411’s MMA Roundtable Preview: Elite XC Saturday Night Fights II – Unfinished Business

Posted by Larry Csonka on 07.25.2008

Three huge title matches highlight the combined Showtime/CBS Card!



WELCOME:
Welcome back to another 411 MMA Roundtable Preview! Last week was a HUGE weekend in MMA as we covered the Affliction debut, UFC Fight Night 14 and DREAM 5. A huge weekend of MMA roundtables, and we once again are back for another one as Elite XC returns to Showtime and CBS in the same night to bring us Saturday Night Fights II! I don't know if that is the official name, but that's what we're going with. All right, it is Unfinished Business, but I like Roman Numerals. Let's met the staff that didn't get burned out from last weekend's events, and we'll break down the show.


THE STAFF:

From the Fighting Stance News Report, Adam Tool!

WEC, PRIDE on FSN and UFC Unleashed Reporter Jonathan Solomon!

From the Cardio Freak News, Jeremy Lambert!

From the Good, the Bad and the Ugly, he is Scott Kuczkowski!

Finally, your humble editor, I am Larry Csonka!

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Elite XC Saturday Night Fights II
Travis Galbraith vs. Rafael Feijao
SHOWTIME BOUT
Adam Tool: Galbraith is a cagey veteran, with more wins by submission than Feijao has total fights. Feijao is another big prospect for EliteXC, as he has serious punching power and a good ground game as well. Experience could play a part in this one, and if Galbraith is able to survive in the stand-up exchanges he has a good chance to get Feijao down and pound out a win. That being said, I think this is Feijao's fight to lose so I look for him to come out swinging and end Galbraith's night early.

Winner: Rafael Feijao, TKO, Round 1

Jonathan Solomon: Look for Galbraith to want to take this fight to the ground early. His submission game is his bread and butter going into this fight. Meanwhile, Feijao is one of EXC's "golden boys" so he's the clear favorite. He looked pretty dominant against a good wrestler in Nate Cole, although Cole didn't look to take him down much in that short fight. Feijao's strength is his stand-up and it should play a role in this one.

Winner: Rafael Feijao, TKO, Round 2

Jeremy Lambert: Galbraith is a submission grappler, Fiejao is a striker. Lets just hope that this one is better than Cote vs. Almeida. Galbraith is the sport veteran but Fiejao is one of the guys that EXC seems invested in. If Feijao can keep it standing, he's going to win and if Galbraith can take it to the ground then he's likely to win. Every fight starts standing and Feijao is going to let it go to the ground.

Winner: Feijao, TKO, Round 1

Scott Kuczkowski: Galbraith has been in the game for quite some time while Feijao is relatively new. I'm thinking Galbraith will end up closing the distance in the cage and win by submission unless Feijao manages to land a lucky punch.

Winner: Galbraith, Submission, Round 1

Larry Csonka: Rafael Feijao is coming off of two impressive finishes on the feet, in his last fight he looked deadly in my opinion. Galbraith will want this one on the ground and close the distance to minimize the power of Feijao. I look for Feijao to come out of the gates fast and end it quickly.

Winner: Feijao, STRIKES, RD1

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Wilson Reis vs. Brian Caraway
SHOWTIME BOUT
Adam Tool: Wilson Reis is a rising star in EliteXC, after debuting earlier this year on the undercard of the first CBS show. He'll have a bigger spotlight on him this time as he meets his toughest opponent to date. Brian Caraway just fought last month in Strikeforce, where he picked up his ninth submission victory. I expect this to be a war on the ground, where each man will be fighting for the advantage and looking for an opportunity to secure a choke or an armbar. This is probably the toughest fight on the card to pick, but I like Reis to remain undefeated here.

Winner: Wilson Reis, Submission, Round 2

Jonathan Solomon: Both fighters have won the majority of their fights by way of submission. Reis has looked tremendous in EXC thus far but this will be anything but a cakewalk. The submission attempts should be tremendous to watch. With that said, watch this fight end in a KO.

Winner: Wilson Reis, KO, Round 1

Jeremy Lambert: Caraway is quite the active little fighter as this will be his third fight in as many months. Both guys are good on the ground so this should be quite the interesting chess match, as Joe Rogan might say. If someone is going to get finished then it will be due to a mistake and I think Reis is more likely to make a mistake due to his lack of experience. That said, I don't see either guy finishing the other so this will be in the hands of the judges.

Winner: Caraway, Decision

Scott Kuczkowski: I last saw Caraway when he defeated Cacdac with relative ease. Reis looks pretty good on the ground too, but I'm thinking Caraway will be able to avoid his submission attempts and pick up the decision win.

Winner: Caraway, Decision, Round 3

Larry Csonka: Reis has looked good in his SHOXC and ELITE matches, winning quickly and rather convincingly. Caraway has been VERY active and that may catch up with him here. Even in quick fights I don't think he can keep up the pace he has set.

Winner: Reis, STRIKES, RD1

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Shayna Baszler vs. Cristiane Cyborg
Adam Tool: Baszler is easily one of the best female fighters not currently moonlighting on "American Gladiators." Every single one of her nine wins was by submission, and all in the first round. I don't know much about Cristiane Cyborg other than the fact that she's married to Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos, and she apparently decided to take his nickname in the marriage. Her record is marked with several KO finishes, meaning she could make a big splash in her U.S. debut by knocking Baszler out cold in quick fashion. However I think Baszler's experience will play a factor in her getting another submission win under her belt, leading to a potential showdown with Gina Carano for the first EliteXC women's championship.

Winner: Shayna Baszler, Submission, Round 1

Jonathan Solomon: The Cyborg is from the Chute Box Academy and is undefeated at 4-0. Baszler is seen by most as the girl EXC is pinning their hopes in with the expectation that Gina Carano goes Hollywood. In a pretty amazing stat, all of Baszler's nine victories have been by submission. Cyborg is going to probably look to strike her way to victory. Hey, at least we know both fighters will actually make their agreed upon weight.

Winner: Shayna Baszler, Submission, Round 2

Jeremy Lambert: Baszler is one of the best female fighters out there but she doesn't look like Gina Carano so no one cares about her. This is another one of those "style fights" as Baszler trains with Josh Barnett so you know she has submissions while Cristiane trains with her husband so you know she can strike. The winner of this will likely face Carano for the EXC Woman's Title and I'm going with Female Cyborg just because Carano vs. Santos will probably be a fun striking contest and that's what EXC wants. And what EXC wants, EXC gets. Right James Thompson?

Winner: Cyborg, TKO, Round 2

Scott Kuczkowski: Shayna has a spotty record, but she has been coming on strong as of late. Cyborg has been pretty inactive for almost 2 years. I'm thinking Shayna will bring the pain, push the action, and try to add to her 4-fight win streak.

Winner: Baszler, Submission, Round 1

Larry Csonka: Shayna Baszler has looked unstoppable in her last four fights, winning all in the first round and all by submission. I have stated that I feel that she could be the one to dethrone Gina Carano. I look for her to once again take the win here, and go onto challenge Gina. It will of course be at the Carana Weight Class, 140-whatever.

Winner: Shayna Baszler, SUBMISSION, RD2

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Nick Diaz vs. Thomas "Wildman" Denny
Adam Tool: Could somebody please explain to me why Diaz was pulled from DREAM 5? He had a chance to become the first DREAM welterweight champion against Hayato "Mach" Sakurai, and EliteXC officials decide to take him out of that fight so he can step up against Thomas friggin' Denny? While some people like to say that Nick Diaz is overrated, at least somebody is taking the time to rate him. He's got some sick jiu-jitsu to compliment his somewhat unusual striking style. Denny is average at best, as the biggest win on his record is against Tony Fryklund. I have little doubt as to who wins here, and in fact I'm more curious to see if Diaz makes weight and if they let him have a live mic after the fight's over.

Winner: Nick Diaz, Submission, Round 2

Jonathan Solomon: Well, here we go. EXC wants to make sure everyone knows about the Nick Diaz/K.J. Noons feud and you better be sure the footage of the near brawl will be played up the ying-yang. This is pretty much a fight to promote that title fight, perhaps for the third CBS show. Now, it's all on Diaz to show up at the weight and actually win. Denny is not exactly a slouch; the man has over 20-pro victories and many by submission. However, Diaz is a BJJ-black belt so it won't be a case of him being over matched on the ground. This isn't exactly a surefire pick but it is definitely a safe one. The real fireworks could come afterward if they repeat the last show and have K.J. Noons walk into the cage to promote the fight.

Winner: Nick Diaz, TKO, Round 3

Jeremy Lambert: Throw up your gang signs and middle fingers, Nick Diaz is on the card and in his hometown. No one cares about this fight, everyone just wants to know if EXC is going to allow KJ Noons and his dad into the cage after Diaz wins and what kind of protection plan they have for Noons. Can you imagine what thousands of Nick Diaz' would do to Noons if he just looked at them funny? It would be awesome. Diaz will win, he'll fight down to Denny's level, and he'll get his title shot. All will be right in the world of Gary Shaw.

Winner: Diaz, Submission, Round 2

Scott Kuczkowski: I'm not a huge Nick Diaz fan, so I would love to say that I think he'll get his ass kicked by Denny. Unfortunately, while Denny has the edge on experience, I don't think he has the edge on skill. I'm guessing Diaz will look to try and keep his little win streak going so he can coast towards a title shot. I'm not certain Diaz will be able to finish Denny, but I think he will get the decision win.

Winner: Diaz, Decision, Round 3

Larry Csonka: Denny has a ton of experience, and in his last fight against Malaipet Team Diamond, he was dominating him until the DQ. I think he'll put up a good fight, but Diaz will pick him apart with his pick and stick offense, and eventually take him out.

Winner: Diaz, STRIKES RD2

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ELITEXC HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE BOUT:
Antonio "Big Foot" Silva vs. Justin Eilers
SHOWTIME BOUT
Adam Tool: It's the return of Justin Eilers, "World Title Contender." I don't really get why Eilers is here, since he hasn't beaten a big name opponent in…ever. At least Silva was able to beat "Cabbage" Correira and Ricco Rodriguez. In any case we know Eilers has KO power, but Silva is one big, tough, mo-fo. Eilers has never really been able to take too much punishment, so I have a feeling this fight will be fast and violent.

Winner and NEW EliteXC Heavyweight Champion: Antonio Silva, TKO, Round 1

Jonathan Solomon: Great, another MMA championship for a non-existent division (note the sarcasm). The size difference may not be as pronounced but Silva will have about a three-inch height advantage. Both men have power but Silva has been on a great streak. The last big names Eilers fought were Pedro Rizzo, Brandon Vera and Andrei Arlovski, all losses for the former football player. Eilers just has not performed well against big (no pun intended) competition. On the TV front, the EXC execs will be hoping this fight doesn't last the full five rounds because they must start on time for CBS. They shouldn't be too worried because this fight will be rather quick.

Winner: NEW EXC Heavyweight Champion, Antonio Silva, TKO, Round 2

Jeremy Lambert: Is anyone taking the EXC Heavyweight Title serious? We just saw Cain Velasquez, Andrei Arlovski, Josh Barnett, and some guy named Fedor DESTROY men last Saturday and now we're forced to see Justin Eilers fight for a title? Was Butterbean not available? Antonio Silva will win, he'll look dominant (at least he should), and no is going to care unless he ends up in the UFC or with Affliction.

Winner: Silva, TKO, Round 1

Scott Kuczkowski: Holy shit, we have a Justin Eilers sighting. How many times to you think they will use the phrase "previous UFC title contender" during the fight? Do you know who he beat to get a title shot? Neither do I. If Eilers can manage to land a number of brutal shots, he may make this an interesting fight. Otherwise, I'm guessing Silva will eventually take him down and submit him with relative ease.

Winner: Silva, Submission, Round 2

Larry Csonka: Justin Eilers, really? REALLY? Was Bo Cantrell not available? Eilers does nothing for me as a fighter, and even though Silva was not impressive in his win against Ricco Rodriguez, he should win quickly and easily.

Winner: Silva, STRIKES, RD1

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ELITE XC MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE BOUT:
"Ruthless" Robbie Lawler © vs. Scott "Hands of Steel" Smith
Adam Tool: I'm very interested to see how this fight plays out after what we saw both men do in the first meeting. Lawler was smart in his approach, as he never rushed forward with his guard down after seeing what Smith did to Pete Sell. Lawler did nearly have the fight won, and if the first round had been 20 seconds longer I think it would've been over right there. Smith was more aggressive in the second round but he never really came close to finishing the fight. In any case I don't think either man is going to be altering his game plan too much in the rematch, so I expect another dynamic slugfest. Hopefully this time we'll see an actual winner at the end.

Winner and STILL EliteXC Middleweight Champion: Robbie Lawler, TKO, Round 2

Jonathan Solomon: Like everyone knows by now, these men were having one hell of a fight until Smith's eye was poked. I'm sure Smith will come out swinging and Lawler looked so damn impressive last time, I'm sure he will come out aggressively as well. I don't see this going to the ground so you can consider this a continuation of the first CBS show. Robbie looked powerful and agile, moving around more fluidly than Smith.

Winner: Robbie Lawler, TKO, Round 3

Jeremy Lambert: In the rematch that everyone is dying to see because the first fight had this awesome build that was 6 years in the making and it was UFC vs.....wait, this isn't Liddell vs. Silva? Oh yeah, Robbie Lawler vs. Scott Smith. They were having a good fight until Lawler poked Smith in the eye and the fight ended in a no contest. I'm not saying people aren't clamoring to see a rematch between these two but I don't think it should be headlining such a big show. Anyway, we all know what's going to happen. They're going to stand there, hit each other, and someone is going to fall. I just hope when Scott Smith finally falls down, Robbie Lawler pounces on him for the finish instead of wagging his finger like Dikembe Mutumbo because he's afraid Smith will land an up kick out of nowhere that knocks him out.

Winner: Lawler, TKO, Round 2

Scott Kuczkowski: God, people love to finish a controversial bout. So do I. Both of these guys looked great in their last bout up to the point of the unintentional eye poke. Despite how they looked, I think Lawler was doing a little bit better in the fight. I look for Lawler to try and avoid Smith's strikes a little more than the first time but to still take his own shots when able. Hopefully both guys bring it.

Winner: Lawler, Decision

Larry Csonka: Their last fight was great until the unfortunate finish. It was a very even bout, but I think Lawler was figuring him out as the fight went on. Smith is impressive, and will put up a good fight, but I see Lawler retaining.

Winner: Lawler, Decision

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ELITE XC WELTERWEIGHT TITLE BOUT:
Jake Shields vs. Nick Thompson
Adam Tool: Jake Shields is kind of like Hansel in Zoolander, he's so hot right now. He's been racking up wins all over the place and currently he's the only non-Zuffa fighter to be ranked in the welterweight top ten. He'll have a tough time with Thompson though. Thompson's got a wealth of experience and a truly rounded skillset. He can beat guys standing, he can take them down and submit them or work the ground and pound. Shields has been waiting a long time to get a shot at the EliteXC welterweight belt, and he'll have the chance to do so in front of the largest audience to ever see him. I don't think he plans to let the opportunity slip by, so I look for him to take Thompson down early and often. From there he may be able to get a submission locked in, but I have a feeling he'll have trouble doing that and so this one will likely end on the judge's scorecards.

Winner and NEW EliteXC Welterweight Champion: Jake Shields, Decision

Jonathan Solomon: Thompson's biggest win has been against Eddie Alvarez. That should remain the case after this weekend. Right now, Shields is in a groove and Thompson will be unable to mess it up. Shields can take Thompson down at will and use his Jiu-Jitsu to end the fight. However, he does have a lot of decisions on his record and whenever a fight goes the distance, you risk losing. I just don't see Nick Thompson doing enough through five rounds.

Winner: EXC Welterweight Champion, Jake Shields, Submission, Round 2

Jeremy Lambert: In what has the potential to be the best fight of the night, Jake Shields finally gets his shot at what he's worked his whole career for, the EXC Welterweight Title. I'm really looking forward to this fight and if Shields wasn't so bland and Thompson wasn't so ugly, I'd say put this baby on last and show them that Kimbo Slice's ground game isn't what you should expect in the main event of an MMA event. Both guys are well rounded although I'd give the edge to Thompson on the feet while giving the edge to Shields in the wrestling and submissions. Thompson has never lost by decision so when this man loses, he loses. Outside of Eddie Alvarez, Thompson seems to have trouble when stepping up in class and I think Shields is a class above every Welterweight not in UFC. If Shields gets in trouble on the feet, he'll take it to the ground, and he'll either submit Thompson or grind out a decision.

Winner: Shields, Submission, Round 4

Scott Kuczkowski: Man, this is a hard fight to call. Both of these guys have a shitload of experience and a ton of wins over great competition. I think Shields has had some wins over a little higher quality of opponents though. Will that make a difference? Hard to say. Shields has been riding pretty high lately though, so I'm guessing he should be able to grind out a win.

Winner: Shields, Decision

Larry Csonka: Hey Drew Fickett, this could have been you! Shields has been DOMINATING, with 9-straight victories. I just don't see anyone beating the man right now. Thompson is coming off of 12-straight victories, and poses a big threat I feel. This could be a really great fight. I have to go with Shields for this, I have seen so much of his work and I have never not been impressed.

Winner: Shields, SUBMISSION, RD3

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