MMA Junkie with word of a big debut for Strikeforce:
Roger Gracie (2-0 MMA, 0-0 SF), a 2005 ADCC champion, finally is set to make his Strikeforce debut on May 15.
Sources close to the event told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) former UFC heavyweight champion Kevin Randleman (17-14 MMA, 0-1 SF) is the leading candidate to face the grappling ace at the as-yet-unannounced show, which is likely to be hosted by the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo., and air live on Showtime.
Randleman, however, is not confirmed as an opponent, and PRIDE and UFC veteran Rameau Thierry Sokodjou (7-6 MMA, 0-1 SF) is also under consideration should the original matchup fizzle.
Gracie may only be 2-0 but those two wins were impressive over veteran fighters Ron Waterman and Yuki Kondo. Fighting Randleman is likely but a fight with Sokodjou would be more interesting in terms of seeing exactly where Gracie is in his career.
Randleman is far from the fighter he was at the peak of his career and represents far less danger to modern fighters than he has in the past. Against Mike Whitehead and Stanislav Nedkov, Kevin looked slower and with far less explosive athletic ability.
Sokodjou is not as good as many had hoped following his exploding onto the scene in the late days of PRIDE. However, he does possess more of a threat to finish Roger than Randleman and that is the kind of situation you would like to see Gracie in to understand his standing in the division.
Rumored card:
- Alistair Overeem vs. Brett Rogers
- Andrei Arlovski vs. Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva
- Roger Gracie vs. Kevin Randleman / Rameau Thierry Sokodjou
- Jason Miller vs TBA
- Antwain Britt vs. Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante
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