Crash Course: Strikeforce Challengers 12 "Shaolin vs. Wilcox" Edition

Hello once more fans and friends and welcome to another edition of “Crash Course”, the series designed to give fans a quick rundown on all the latest MMA events set to air. Today’s edition features the upcoming “Strikeforce Challengers 12” event, which is set to air tonight on Showtime. I can admit that this show sneaked up on me and basically flew under my radar, but upon closer inspection, it looks like a good card. So let’s get started.

The Event: Strikeforce Challengers 12: “Shaolin vs. Wilcox”. The “Challengers” series of shows are lower-level and less-hyped Strikeforce shows designed to highlight new up-and-coming talent. In some cases, it’s also used to feature talent that’s fallen on rough times but still deserve a spot on TV… just not on a major show.

Why You Should Care: So long as you know what you’re getting into, “Strikeforce Challengers” usually delivers an entertaining show. This event in particular features a cast of characters that run the gamut of the MMA landscape: you’ve got hard strikers, good grapplers, women, international talent, and even former Strikeforce headliners.

What to Look Forward to in the Main Event: Feared international talent Vitor Ribeiro needs a win and needs it badly, having gone 1-3 in his last four fights. Ribeiro is widely regarded as a submission expert, while Justin Wilcox is best described as a gamer: he’s won a majority of his fights by decision. This will be a very tough test for both men, with Ribeiro constantly hunting for the submission while Wilcox will look to outmaneuver and outwork his opponent.

What to Look Forward to in the Co-Main Event: Antwain Britt is a knockout artist with a large amount of first-round (T)KO wins on his record. He most recently lost to Rafael Cavalcante, the current Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion. This one isn’t going to last long, Britt will most likely come out head-hunting from the get-go. All signs put to this being a brief yet entertaining fight that will likely end in dramatic fashion.

Why You Should Watch This Card: If you’ve got nothing else better to do and can’t wait until tomorrow’s UFC 123: “Rampage vs. Machida” event to get your MMA fix, this card should do nicely. There are a number of fights on this card that have an interesting amount of potential, and several fights have a good probability of ending by KO or submission.

Why You Shouldn’t Watch This Card: It’s a second-tier show from MMA’s #2 promotion. Nothing earth-shattering is going to happen at this show. At best we’ll see some possible contenders emerge. At worst, we’ll see a marginal night of fights from a group of fighters that are currently flying below just about everyone’s radar.

Closing Thoughts: I think the positives ultimately outweigh the negatives for this show. It’s free MMA on TV, right? Why not give it a watch? There are certainly better ways to be spending a Friday night, but you can also do a lot worse. On a TV day known for repeats and under-performing shows being given the dreaded “Friday Night Death Slot”, Strikeforce is giving MMA fans a full night of live action. So long as you don’t go in expecting the world from Strikeforce Challengers, you’re probably in for a fun night of fights.

And what about you, fans and friends? What’s your take on this upcoming card?