Strikeforce Diaz vs. Cyborg: 10 Reasons You Need To Watch

While this card does not hold the kind of anticipation of the upcoming UFC 126 card or Strikeforce heavyweight tournament, there are some exciting fights that will keep your MMA appetite full for the weekend.

Two belts will be on the line; the welterweight and middleweight championships. How much of a chance do the champions have of losing them? You will just have to watch and find out.

Will Scott Carson, who has only had one fight in the last 10 years, be able to upset Herschel Walker?

Is Roger Gracie going to be the one who carries the Gracie name into the coming years?

These questions and more will be answered this weekend only on Showtime.

Classic Matchup of Striker vs. Grappler

In the co-main event, Robbie Lawler will be taking on Ronaldo Souza for the Strikeforce middleweight championship. Souza won the belt when he beat Tim Kennedy back in August.

With Lawler being a stand-up fighter and Souza a ground wizard, this is the type of match everyone loves to see: the striker vs. the grappler.

Both are exciting with their styles, so it should be a good fight wherever it goes. Every fight starts on the feet, so Lawler will have a big advantage early.

Lawler has an 83 percent KO ratio so Souza's chances definitely favor a ground battle. 10 of Souza's 13 wins have come by submission.

Expect an action packed fight with both fighters establishing their styles on each other early.

Herschel Walker is Fighting

One month short of his 49th birthday, undefeated Herschel Walker will be taking on Scott Carson in the second fight on the card.

It's safe to say Walker won't be as successful in MMA than he was in football, and he is not trying to be. His accolades in football include being the Heisman Trophy winner and a College Football Hall of Famer.

It's not about the championship belt for him; it's about showing MMA fans around the world that with dedication and hard work, you can be successful at anything you put your mind to. Of course, he has always been extremely athletic, so that helps translate into being a good MMA fighter, which requires an immense amount of time working on conditioning.

His opponent, Scott Carson, has only had one fight in the last 10 years. In his last fight, he lost by knockout.

This may be Walker's last fight in MMA, win or lose, so it will definitely be one you don't want to miss.

Lawler's Power Produces Brutal Knockouts

Every one of Lawler's knockouts seems like a candidate for "Knockout of the Year". His knockouts over Lindland, Manhoef, Smith, Rua, Villasenor and Trigg were all brutal and dramatic. More than half of them were left unconscious.

He has the ability to pull off another knockout in this fight and shouldn't be afraid to let his hands go. If Souza decides to fight fire with fire, it will only makes things easier for him to obtain the KO and the middleweight belt.

Souza won't be afraid to stand with Lawler, but he will be looking to set up a takedown with his strikes. That's completely different than Lawler, who will clearly be looking to knock his opponent out and claim his 18th knockout victim.

Nick Diaz is Never in a Boring Fight

In Diaz's last eight fights, there have been seven finishes. We will have the chance to see another one in this fight.

In his last fight, Diaz landed 194 of his 443 punches on KJ Noons. His fight with Frank Shamrock saw him throw nearly 300 punches in two rounds. This represents his style as a volume puncher, and it leads to stoppages for most of his fights. His last fight with Noons, which was a rematch, was his first one to go the distance since 2007.

For this fight, Santos will bring a similar aggressive style, so it will be exciting throughout. Diaz won't back down from his attack, and this is one of many aspects of his overall fight game that makes him one of the most exciting fighters in the sport. He isn't afraid to test his opponent in any aspect of the sport.

Cyborg is More Motivated Than Ever

By having an 18-13 record, Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos is probably criticized more than he is praised for taking this fight. Many are calling him off for this fight and think it's a showcase for Diaz.

Just take a look at the poster for the event. His picture isn't even on it, and even his name barely made it on.

Cyborg will be coming into this fight more motivated than he has ever been for any other fight. Does that mean he will win? No. What it does mean is that he won't go down easy. He will be looking to prove a point.

Hopefully this fight, win or lose, gains him more respect, because he deserves it for taking on one of the best welterweights in the world and one of the best fighters not in the UFC.

The Undercard Features Some Talented Fighters

Nathan Coy

Although these fights won't be featured on the televised portion of the Showtime card, there are some fighters worth looking at.

Two fights, James Terry vs. Lucas Gamaza and Nate Moore vs. Nathan Coy, are fights that could have been featured on a Strikeforce Challengers main card.

Nathan Coy will be looking to rebound from his loss to Tyron Woodley last May. He also holds a win over UFC fighters Rick Story and Mike Pierce.

James Terry is an up-and-comer who is 3-1 in Strikeforce and will eventually make his way onto future Strikeforce cards if he comes out victorious. He also trains with Cung Le.

A women's 135 pound bout features one of the best female kickboxers in the world in Germaine de Randamie. She will be taking on Stephanie Webber.

Technique vs. Power

Technique vs. power is always a compelling argument going into these types of fights. We will get to chance to further argue the case this weekend in both the co-main event and main event.

Ronaldo Souza will be putting his technical Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills up against the knockout power of Robbie Lawler. It's pretty obvious how each fighter will win if either comes out with the win. Look for a slick submission by Souza or brutal knockout by Lawler.

Nick Diaz vs. Evangelista Santos is a little more engaging in the fact that both are willing to stand-up the entire fight and try to knock the other guy out. Cyborg will be bringing his power versus Diaz's technical boxing skills. Diaz has some of the best hands in MMA.

A knockout or submission is guaranteed for both of these fights.

Diaz May Get Knocked Out

Cyborg Santos will be looking to do what only one other fighter was able to do against Diaz, and that's knock him out. Diaz has two TKO losses on his record, but one was due to cuts.

Could we see either of those two things happen in this fight? There is a good chance we could. It could be a huge upset if it happens.

It's Santos' second fight at 170 pounds, and he brings what's left of his power from middleweight into this fight.11 of his 18 wins are by knockout including an impressive stoppage win over Marius Zaromskis in his last fight.

I doubt Diaz is overlooking him, but the recent statements between him and Jason Miller may have taken his mind off his opponent a little bit. Diaz is always ready to fight, so there is no chance he isn't focused on fighting.

If Cyborg is able to knock Diaz out, it will easily be an early candidate for "Upset of the Year".

Nick Diaz vs. Miller/Daley is on the Line

A lot of people are looking past Diaz vs. Cyborg and anticipating a showdown between him and Paul Daley. The potential for a grudge match between Diaz and Jason "Mayhem" Miller will also be in the making if both make it past their next opponents.

Either of these fights could potentially be the co-main event of a future major Strikeforce PPV event or a main event of a future card on CBS.

A PPV card featuring Fedor Emelianenko vs. Alistair Overeem and Nick Diaz vs. Jason Miller would be something a lot of fans would consider buying.

A lot is on the line for this fight and for Diaz to be the one who comes out on top. Outside of Fedor and Overeem, he is the one carrying the Strikeforce banner on his shoulders.

Every Strikeforce Card Has Exciting Fights

When looking back on the recent Strikeforce events, there have been grand results from top to bottom on every card. The last event, Henderson vs. Babalu II, featured some of the most brutal knockouts of 2010.

This card has the potential to feature some more finishes for your entertainment, whether they are by knockout or submission.

With two titles being on the line, there is a good chance we will be seeing an exchange of the gold. I don't see either of the fights going the distance, and stopping your opponent in a title fight is always the best way to show why you are and should be the champ.

Roger Gracie vs. Trevor Prangley may actually turn out to be the most competitive fight on the card, so that is also one that is worth seeing. Prangley is coming off a win over Keith Jardine and Roger Gracie is 3-0 in MMA and coming off a submission victory over Kevin Randleman.

Strikeforce cards sometimes get overlooked, but the results are always worth looking at again. Expect a very good night of fights this weekend.