Strikeforce: Preview and Analysis for Entire Card

In the shadows of UFC 148 and UFC on Fuel TV 4 lies Strikeforce's event this weekend, which boasts two title fights.

Headlined by the middleweight title bout between Luke Rockhold and Tim Kennedy, the card also shares a welterweight title bout between challengers Tyron Woodley and Nate Marquardt.

Let's take a look at the card and break down every fight.

The card kicks off in the welterweight division, as UFC and Strikeforce vet Jason High meets talented youngster Nate Moore.

High (15-3) is in the midst of an impressive six fight win streak, two of which were in Strikeforce. In that time, he has beat notables Jordan Mein, Hayato Sakurai and Quinn Mulhern, all of which are extremely impressive.

Of High's 15 wins, he has submitted six opponents and knocked out three. In fact, he has not lost since his one-off UFC appearance back in 2010.

Meanwhile, Moore (8-2) is coming off a big knockout victory in his latest outing against Nathan Coy. That erased the memory of losing the biggest fight of his career against Tarec Saffiedine. 

Moore has finished all but one of his fights as he is very well-rounded. His only area of question is his chin, seeing as both of his losses came by clean knockout.

High is much more experienced and probably the better fighter. Though both match up well, High has beaten higher level opponents. He probably will not finish him, but he will win a convincing decision

Prediction: High def. Moore via decision

Next up, lightweights collide when Ryan Couture, son of the legendary Randy Couture, meets dark horse Joe Duarte.

Couture (4-1) is young in his MMA career, but has already shown promise. He owns a win by knockout and two by submission, showing that he is developing a nice all-around game.

He is in the midst of a two-fight win streak, which includes a knockout victory in his latest effort against Conor Heun. It was the biggest win of his career, but the wrestler faces an even bigger test come Saturday night.

Duarte (10-2) is an Ultimate Fighter veteran, as well as a Bellator and Strikeforce veteran. A submission specialist, Duarte is not afraid to trade strikes with anyone. 

He is undefeated in Strikeforce, including his latest win over Jorge Gurgel. The problem is, he has shown to struggle against wrestlers, as seen in his fight with Carey Vanier.

That could be the difference.

Prediction: Couture def. Duarte via knockout 

The next bout of the night is a lightweight bout, which pits American grinder Pat Healy up against Japanese veteran Mizuto Hirota.

Healy (27-16) is a long-time veteran of the sport and a well-respected journeyman. Healy seems to have found a place in Strikeforce, as he is 5-1 since joining the company.

These wins have been over the likes of Caros Fodor, Maximo Blanco, Eric Wisely and Lyle Beerbohm. Healy's wrestling has frustrated opponents and his submissions have put them away. Healy is a dangerous opponent for any man.

Meanwhile, Hirota (14-4-1) is exciting as they come, as he is a strong striker. This is Hirota's Strikeforce debut, so this could be a tough test for him.

Hirota will be fighting in America and flying in from Japan, which is the first problem. Second, he will have to stymie the aggressive wrestling attack that Healy throws at everybody. This will probably lead to numerous problems for the Japanese star.

Prediction: Healy def. Hirota via decision

In the final preliminary fight, welterweights Tyler Stinson and Jordan Mein look to rebound to move a step closer to the 170-pound strap.

Stinson (23-8) is a very underrated fighter. The lanky welterweight has devastating power in his fists and all-around skills to rival most fighters in the division.

He dropped a very close decision to Tarec Saffiedine in his last outing, which was a follow up to a quick knockout win in his previous Strikeforce bout against Eduard Pamplona. Stinson is constantly the underdog showing up the bigger guns.

On the other hand, Mein (24-8) looks to be a legitimate prospect in the welterweight division. His rise to where he is now has seen him knockout and submit most everyone put in his way.

His last fight was a controversial decision loss to Tyron Woodley, but before that Mein put the division on notice with a huge knockout over Evangelista Santos. He looks to be the real deal and very well-rounded at that.

Prediction: Mein def. Stinson via decision 

Kicking off the Shotime portion of the card will be a lightweight scrap between wrestler Justin Wilcox and striker Jorge Masvidal.

Masvidal (22-7) is a very inconsistent fighter, but shows flashes of brilliance throughout his career. In fact, he even earned a title shot recently against Gilbert Melendez in his last fight (lost via decision).

Masvidal is a gifted striker, with 10 wins coming via knockout. Before his loss to Melendez, Masvidal rattled off consecutive victories over Billy Evangelista and KJ Noons. He will face a strong wrestler who will challenge his takedown defense throughout. 

Wilcox (11-4, 1 NC) will be looking to get back on track since falling in his last fight against Caros Fodor by knockout. That followed a no-contest against Gesias Cavalcante and a six-fight win streak.

Wilcox does well against fellow wrestlers and jiu-jitsu fighters, but sometimes struggles against strikers. I expect that will continue here.

Prediction: Masvidal def. Wilcox via knockout

At 185 pounds, Keith Jardine will welcome Roger Gracie to the division in a bout that promises to be a challenge for both men. 

Gracie (4-1) is considered to be one of the best jiu-jitsu artists in the world and it has shown in his MMA career. All four of Gracie's wins have come by submission, as his striking game has yet to develop. 

He was knocked out in his latest fight by Muhammed Lawal, but before that he had beaten notables Trevor Prangley, Kevin Randleman and Yuki Kondo.

Meanwhile, Jardine (17-10-2) is a long-time veteran on the down slope of his career. Well-rounded, Jardine has shown wear and tear that this sport presents.

He is winless in his last two fights, which saw him draw against Gegard Mousasi and lose via knockout to champion Luke Rockhold. This is his second outing at middleweight, so we will soon see if his body can handle the weight cut. 

Call me crazy, but I think Jardine's experience and well-roundedness will outlast Gracie. He has the striking and takedown defense to thwart Gracie and finish him late.

Prediction: Jardine def. Gracie via knockout

Robbie Lawler and and Lorenz Larkin meet next in a striking fan's delight.

Larkin (12-0, 1 NC) was absolutely dominated in his latest bout against Muhammed Lawal, but it doesn't show in his record due to Lawal's failed drug test. 

Nevertheless, Larkin is an absolute brute on the feet. Eight of his wins have come by knockout, which is a testament to his power. His three Strikeforce wins have come against Scott Lighty, Gian Villante and Nick Rossborough.

Lawler (19-8, 1 NC) is a long-time veteran of the sport and former Elite XC champion. He will own the experience factor and is very powerful on the feet as well.

Lawler owns 16 wins by knockout, including his last fight against Adlan Amagov. He normally struggles against wrestlers, but luckily he is going up against a fellow striker who also struggles against grapplers.

Prediction: Lawler def. Larkin via decision

In the co-main event, Nate Marquardt meets Tyron Woodley for the right to be the welterweight king of Strikeforce. 

Marquardt (31-10-2) fights for the first time since his release from the UFC. Marquardt's last fight was in March of 2011, which was a decision win over Dan Miller.

This will be his welterweight debut, so we will see how the weight difference goes for him. He is extremely well-rounded, as his kickboxing and jiu-jitsu is top notch.

On the other side, Woodley (10-0) is undefeated, but completely banks on his wrestling to win matches. He will need to change up his attack if he wants to put away anybody as experienced and skilled as Marquardt.

Marquardt is too good and experienced as compared to Woodley's past opponents. Therefore, he will be victorious.

Prediction: Marquardt def. Woodley via knockout

The middleweight championship of Strikeforce is on the line in the main event, as king Luke Rockhold meets top contender Tim Kennedy.

Rockhold (9-1) is on a roll since entering Strikforce, winning all eight fights. This includes him winning the title from Ronaldo Souza and defending it against Keith Jardine.

Rockhold is a gifted striker with underrated grappling. He would be smart to keep this fight on the feet, as that is his best opportunity to retain the title.

His opponent, Kennedy (14-3), earned his shot in his last two wins over Melvin Manhoef and Robbie Lawler. These wins were preceded by a title loss to Souza, in a fight Kennedy believed he won.

Kennedy is the much better wrestler and grappler. He needs to floor this fight and look to work submissions on the champion.

Prediction: Kennedy def. Rockhold via decision