Our first preview leading up to the August 15th Strikeforce card featuring Gina Carano vs. Cris "Cyborg" Santos and Gegard Mousasi vs. Renato "Babalu" Sobral focuses on the heavyweight bout between former PRIDE and UFC veteran Fabricio Werdum (11-4-1) vs. Strikeforce veteran and MMA "bad boy" Mike Kyle (12-6-1).

The bout takes place a little over two months after Mike Kyle upset Rafael "Feijao" Calvancante at the Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields event in St. Louis, Missouri, and nearly 10 months after Fabricio Werdum was upset by Brazilian up-and-comer Junior Dos Santos at UFC 90. This will surely be a way for Werdum to get back on the horse as he'll likely be in line to take on former PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko in the future.

For Werdum, this will be a chance to show fans that he can still compete at a high level since being knocked silly by Junior Dos Santos. While Kyle doesn't present an immense challenge, Kyle does possess the heavy hands to pull off another major upset. With a ten month layoff from competing, Werdum will need to shake off the ring rust and impressively finish Kyle to make a good impression on fans.

Werdum's stint in the UFC wasn't all bad. He went 2-2 with wins over Gabriel Gonzaga and Brandon Vera, both finishing efforts. He was definitely in the UFC doghouse following his decision loss to Andrei Arlovski at UFC 70 as both men were very hesitant to engage with Werdum being the much more reluctant fighter. The Junior Dos Santos bout seemed like a shoe-in at the time for Werdum, but the upset loss was instantly a reason for the UFC to dump his salary.

Werdum possesses a very common skill-set for a Brazilian fighter. He's heavily credentialed in Brazilian jiu-jitsu with a few ADCC first place wins under his belt. He's a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, but also has a solid Muay Thai base that has only recently become much more dangerous after he switched camps to the infamous Chute Box Academy. He's shown a much more aggressive approach recently, most notably his battles with Gonzaga and Vera in the UFC. He used his Muay Thai effectively in both match-ups, and he was actually beginning to show that his striking could be a major factor in any battle.

Mike Kyle could be considered a "bad boy" of MMA. His list of criminal acts include one of the most horrendous disqualifications in MMA history at WEC 20 in which he illegally kicked Brian Olsen in the head, then repeatedly continued to attack Olsen while the referee had already stepped in. He was suspended for 18 months by the California State Athletic Commission even though the event took place on an Indian casino grounds.

Since his return, he's went 3-1 with his most notable win coming in his last fight against highly-touted prospect Rafael "Feijao" Calvancante. He currently trains out of American Kickboxing Academy, and he's listed as a freestyle fighter. He definitely has the training partners within the California-based camp to improve his skills substantially, and he possesses solid knockout power coupled with some grappling ability. He has trained in Muay Thai and jiu-jitsu at AKA, but he's mostly known for his hands. It'll be another battle in which Werdum will have to avoid the big shot to win.

Werdum is easily the favorite in this match-up. His Muay Thai could cause some problems, but his grappling will be his major advantage. If he can manage to get Kyle to the floor, he should be able to maul him with his Brazilian jiu-jitsu ability. The only real advantage Kyle has is his power with his hands. If he can pull off what Junior Dos Santos managed to do at UFC 90, Strikeforce's hopes for Werdum to battle Fedor down the road could be shattered. It isn't a lock for Werdum by any means, but he should be the heavy favorite.