The Frank Shamrock and Cung Le’s bout has been years in the making. Shamrock, a self-proclaimed legend of MMA, and Le is a World Class Shanshou kickboxer whose jump to the MMA scene has been nothing but phenomenal. Both fighters are natives of San Jose and it’s more than just for the Middleweight title it’s for bragging right on who is the best middleweight in town.
Frank Shamrock is a tested veteran and has been in major fights years ago when MMA was in its infancy. So his experience and skills on the ground will let him win this fight. But Cung Le is a world class kick boxer, his short stint in MMA is his only downfall. On paper, this bout seems like a mis-match, but there’s more to it than a piece of paper. Le’s stand up is like no other. His striking is unorthodox and it has been extremely effective against his previous opponents. This will give Shamrock some trouble. Le has a solid wrestling background, and if he can prevent Shamrock from taking him down then Le has a good chance winning the fight.
I’ve been a big critic of Cung Le even during his Sanshou days. Many of his opponents were hand picked. Le’s Shanshou opponents were mainly kickboxers who never fought or inexperience with Shanshou rules which gave Le a huge advantage. In MMA, he has become a huge sensation by beating less than stellar opponents. I don’t blame Le. It’s his hardcore fans of the Bay Area that are quickly jumping the gun proclaiming he’s the next best thing since sliced bread. This fight will be a true test for Cung Le and if he wins I will admit that Le will be a legit threat to anyone in the middleweight division.
Other bouts on the fight card includes Drew Fickett, Gilbert Melendez, and Joey Villasenor. Unfortunately, Nick Diaz was pulled from the card.
My picks:
Frank Shamrock beats Cung Le
Gilbert Melendez beats Gabe Lemley
Joey Villasenor beats Ryan Jensen
Drew Fickett beats Jae Suk Lim
Tiki Ghosn beats Luke Stewart
Mike Kyle beats Wayne Cole
I will be attending the event. I will be sending live under card results to MMA-Extreme.
