Former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Gegard Mousasi will return to the Hexagon to try and quell the uprising of 205-pound division standout Ovince St. Preux on Dec. 17 at the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, California.
And he'll do it as the -380 favorite.
Mousasi (31-3-2) was expected to rule the light heavyweight roost for many moons following his first round obliteration of Renato Sobral to capture the 205-pound strap back in 2009.
Unfortunately "The Dreamcatcher" was unable to stop the relentless takedowns of Muhammed Lawal and coughed up the belt in Nashville less than a year later.
He would ship himself back overseas to compete for DREAM and abuse a handful of Japanese fighters; however, stateside audiences were left with the memory of his butt-ugly draw against Keith Jardine at the Strikeforce: "Diaz vs. Daley" event earlier this year.
Mousasi will have the opportunity to wash that "Mean" taste out of his mouth, but it will have to come at the expense of one of the division's brightest prospects.
St. Preux (11-4) has been steamrolling the competition since 2009, stringing together eight straight wins in a streak that includes such notables as Benji Radach and Antwain Britt.
Mousasi is unquestionably a major step up in competition for the former college football star, which is why he's pegged as the +290 underdog.
But it's also a one-way ticket to the top of the food chain if he's victorious.
For an in-depth look at this 205-pound slugfest click here. For more odds and betting lines for Strikeforce: "Melendez vs. Masvidal," click here.
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