Down but not out.
There's an interesting light heavyweight battle brewing for the upcoming Strikeforce event in July, as former 205-pound champion Rafael Cavalcante looks to get back on his horse and gallop his way back into title contention by stifling the progress of surging up-and-comer Ovince St. Preux.
MMA Fighting brought word of the unofficial match-up earlier today.
Cavalcante (10-3) reached the summit of the light heavyweight division by wasting "King" Mo Lawal at Strikeforce: "Houston" in late 2010. His title reign was short lived however, as "Dangerous" Dan Henderson dropped an "H-bomb" on his Brazilian chin just over a month ago to claim the strap.
Can "Feijao" return to form and work his way back into the title hunt?
St. Preux (10-4) is currently on a roll, winning his last seven fights. His three most recent wins under the Strikeforce banner, however, have been the most impressive.
Antwain Britt, Benji Radach and Ron Humphrey have all fallen via decision to the "Vol" alum. Prior to decision mania, St. Preux finished four straight opponents within the first round.
He'll likely have to get back to finishing fights this summer because taking a decision from Cavalcante would appear to be next to impossible ... unless St. Preux's chin is out of this world.
Then again, you know the old saying. Anything can (and usually does) happen in this sport.
Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more information on the upcoming Strikeforce event in July, which has yet to be announced by the promotion but is expected to feature the return of heavyweight attraction Fedor Emelianenko.
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