a big right hand, this fight favors the Brazilian. He will be motivated from his prior loss and will rebound with a solid all-around effort, finishing the contest with strikes in the second round.

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