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The biggest hotbed for American mixed martial arts is easily Las Vegas. Sin City hosts many, if not most, of the sport's biggest fights. But the second hottest city for MMA is a much more unlikely location.
It's not Los Angeles or New York or Chicago. It is a city without a major pro football, baseball or basketball franchise. It has never been host of a UFC event. Yet San Jose, Calif., over the past two years has held more heavily attended events than any city except Vegas.
It all started on March 10, 2006. Frank Shamrock and Cesar Gracie fought in a bout that captivated the local imagination, while the popular San Shou champion Cung Le made his MMA debut. A total of 18,265 fans attended the card at the HP Pavilion, setting what was then the all-time North American MMA record. Shamrock and Le won their fights in impressive fashion, and they have been on a collision course ever since.
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| Cung Le faces the biggest test of his career in Shamrock. (EliteXC) |
On March 29, Strikeforce runs its sixth major event at the HP Pavilion in a little over two years. This time, San Jose's two top attractions will collide with bragging rights on the line. It's the culmination of two years of build-up when Shamrock and Le settle which of the San Jose drawing cards is the better fighter.
Shamrock and Le have markedly different styles and personalities. Le is still relatively inexperienced in MMA. He is a long-time veteran of San Shou, a martial art that emphasizes kickboxing and throws. In MMA, Le has demonstrated creative striking skill and solid takedown defense. Outside the cage, his soft-spoken demeanor has made him a fan favorite.
Shamrock, by contrast, is no newcomer to MMA. He has trained in MMA since 1994, and he might be the last MMA pioneer to compete at a high level today. Shamrock's greatest strength is his ability to exploit the weaknesses of his opponents, whether standing or on the ground. Shamrock is also a flamboyant personality who knows how to sell a fight. Shamrock has played the role of antagonist against Le in an effort to increase interest.
The fight will answer questions about both men. Shamrock claims he will strike with Le. This would play to Le's strengths, and many suspect Shamrock is bluffing. But Shamrock said the same thing before his fight with slugger Phil Baroni, and Shamrock proved to be the better striker in that bout. A standup win over Le would reflect very highly on Shamrock's standup ability.
If Shamrock decides to take the fight to the ground, Le will be the one facing a serious test. Le's ground game is still relatively unproven, and Shamrock is slick with his submissions. Le could find himself in danger very quickly if Shamrock takes the fight to the ground.
After the fight is over, the key question will be whether San Jose can remain a strong market for MMA. It is difficult for any market to support high-dollar fights on a regular basis, and there are few that will mean as much locally as Shamrock vs. Le. Strikeforce needs to find new drawing cards who can generate a similar level of excitement.
Shamrock vs. Le will be broadcast on Showtime and will include a number of additional attractions.
Top lightweight fighter Gilbert Melendez will return to Strikeforce to take on Gabe Lemley. Melendez is coming off a questionable decision loss, his first, to Mitsuhiro Ishida in Japan. He will look to regain his momentum against Lemley, who has won five straight fights and holds a victory over the highly regarded Clay Guida.
Joey Villasenor built his reputation by winning fights on smaller shows. In 2006 he graduated to the big leagues. Fighting for Pride FC and Elite XC, Villasenor has battled some of the world's top middleweights with mixed results: 3-3 in his past six fights. On this card, Villasenor takes on Ryan Jensen.
It has been a tough year for controversial Nick Diaz. First, Diaz saw his fight of the year victory over Takanori Gomi overturned because of marijuana usage. Then, he needed a narrow judges' split decision to get by mediocre Mike Aina. He followed that by losing a title fight to relative unknown KJ Noons. Diaz has as much natural talent as any fighter in the world, but he desperately needs an impressive victory against Korean champion Jae Suk Lim.
Todd Martin has covered mixed martial arts for the Los Angeles Times, Wrestling Observer, SI.com and CBSSports.com. He can be reached at ToddMartin4L@aol.com.
