· “Diaz vs. Cyborg” Preview: Two Belts, A Heisman Trophy, And A Gracie

When putting together a mixed martial arts card, sometimes the theme of the overall show is overlooked. With this Saturday’s “Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Cyborg” card, the theme is the representation of nearly every aspect of the sport.

Two Strikeforce championship titles will be on the line, but even more than that, the styles and backgrounds of each fighter represent the eclectic mix that is MMA.

The main event features “bad boy” Nick Diaz (23-7, 4-0 SF), a fighter of the next generation who has spent time on the independent circuit, in the UFC, in Japan, and now in Strikeforce. Diaz has been a fighter his entire life, growing up learning jiu-jitsu and making his professional debut in 2001 just weeks after his 18th birthday. Diaz is dangerous striking or on the ground, and he has developed into one of the top fighters at 170 pounds.

His opponent is Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos (18-13, 1-1 SF), the husband of Strikeforce Women’s Middleweight Champion Cris Santos, and he’s ready to take all of Diaz’s hype and his belt as well. A devastating striker, Santos cut his teeth on the extremely tough vale tudo (“anything goes”) circuit in his native Brazil. Santos represents the “other” Brazilian crop – the ones who would rather punch you in the face and use demoralizing Muay Thai knees and kicks than submit you; but given the opportunity, they’ll submit you too. Santos’ record doesn’t tell the whole story of his dominant striking and killer instinct.

Diaz may not necessarily be overlooking Santos, but he has stated leading up to the fight that he wants to face UFC champions Georges St-Pierre and Anderson Silva, despite recently signing a multi-year agreement to stay with Strikeforce. If Diaz is overlooking Santos in this fight, then he can forget leaving San Jose with a belt still around his waist.

Striker vs. Grappler

A second belt will also be on the line on Saturday, as Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (13-2, 3-0 SF) will defend his title against “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (18-6, 2-2 SF).

The nicknames tell the story here. Jacare, which means “Gator” in Portuguese, is a world champion grappler who has secured ten of his 13 victories via submission. His grip is second to none, and he’s developing his striking skills that will make him almost unbeatable if he wants to be. “Ruthless” has 15 of his 18 wins via knockout or TKO, and his striking is feared across the sport.

The storyline here is the quintessential “striker vs. grappler” discussion that has surrounded MMA since the beginning of the sport. Will Lawler be able to keep the fight standing long enough to put Jacare on Queer Street? Is Jacare confident enough in his standup to hang with Lawler, or will he immediately take the fight to his mat to take the fight into his arena? Lawler has been nearly unbeatable if an opponent is willing to stand with him, but the last pure grappler he faced, Jake Shields, submitted him with a guillotine just two minutes into the first round.

Crossover Athlete, Gracie Fill Out Well-Rounded Card

Herchel Walker (1-0, 1-0 SF) is undoubtedly one of the biggest stars to ever compete in MMA, having won the 1982 Heisman Trophy and making the Pro Bowl twice in the NFL before being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Now 48, Walker believes that MMA training has allowed him to be in the best shape of his life. Walker will be facing Scott Carson (4-1), who competed at WEC 1 and has only competed once since 2001. The matchup of two 40-plus fighters was originally scheduled for December, but the two will now meet on Saturday with pride on the line. Is Walker’s foray into MMA just a public relations ploy by Strikeforce to gain attention, or is Walker serious about MMA?

You can’t have a well-rounded card without the name “Gracie” featured on the bout sheet. Roger Gracie (3-0, 1-0 SF) is a cousin of Renzo Gracie, and a former Abu Dhabi Absolute champion. Roger embodies everything that the Gracie family means to MMA—he’s a dominant grappler who realizes his family’s heritage and what his last name means to the sport. He’ll be facing Trevor Prangley (23-6-1, 3-2-1 SF), a native of South Africa who was a two-time NCAA All-American wrestler, is a veteran fighter who returns to Strikeforce at light heavyweight after a failed run at middleweight. Prangley and Gracie are both fighting for a spot in the mix of the Strikeforce light heavyweight title picture, and the winner here could be just one or two more wins away from a championship fight.