NFL and MMA fans who don't have Showtime should seek out a friend who does for Saturday night, January 30. Dallas Cowboy great, Herschel Walker will be having his much anticipated MMA debut on Strikeforce. This versatile athlete is following his passion and will try his hand at the sport he's followed for years.
Earlier this week, Walker went on a whirlwind press tour which included stops on ESPN television and radio. The congenial former running back has proven to be a phenomenal ambassador of the sport. Even though he has never fought a single round in MMA, he somehow provides the sport with instant credibility.
Herschel beams with delight when he talks to the mainstream press about the history of MMA. He's even professed that he's watched the sport since the early 1990's and even noted that original UFC champion, Royce Gracie is one of his favorites.
Sure Herschel Walker is famous, still in remarkable shape at 47, and has been a longtime spectator of the sport. Fans must realize what makes him a viable MMA fighter is that he is a longtime practitioner of the Korean striking art of
Taekwondo and even holds a sixth-degree black belt in the discipline.
Understandably, with this being his first MMA bout, Strikeforce is not going to feed him to the wolves. They're also not going to give Walker a tomato can which says a lot about the integrity of this budding national promotion.
Walker will face 1-1 fighter, Greg Nagy. Nagy's only been fighting professionally for less than a year but he represents a legitimate challenge for the completely green Herschel Walker.
It's going to be quite compelling to see how the bout plays out on Saturday. Will Herschel mainly utilize new skills learned in his MMA training camp or will he rely on his foundation discipline of Taekwondo?
Will his 47 year old body weigh in on the outcome or does he truly have the Nolan Ryan gene to overcome it? Will he falter when attacked or will his opponent go down like Robin Ventura?
Walker is not the only showcase at Strikeforce's event. Former WWE wrestler, Bobby Lashley is slated to fight as well. After making the transition from entertainment wrestling to MMA one year ago, the former NAIA National Wrestling Champion has been buzz-sawing through competitors.
Lashley has made the same wrestling to MMA transition that Brock Lesnar has made and he could quite possibly have the same success using his collegiate wrestling base.
The most dominant female fighter on the planet, Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos is also slated to fight at the event. Women's MMA is still developing and just about the only other mainstream name in female MMA is Gina Carano.
Strikeforce is the the largest promotion to host women's bouts. It still has much more work to build women's MMA. Cyborg's opponent, Marloes Coenen is hardly a household name.
David Estrada Jr. is a Mixed Martial Arts columnist for the Port Arthur News. He can be e-mailed at DavidEstrada@DavidEstrada.com
