Matches to Make After Strikeforce ‘Barnett vs. Kharitonov’

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For 19 months, Luke Rockhold was a forgotten man in the Strikeforce middleweight division, a wildly talented but relatively unproven prospect whose ascent had been slowed by injury. It goes without saying that he has returned with a vengeance, well-equipped to fulfill his considerable promise.

Rockhold varied his strikes beautifully, tagged Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza with repeated straight left hands, stayed off his back against the Brazilian jiu-jitsu savant and captured the Strikeforce middleweight crown in a five-round unanimous decision at Strikeforce “Barnett vs. Kharitonov” on Saturday at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati. Judge Bruce Snell gave Rockhold all five rounds, while two others, Sal D’Amato and Chris Lee, scored it 48-47.

Talent was never in question with Rockhold, who has clearly benefitted from daily training at the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, Calif. As champion, much more will be expected of him, starting with consistency and the ability to stay healthy.

A closer look at the six matches we want to see made after Strikeforce “Barnett vs. Kharitonov”:

Luke Rockhold vs. Tim Kennedy: The two middleweight standouts were originally slated to meet in March with far less at stake, but an injury to Rockhold nixed the bout. Following his defeat to Jacare in August 2010, Kennedy has kept his foot in the title contender door with back-to-back wins over Melvin Manhoef and Robbie Lawler. The American war hero brings with him excellent all-around skills and the kind of toughness that cannot be measured. Rockhold’s star is undoubtedly on the rise after his upset over Souza, a victory made all the more surprising by the 19-month layoff that preceded it. Provided he can remain injury-free, he could soon emerge as the next key player at 185 pounds. Kennedy would provide a stout challenge for his first title defense, and a showdown between the two could reveal a great deal about just how far Rockhold, not yet 10 fights into his career, can go in the sport.

Sergei Kharitonov vs. Antonio Silva: These two powerful but flawed heavyweights fell well short of their intended marks in the Strikeforce grand prix semifinals, as Kharitonov submitted to Josh Barnett and Silva succumbed to punches from Daniel Cormier. A matchup between them seems a nice consolation prize, both for the fans and the fighters.

Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal vs. Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante: As his post-fight comments indicated in wake of his knockout of Roger Gracie, Lawal has not forgotten his first encounter with Feijao.

A little more than a year ago, the Brazilian ended King Mo’s brief light heavyweight title reign, burying the fatigued wrestler with a barrage of punches and elbows. Lawal has openly requested the rematch. Few can argue against it.

Pat Healy vs. K.J. Noons: People continue to sleep on Healy, and he continues to surprise. The well-traveled and often-overlooked Team Quest veteran submitted former lightweight King of Pancrase Maximo Blanco in what can only be described as a rude stateside welcome for the Venezuelan prospect. No one can question Healy’s heart or drive, especially after he rebounded from an unfortunate first-round encounter with several illegal kicks to the face while on the ground with Blanco.

Consecutive victories over Lyle Beerbohm, Eric Wisely and Blanco have earned him the right to seek out a higher-caliber opponent. Noons took a beating from American Top Team’s Jorge Masvidal in June, but his combination of crisp boxing and solid takedown defense would stand as a significant obstacle for Healy.

Jordan Mein vs. Bobby Voelker: Mein was stellar in his promotional debut, as he walked through Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos’ leg kicks, chopped down the Brazilian with superb boxing and finished him with a series of savage standing elbows against the cage. Already a 30-fight veteran, the 21-year-old Canadian has won six straight fights and 10 of his last 11. He could move quickly in the welterweight division. Voelker already brought down one prospect, as he won the last two bouts of his trilogy with Roger Bowling in decisive fashion. An excellent striker with a wealth of experience and plenty of momentum of his own, Voelker might, as Cyborg did, oblige Mein with an extended standup battle. Durability is not an issue, as he has been knocked out only once in the last five years.

Mike Kyle vs. Ovince St. Preux: Kyle kept his name in play inside the light heavyweight division with a one-sided unanimous decision over the previously unbeaten Marcos Rogerio de Lima. He has won five of his last six fights and, more importantly, has not lost at 205 pounds in nearly four years. Kyle remains vulnerable on the ground, but he packs quite a punch and poses a legitimate threat to virtually anyone willing to stand and exchange with him; ask Cavalcante and Silva. A star in the making, St. Preux has rattled off eight consecutive victories and put himself in position to pursue a considerable step up in competition. At the moment, no one at 205 pounds fits that bill better than Kyle.