Bobby Lashley: “Strikeforce Has the Best Heavyweight”

This story originally appeared on the MMA website, 5thRound.com

Although his impact on MMA hasn’t been as monumental as Brock Lesnar’s, TNA wrestling superstar Bobby Lashley owns a perfect 4-0 mixed martial arts record and emerges drastically improved each time he takes the cage.

“I’m a lot better fighter today than I was [when I fought Guida],” Lashley told Yahoo!Sports of his uneventful win over the MMA veteran. “A lot better. The Bobby Lashley of today would destroy that Bobby Lashley, no question about it. My striking has come a long way, I’ve sharpened up my wrestling and I’m putting everything together a lot better now.”

Lashley out-wrestled Guida to a unanimous decision eight months ago, however has posted two impressive 1stRound finishes since.  Because the two scraps only offered him a total of 3 minutes and 41 seconds of cage-time, the heavyweight credits his talented American Top Team gym for shaping much of his improved MMA game.

“We’re all trying to make each other better. When you have holes in your game, those caliber guys will find it and exploit it right away,” Lashley said of his ATT mates. “And as time goes by, it’s clear they’re not finding the holes nearly as often or as easily. It’s a sign to me that I’m making progress.”

Lashley will be making his Strikeforce debut this Saturday inside the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida. One of the many things he’s improved upon is his punching power, and he’s fully prepared to use Wes Sims’ face to showcase his skills.

“I’m hitting hard, man,” Lashley said of his strikes. “I know that. I’m hitting really hard right now. I’ve worked a lot on my striking and I think I’ve really tightened that up.”

Speaking of taking hard shots, Lashely was one of MMA’s most sought-after free agents prior to inking his Strikeforce deal last month. When asked why he chose the San Jose-based promotion, Lashely boldly stated, “If you want to fight the best in the world and Strikeforce has the best heavyweight in the world, wouldn’t it make sense to sign with them?”

Nobody would ever mention Sims’ name amongst the planet’s best, but posting an impressive win over the veteran could have Lashley facing a legit title contender in his next outing. If he can earn another dominant W there, that’s when the fun really begins.

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