In one of the must-see middleweight showdowns this year, current Sengoku Middleweight champion Jorge Santiago (21-7) will take on Chechen-Polish challenger Mamed Khalidov (19-3-1). Santiago enters the title defense with nine straight victories over solid competitors who include Kazuo Misaki, Kazuhiro Nakamura, Siyar Bahadurzada, and Trevor Prangley. While his stint in the UFC resulted in a 1-2 record with two knockout losses to Alan Belcher and Chris Leben respectively, Santiago's move to American Top Team has resulted in his current success.
Khalidov is one of the most promising middleweights in the sport today, amassing nineteen wins within the confines of the emerging Eastern European MMA scene. Adept grappling ability coupled with explosive combinations and knockout power, Khalidov could very well be the next major middleweight to explode onto the worldwide scene. A win over Santiago would cement that hope, but critics would say that his strength of competition over the past couple of years has been very weak in comparison to Santiago's extensive list of wins.
Mamed has a very well-rounded game that could give Santiago a true "run-for-the-money" in this bout. He has shown great combinations in his striking with the ability to duck and counter attacks with tremendous force. He has good wrestling ability coupled with a submission game that includes the under-utilized ankle lock and kneebar. While his strength of record is a concern, styles make match-ups. This should be a great battle between two very well-rounded fighters that you won't want to miss.
http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2009/11/4/1114325/sengoku-xi-preview-solid
Good fight. Khalidov fighting at LHW never made sense. The dude weighs like 195. I'm sticking with Santiago, though.
I'm picking Khalidov to win this one. He's one mean SOB.
Jorge has been on a tare...hard for me to pick against him.
Mamed Khalidov training for Sengoku 11