Strikeforce Challengers
Rose Garden Arena
Portland, Oregon
May 21, 2010
Strikeforce Challengers typically focuses on young, up and coming talent and tonights show will have Tarec Saffiedine and Tyron Woodley in action. In the Main Event is mma veteran Matt Lindland taking on Kevin Casey. Mauro Ranallo, Stephen Quadros and Pat Miletich are the announcers for the show.
Lightweight Fight- Pat Healy (22-15) vs. Bryan Travers (13-1)
Travers has 3 wins by KO and 4 by submission. Healy has 13 wins by submission. Healy gets a good reaction from the crowd as he's the hometown guy in this fight. Both guys have a background in wrestling. Healy has a 3" reach advantage.
R1- Travers looked pretty good early in the round landing a coule of strikes and stuffing a take down. Healy landed a couple strikes and then got taken down by Travers. Healy looked better in the second half of the round. 10-10 round if you could give it. Flip a coin. Miletich gave the round to Healy.
R2- Healy landed some quick strikes early in this round. Healy got a take down at the one minute mark of the round but couldn't keep him down. Healy took Travers back and then hit a knee and then a good strike in the clinch. Healy got another take down with one minute left in the round but Travers scrambled back to his feet quickly. Healy took this round.
R3- Healy hit a good right early in the round. Healy got a slam in the first minute of action but couldn't hold him down. Healy clinched him against the cage and controlled the fight. Travers got a take down at the mid-way point of the round. Healy got up and Travers took him back down. Travers got a third take down but Healy reversed position and then hit a belly-to-back suplex on Travers. Close round, Healy did more damage in the round. I've got Healy winning this fight. Possibly could see a split decision coming up.
Judges score cards: 29-28, 29-28, 30-27
Winner: Pat Healy by Decision (Unanimous)
Post fight Healy says he wants to fight Lyle Beerbohm in order to get a shot at Josh Thomson or Gilbert Melendez.
Welterweight Fight- Tarec Saffiedine (8-2) vs. Nate Moore (6-1)
Tarec fought on the February Challengers show and looked very good in beating James Terry by decision. Tarec is fighting out of Team Quest and has finished 5 of his 8 wins by submission. Moore was a D-1 wrestler at Purdue. Moore has finished all 6 of his fights (2 by knockout and 4 by submission). Moore fights out of AKA.
R1- They throw leather early. Moore went for a take down but Tarec sprawled out. Moore is throwing leather but Tarec hit a good strike that wobbled Moore. Tarec quickly capitalized and took Moore's back but he had to give it up as he was too high on Moore's back. Tarec just missed a front kick. Good first round. Tarec 10-9.
R2- Moore is throwing a lot of punches but isn't landing anything. Tarec nailed Moore with a punch as Moore was going for a take down. Big time right hand by Tarec. Good finish by Tarec. Would like to see him Main Eventing Challengers (I said this after his last win) or on the main Showtime cards.
Winner: Tarec Saffiedine by KO R2 1:21
Mauro interviews Josh Thomson. Thomson says he'll take a third Melendez fight as soon as it's offered. He's fighting again on the next card but he doesn't know who he is fighting yet.
Middleweight- Roger Bowling (7-0) vs. Bobby Voelker (21-7)
I saw Voelker fight on the November Challengers show and he showed a lot of resilience in beating Erik Apple by 2nd round TKO after losing the first round on my score card. Voelker has 13 knockouts and 3 submission finishes to his record. Bowling is undefeated and has finished all of his fights. He has 5 knockouts and 2 submissions. Ranallo says Bowling has won most of his fights in the first round. Voelker has a 4" reach advantage in this fight.
R1- Bowling connected with a good strike early and got an immediate take down. Voelker got back to his feet and ate another strike. Bowling just connecting with good strikes and Voelker clinches. Voelker's left eye is bloody. Bowling lands a good kick. Bowling hit a big left. Voelker is eating a lot of strikes and then got slammed. Blood is all in Voelker's eye. Bowling 10-9.
R2- Bowling hit a good strike early and Voelker went down. Bowling jumped on top and took his guard. Bowling went for a kimura and then let Voelker up and landed some nice strikes. Bowling got another take down. The ref stand the fight up with about 80 seconds left. Voelker got a take down with about a minute left but Bowling quickly got back to his feet. Bowling got a take down right at the end of the round. Bowling 20-18. This will be the first time in his career that Bowling has gone to the 3rd round.
R3- These guys are just throwing bombs and Voelker ends up on top in Bowling's guard. Bowling spun out and got back to his feet. Bowling's eye got scrapped by the edge of one of the gloves when they had a ref break from a clinch. They stopped the fight to check it out. They stop the fight due to the incidental foul and go to the score cards since it's in the final round.
Judges score cards: 29-28 on all cards for Roger Bowling
Winner: Roger Bowling by Decision
Middleweight Fight- Tyron Woodley (6-0) vs. Nathan Coy (8-2)
Woodley fought on the November Challengers show and beat Rudy Bears by Arm Bar submission in the first round. At the September Challengers show he took out Zach Light by 2nd round Arm Bar submission. Woodley has won all of his fights by submission. Coy is a wrestler from Oregon State. He's the home town guy so he gets a good reaction. Militech says they trained together a couple of years ago.
R1- Coy came in early and Woodley got an immediate take down. Woodley hit a good body punch that floored Coy as he came in wildly. Woodley jumped on Coy's back and landed some strikes. Coy clinched and tried to get a take down but Woodley denied him. Coy clinches Woodley again and is landing some good leg strikes with his knee. Coy looked good in the second half of the round but I've got Woodley taking it 10-9. Good first round.
R2- Coy is working over Woodley's knee. Coy landing some good strikes in the clinch but then ate a knee. Woodley hit a good right after a break. Coy landed a good strike but Woodley absorbed it. They are exchanging some nice shots. Woodley blocked a head kick and Coy ended up on the ground. Woodley took Coy's back. Woodley couldn't get the choke so he landed some strikes. Coy did a good job defending in this position. Woodley grabbed an arm bar at the end of the round but the buzzer sounded to end the round. Woodley took this round with his work in the last minute as he took dominant positions and has a submission attempt that almost ended the fight. Woodley 20-18 but it's a close fight.
R3- Coy is the aggressor at the beginning of the round. Woodley lands some counter punches and then gets a take down. Coy was able to reverse and get the take down. Coy lands some body strikes on the ground. Coy took this round. I've got Woodley 29-28.
Judges score cards: 29-28 Woodley, 30-27 Coy, 29-28 Woodley
Winner: Tyron Woodley by Decision (Split)
Middleweight Fight- Kevin Casey (3-1) vs. Matt Lindland (21-7)
Casey is a Gracie jiu jitsu fighter. Casey fought on the November Challengers show and won in impressive fashion over Chad Vance by Rear Naked Choke in the first round. Lindland got dominated by Jacare Souza in his last fight. Casey has a 3" reach advantage despite being 1" shorter than Lindland. Casey has 2 submissions in his 3 wins. Lindland has finished 7 fights by knockout and 7 by submission. Lindland has a huge advantage in the experience department. Casey spent time at Cesar Gracie's camp training for this fight. Casey's lone loss was in his pro debut to Ikuhisa Minowa.
R1- Casey clinched early but it was Lindland that got the take down. Casey got to his feet and they clinched against the cage. Lindland tried to grab a guillotine but instead got take down. Lindland tried to scramble but got his back taken by Casey. Lindland was able to reverse positions with half a minute left in the round. Casey got to his feet. Lindland threw some knee strikes but didn't hit anything substantial. Casey 10-9. Quadros said Lindland squeaked by in the round and Militech called it even.
R2- Lindland clinched early and took Casey down with knee and foot stomps. Casey got back to his feet but Lindland powered him back down. Lindland is landing strikes but nothing that's going to finish the fight so far. Lindland got the crucifix in the last twenty seconds of the round. Casey was able to reverse out. Lindland dominated that round but didn't do enough damage to come close to a 10-8. So I've got it 19-19 after two. Quadros has the fight 20-18 Lindland.
R3- Lindland got a quick take down. Lindland is landing strikes from the tap. The ref steps in and calls the fight.
The announcers proclaim Lindland as being "back" after beating a guy with only 3 career victories.
Winner: Matt Lindland by TKO (Strikes) R3 3:41
Kind of a disappointing show. Saffiedine/Moore was really good. Bowling/Voelker was good until the strange stoppage. Matt Lindland winning the Main Event of a Strikeforce Challengers Series event is underwhelming. Not a way to elevate new talent. I'd rather see a guy like Tarec Saffiedine Main Eventing against another up and coming fighter than a veteran on the brink of concluding his career on a show about elevating new talent.
Showing posts with label Strikeforce. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Strikeforce. Show all posts
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Strikeforce: Heavy Artillery Re-Cap 5/15
Strikeforce: Heavy Artillery
Scottrade Center
St. Louis, Missouri
May 15,2010
Showtime
Tonight Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem defends his title against Brett Rogers. Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andre Arlovski will also be in action as he faces former Elite XC Heavyweight Champion Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva. Middleweight contenders Jacare Souza and Joey Villasenor will also fight on this show. Gus Johnson, Frank Shamrock and Mauro Ranallo are the announcers for the show. Jimmy Lennon Jr is the ring announcer.
Light Heavyweight Fight- Antwain Britt (12-3) vs. Rafael Feijao (8-2)
Anderson Silva is in Feijao's corner. Britt has a 3" reach advantage. This is a big fight for both guys as they are both thought of as guys on the brink of being contenders. Feijao has finished all of his 8 wins and has 7 knockouts on his record. Britt is a wrestler but has 10 knockouts out of his 13 wins. Both guys have combined for 12 victories in the first round. Feijao lost in his last fight to current King of the Cage Light Heavyweight Champion Mike Kyle.
R1- Britt landed some strikes early and Feijao went for a jumping knee but did not connect. Britt landed some good strikes while being clinched by Feijao. Britt is finding a home for the jab. Feijao landed a good overhand right that wobbled Britt. Feijao quickly followed up and chased him down and landed a left and then rocked him with a right hand that sent him to the mat and the ref stops this fight. Britt was winning the fight until that one punch and then it all turned. Explosive finish by Feijao.
Winner: Rafael Feijao by TKO (Strikes) R1 3:45
Light Heavyweight Fight- Roger Gracie (2-0) vs. Kevin Randleman (17-14)
This is Gracie's debut in Strikeforce and it's only his 3rd professional fight. Gracie has a 6.5" height and 9" reach advantage. Randleman should be the stronger fighter. Gracie has finished both of his fights by submission.
R1- Randleman looks tiny compared to Gracie. Mostly stand up in this round with the crowd growing restless as not many shots were landing. Gracie clinched Randleman and tried to get him to the ground but Randleman slipped out. Not a lot of action in this round. I've got Gracie 10-9. Both Shamrock and Ranallo also give the round to Gracie.
R2- Randleman landed a good body shot early. Gracie connected with some strikes that had Randleman backpedaling. Gracie landed a good knee in the clinch and Randleman went to the ground and Gracie quickly jumped on top. Gracie mounted and tried a side choke but Randleman got out so Gracie took his back and went for a Rear Naked Choke. Randleman fought hard but Gracie finally got the move and won the fight. Good win for Gracie. He wasn't spectacular but once he got the fight to the ground he definitely took over. Gracie probably needs to be on the Challengers show at this point in his career but if he works hard he has the opportunity to be pretty good.
Winner: Roger Gracie by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) R2 4:10
Middleweight Fight- Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza (11-2) vs. Joe Villasenor (27-6)
Jacare last fought in December for Strikeforce and submitted veteran Matt Lindland in the first round. The last time I saw Villasenor was in June of 2009 when he beat Evangelista Cyborg by decision. Villasenor is on a 4 fight win streak. They say Jacare is the Kobe Bryant of jiu jitsu.We also learn that Jacare means Alligator in Portuguese. Jacare has finished 10 of his 11 wins by submission. This should be interesting because while Jacare has a huge advantage on the ground, Villasenor should have the advantage standing.
R1- Jacare shot early and Villasenor initially avoided it but Jacare clinched him against the cage, threw some strikes and then completed the take down. Jacare lands some good strikes while on top. Jacare mounted and continues to land strikes. Jacare was landing good strikes but Villasenor was able to buck him off. Jacare clinches him and lands some good knees. Jacare went for another take down and got it and then landed some really good strikes. Jacare let him up and landed some strikes as Villasenor got to his feet. Jacare picked him up and landed a double-leg take down/slam. Jacare went for a kimura but Villasenor got out of the hold. Jacare looked great in the first round. Jacare 10-9. Almost a 10-8 round. Villasenor only landed 2 strikes in the first round.
"I really like Joey but there is something he said in our meetings. He said "if I get up from the ground." And I just did not like that he said "if"- Frank Shamrock
"He answered the "if"- Frank Shamrock
R2- Villasenor came out aggressive in this round and threw a quick strike. Jacare got a driving take down within the first minute of the round. Villasenor was able to escape but Jacare quickly grabbed him and took him down again. Villasenor was able to get to his feet again with half of the round remaining. Villasenor starts to land some strikes. Jacare threw two strikes and then shot in and got another take down. Jacare is staying in the guard and landing some strikes but nothing as good as he hit in the first round. Villasenor keeps grabbing onto the cage and adjusting his position and got back to his feet with half a minute left in the round. Jacare 20-18 but he's starting to get tired.
R3- Villasenor came in and landing a good strike to start the round. Jacare landed some strikes but then could not get a take down. Both guys land strikes and Jacare got a take down with three minutes left in the fight. Jacare was landing some strikes and the ref stands the fight up with 50 seconds left. Villasenor landed a knee but Jacare took him down again. Jacare finishes the fight on top. Jacare wins on my score card 30-27. Good, tough fight for Jacare.
Judges score cards: 30-27, 29-28, 29-28
Winner: Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza by Decision (Unanimous)
Heavyweight Fight- Andrei Arlovski vs. Antonio Silva (13-2)
The last time I saw Arlovski was in June of last year where he got defeated by Brett Rogers in less than half a minute. Silva is coming off of a loss to Fabricio Werdum by decision. Silva has a 23.5 lb and 5" reach advantage. Arlovski is the quicker fighter. Arlovski got a strong reaction from the crowd at introduction.
"I think that's the loudest cheer I've ever heard for someone coming off two back to back losses"- Mauro Rannallo
R1- Both guys are throwing strikes early. Silva landed a good right at the two minute mark but Andrei absorbed it. Silva landed another right but Andrei again took the punch. Silva got Andrei up against the cage and got a take down but couldn't do anything with it. Silva 10-9.
R2- Silva threw a barrage of strikes one minute into the round and Arlovski had to clinch to minimize damage. A lot of clinching in this round with Silva getting the better of the striking. Silva 20-18.
"So far it's been a better night for Andrei Arlovski than the last time he was here in St. Louis. That fight lasted just 22 seconds"- Mauro Ranallo
R3- Both guys are slowing down but still throwing some strikes. Lots of clinching in this round. Silva got a take down with a minute and a half left in the fight. Silva is going to win this fight 30-27 on my score card.
Judges score cards: 29-28 on all three score cards
Winner: Antonio Silva by Decision (Unanimous)
Strikeforce Heavyweight Title Fight- Alistair Overeem (c) (32-11) vs. Brett Rogers (10-1)
Rogers last fought in November and lost to Fedor by TKO in the 2nd round. It's strange that Rogers is getting this title fight after losing and I think it speaks to the general weakness of the Strikeforce Heavyweight division. That being said, Rogers has a chance in this fight with his power. The last MMA fight I saw Overeem in was on New Year's against Kazuyuki Fujita and Overeem won that fight via first round TKO stoppage after a big knee. Rogers has an 11 lb weight advantage and also a 2.5" reach. Rogers has won 9 of his 10 fights by knockout. Overeem has finished 19 fights by submission and 12 by knockout. Despite winning the title several years ago this is his first title defense.
R1- Overeem works leg kicks early. Overeem tosses Rogers to the mat and then gets on top and lands some Ground and Pound. Overeem is landing some elbows to the body. Overeem starts to unload on Rogers. Rogers is covering up but the ref might step in and stop this. Overeem just going to town on him and McCarthy stops the fight. Dominant win by Overeem. Rogers just fought a very defensive fight and never looked like himself. He was just outclassed by Overeem tonight. Let's do Fedor vs Overeem. Can you get that done Strikeforce?
Post-Fight Alistair calls out Fedor and his management. Says that Fedor's management has declined to fight him and that it's time for it to happen.
Winner: Alistair Overeem by TKO (Strikes) R1 3:40
Scottrade Center
St. Louis, Missouri
May 15,2010
Showtime
Tonight Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem defends his title against Brett Rogers. Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andre Arlovski will also be in action as he faces former Elite XC Heavyweight Champion Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva. Middleweight contenders Jacare Souza and Joey Villasenor will also fight on this show. Gus Johnson, Frank Shamrock and Mauro Ranallo are the announcers for the show. Jimmy Lennon Jr is the ring announcer.
Light Heavyweight Fight- Antwain Britt (12-3) vs. Rafael Feijao (8-2)
Anderson Silva is in Feijao's corner. Britt has a 3" reach advantage. This is a big fight for both guys as they are both thought of as guys on the brink of being contenders. Feijao has finished all of his 8 wins and has 7 knockouts on his record. Britt is a wrestler but has 10 knockouts out of his 13 wins. Both guys have combined for 12 victories in the first round. Feijao lost in his last fight to current King of the Cage Light Heavyweight Champion Mike Kyle.
R1- Britt landed some strikes early and Feijao went for a jumping knee but did not connect. Britt landed some good strikes while being clinched by Feijao. Britt is finding a home for the jab. Feijao landed a good overhand right that wobbled Britt. Feijao quickly followed up and chased him down and landed a left and then rocked him with a right hand that sent him to the mat and the ref stops this fight. Britt was winning the fight until that one punch and then it all turned. Explosive finish by Feijao.
Winner: Rafael Feijao by TKO (Strikes) R1 3:45
Light Heavyweight Fight- Roger Gracie (2-0) vs. Kevin Randleman (17-14)
This is Gracie's debut in Strikeforce and it's only his 3rd professional fight. Gracie has a 6.5" height and 9" reach advantage. Randleman should be the stronger fighter. Gracie has finished both of his fights by submission.
R1- Randleman looks tiny compared to Gracie. Mostly stand up in this round with the crowd growing restless as not many shots were landing. Gracie clinched Randleman and tried to get him to the ground but Randleman slipped out. Not a lot of action in this round. I've got Gracie 10-9. Both Shamrock and Ranallo also give the round to Gracie.
R2- Randleman landed a good body shot early. Gracie connected with some strikes that had Randleman backpedaling. Gracie landed a good knee in the clinch and Randleman went to the ground and Gracie quickly jumped on top. Gracie mounted and tried a side choke but Randleman got out so Gracie took his back and went for a Rear Naked Choke. Randleman fought hard but Gracie finally got the move and won the fight. Good win for Gracie. He wasn't spectacular but once he got the fight to the ground he definitely took over. Gracie probably needs to be on the Challengers show at this point in his career but if he works hard he has the opportunity to be pretty good.
Winner: Roger Gracie by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) R2 4:10
Middleweight Fight- Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza (11-2) vs. Joe Villasenor (27-6)
Jacare last fought in December for Strikeforce and submitted veteran Matt Lindland in the first round. The last time I saw Villasenor was in June of 2009 when he beat Evangelista Cyborg by decision. Villasenor is on a 4 fight win streak. They say Jacare is the Kobe Bryant of jiu jitsu.We also learn that Jacare means Alligator in Portuguese. Jacare has finished 10 of his 11 wins by submission. This should be interesting because while Jacare has a huge advantage on the ground, Villasenor should have the advantage standing.
R1- Jacare shot early and Villasenor initially avoided it but Jacare clinched him against the cage, threw some strikes and then completed the take down. Jacare lands some good strikes while on top. Jacare mounted and continues to land strikes. Jacare was landing good strikes but Villasenor was able to buck him off. Jacare clinches him and lands some good knees. Jacare went for another take down and got it and then landed some really good strikes. Jacare let him up and landed some strikes as Villasenor got to his feet. Jacare picked him up and landed a double-leg take down/slam. Jacare went for a kimura but Villasenor got out of the hold. Jacare looked great in the first round. Jacare 10-9. Almost a 10-8 round. Villasenor only landed 2 strikes in the first round.
"I really like Joey but there is something he said in our meetings. He said "if I get up from the ground." And I just did not like that he said "if"- Frank Shamrock
"He answered the "if"- Frank Shamrock
R2- Villasenor came out aggressive in this round and threw a quick strike. Jacare got a driving take down within the first minute of the round. Villasenor was able to escape but Jacare quickly grabbed him and took him down again. Villasenor was able to get to his feet again with half of the round remaining. Villasenor starts to land some strikes. Jacare threw two strikes and then shot in and got another take down. Jacare is staying in the guard and landing some strikes but nothing as good as he hit in the first round. Villasenor keeps grabbing onto the cage and adjusting his position and got back to his feet with half a minute left in the round. Jacare 20-18 but he's starting to get tired.
R3- Villasenor came in and landing a good strike to start the round. Jacare landed some strikes but then could not get a take down. Both guys land strikes and Jacare got a take down with three minutes left in the fight. Jacare was landing some strikes and the ref stands the fight up with 50 seconds left. Villasenor landed a knee but Jacare took him down again. Jacare finishes the fight on top. Jacare wins on my score card 30-27. Good, tough fight for Jacare.
Judges score cards: 30-27, 29-28, 29-28
Winner: Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza by Decision (Unanimous)
Heavyweight Fight- Andrei Arlovski vs. Antonio Silva (13-2)
The last time I saw Arlovski was in June of last year where he got defeated by Brett Rogers in less than half a minute. Silva is coming off of a loss to Fabricio Werdum by decision. Silva has a 23.5 lb and 5" reach advantage. Arlovski is the quicker fighter. Arlovski got a strong reaction from the crowd at introduction.
"I think that's the loudest cheer I've ever heard for someone coming off two back to back losses"- Mauro Rannallo
R1- Both guys are throwing strikes early. Silva landed a good right at the two minute mark but Andrei absorbed it. Silva landed another right but Andrei again took the punch. Silva got Andrei up against the cage and got a take down but couldn't do anything with it. Silva 10-9.
R2- Silva threw a barrage of strikes one minute into the round and Arlovski had to clinch to minimize damage. A lot of clinching in this round with Silva getting the better of the striking. Silva 20-18.
"So far it's been a better night for Andrei Arlovski than the last time he was here in St. Louis. That fight lasted just 22 seconds"- Mauro Ranallo
R3- Both guys are slowing down but still throwing some strikes. Lots of clinching in this round. Silva got a take down with a minute and a half left in the fight. Silva is going to win this fight 30-27 on my score card.
Judges score cards: 29-28 on all three score cards
Winner: Antonio Silva by Decision (Unanimous)
Strikeforce Heavyweight Title Fight- Alistair Overeem (c) (32-11) vs. Brett Rogers (10-1)
Rogers last fought in November and lost to Fedor by TKO in the 2nd round. It's strange that Rogers is getting this title fight after losing and I think it speaks to the general weakness of the Strikeforce Heavyweight division. That being said, Rogers has a chance in this fight with his power. The last MMA fight I saw Overeem in was on New Year's against Kazuyuki Fujita and Overeem won that fight via first round TKO stoppage after a big knee. Rogers has an 11 lb weight advantage and also a 2.5" reach. Rogers has won 9 of his 10 fights by knockout. Overeem has finished 19 fights by submission and 12 by knockout. Despite winning the title several years ago this is his first title defense.
R1- Overeem works leg kicks early. Overeem tosses Rogers to the mat and then gets on top and lands some Ground and Pound. Overeem is landing some elbows to the body. Overeem starts to unload on Rogers. Rogers is covering up but the ref might step in and stop this. Overeem just going to town on him and McCarthy stops the fight. Dominant win by Overeem. Rogers just fought a very defensive fight and never looked like himself. He was just outclassed by Overeem tonight. Let's do Fedor vs Overeem. Can you get that done Strikeforce?
Post-Fight Alistair calls out Fedor and his management. Says that Fedor's management has declined to fight him and that it's time for it to happen.
Winner: Alistair Overeem by TKO (Strikes) R1 3:40
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Strikeforce Saturday Night Fights 4/17 Re-Cap
Strikeforce Saturday Night Fights
Bridgestone Arena
Saturday, April 17
Nashville, Tennessee
CBS
Strikeforce has an all-star card for the hardcore MMA fans with Dan Henderson/Jake Shields, Gegard Mousasi/King Mo Lawal, and Gilbert Melendez/Shinya Aoki. In my predictions I put out earlier this week I picked Henderson, Mousasi and Melendez. I honestly think all 3 fights could go either way so it will be interesting to see how they fall. Gus Johnson, Mauro Ranallo and Frank Shamrock are the announcers and Jimmy Lennon Jr is the ring announcer.
Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship: Gegard Mousasi (c) (28-2-1) vs. Mo Lawal (6-0)
Mousasi introduced himself to Strikeforce fans by decimating their champion Renato “Babalu” Sobral in just one minute. Fans of the DREAM promotion in Japan were not surprised at all as they had already seen Mousasi beat Denis Kang, Melvin Manhoef and Jacare Souza. Mousasi is on a 15 fight win streak and has not lost since 2006 (submitted by Akihiro Gono via arm bar in Pride). Mousasi’s strength is his standup and lightning quick hands but he also is decent on the ground and has a good bottom game (just ask Jacare about that!). King Mo Lawal is one of the most charismatic fighters in MMA and he’s a guy that I think could really help put Strikeforce on the map as he’s much more marketable than Mousasi and guys like Dan Henderson and Jake Shields. Mo has a decorated past in wrestling. Just check Wikipedia, he was a stud. Mo is still very young in the MMA game. He’s beat guys like Travis Wiuff, Mike Whitehead and Mark Kerr. So he’s faced some veterans but he’s been relatively untested and has certainly not faced anyone with the type of skill that Mousasi has. Mo has finished 5 of his 6 wins by TKO.
R1- Mo went for a take down and ate a bunch of punches but completed the take down. Mousasi has a very active guard and he's keeping this round even despite fighting from the bottom. Mo is landing some strikes from the top but isn't landing anything cleanly. Mousasi got to his feet with one minute left in the round. Mousasi stuffed a take down and landed some knees. Mo got a take down with under a minute left. King Mo looks a bit tired and Mousasi easily got to his feet. Really close round that could have gone either way probably went to Mo due to dominating the position of the fight for the majority of the round. Shamrock gave the round to Mo 10-9.
R2- Mo got a quick take down in the first twenty seconds of the round. Mousasi landing strikes from his back. Mo is really exposing his head trying to get better position on the ground and is taking shots. Mousasi looked really good fighting off of his back and it looked like Mo just let him up so he wouldn't take anymore of Mousasi's strikes. Mousasi hit a good left up against the cage and then Mo immediately took him down. Mousasi landed some more shots from the bottom and then got to his feet with a minute left in the round. Mo got another take down but he's just eating strikes. Mousasi went for a submission but couldn't get it. Mousasi had Mo on his knees for a minute and landed some shots and then took his back but didn't have enough time to hook in a submission. That round goes to Mousasi making it 19-19.
R3- Mo keeping his hands down in this round and Mousasi landing some strikes. King Mo swinging for the fences but not hitting and then getting a take down. Mo is controlling this round and is starting to land some strikes from the top position. Mo took this round and he's up 29-28 going into the Championship Rounds.
R4- Mo got a take down about thirty seconds into the round. John McCarthy stands them up at the mid-point way of the round as Mo wasn't doing much from the top. Mo went for a take down and ate some strikes but completed the take down. Not a lot of action in this round but I've got Mo taking it and taking a 39-37 advantage in the final round. I think Mousasi has to finish if he wants to keep his championship.
R5- Mo shot in and got a take down thirty seconds into the round. The fight is stopped for an illegal up kick by Mousasi with two minutes left in the round. Mo's left eye is swelling shut. John McCarthy took a point away from Mousasi for kicking to the head of a grounded fighter. Mousasi landed some good shots when they were put back in play. Mousasi got back to his feet with under two minutes left. Mousasi threw some strikes but Mo took Mousasi back down with one minute left in the round. They are stood back up with twenty-five seconds left. Mo landed a take down with seven seconds left in the round and this one is over. Mo didn't do much in this round besides the take downs. I've got the fight scored 48-46 for Mo with Mousasi losing one point due to an illegal blow.
Not a sexy performance by King Mo but he showed his dominant wrestling tonight and while his stamina wasn't top-notch it was enough to win the fight over a very good fighter in Gegard Mousasi.
Judges score cards: 49-45 on all judges score cards
Winner and new champion: King Mo Lawal by Decision (Unanimous)
Strikeforce Lightweight Championship: Gilbert Melendez (c) (17-2) vs. Shinya Aoki (23-4)
Shinya Aoki is the challenger in this fight and in my book he has to be considered the favorite. Aoki has developed over the last few years into someone I thought of as a boring fighter to someone who starting snapping opponents arms and not thinking twice about it. Aoki has always been a gifted jiu jitsu practitioner but now that he has the attitude to go with it he is going to be trouble for anybody he’s fighting. Aoki has won his last 3 fights since he tried moving up in weight and got destroyed by Hayato Sakari at DREAM 8. Over the last two years Aoki has beaten a who’s who of MMA lightweights in Eddie Alvarez, Gesias Calvalcante, Joachim Hansen, Vitor Ribeiro, Caol Uno and Mizuto Hirota. Aoki has finished 5 of his last 6 wins and 4 of those have been by submission. Aoki has a 60% submission rate in his wins. Gilbert Melendez started his career by winning 13 straight fights including wins over Clay Guida and Tasuya Kawajiri. Melendez then dropped 2 of his next 3 fights as he fell to Mitsuhiro Ishida and Josh Thomson. Melendez’s last two victories have been over the only two men who have defeated him. Now that’s impressive, not many MMA fighters can boast that they have came back and re-claimed victories against the only men who defeated them. Without inside knowledge of Melendez it looked like he just got unfocused for a while and after watching his last 3 fights it seems like he is re-focused and back on track.
R1- Long feeling out process and the crowd is growing restless. Aoki continues his heeldom from the New Years Eve show and gives Melendez and eye poke. Aoki grabbed an arm and latched onto it and brought the fight to the ground but Melendez was able to escape without any damage. Melendez stuff an Aoki take down and then jumped in Aoki's guard to try to deliver some damage. Melendez landed some good shots but Aoki got back to his feet. Aoki landed a knee but Melendez absorbed it and landed a couple of strikes. Melendez 10-9.
R2- Aoki shot in and Melendez stopped him and Aoki ended up on his back but that's a position that he's comfortable with. Melendez has busted up Aoki's lip. Aoki landed a good left hand to Melendez chin. Melendez got Aoki up against the cage and threw a barrage of strikes but didn't land anything substantial. Aoki went for a take down and was stuffed and then tried to pull guard. Aoki shot in again and Melendez stopped it with a fist and ended the round on top of Aoki. Melendez 20-18. Strikeforce is in danger of going way over tonight, especially since Dan Henderson loves to go to decisions.
R3- Aoki went for a take down early and really fought for it but Melendez spun out and then jumped into Aoki's guard. Aoki keeps going to his back in this round and is drawing the ire of the Nashville crowd. Melendez landing some good shots on the ground. Aoki landed a knee but Melendez answered with some strikes. Melendez 30-27. So far I've enjoyed both fights but if I was a fan casually interested in MMA I don't know if I would. I think Strikeforce should book more guys that like to stand and bang in addition to it's great arsenal of wrestlers. I think they need more variety on the show.
R4- Aoki went in again and Melendez fought off the take down and took top position but gave it up. Melendez landed a good right hand that stopped Aoki from coming in for a take down. Melendez landed a good knee to Aoki's chest when Aoki tried another take down. The ref was trying to stop the fight to stand up the fighters and Melendez landed 3 good shots to Aoki and thought the ref was stopping the fight in his favor. Aoki tried for a take down and Melendez took his guard and landed some good strikes. Melendez 40-36.
R5- Ranallo says Melendez has landed 102 strikes to Aoki's 15 at this point in the contest. Aoki goes in for a take down and complains of an eye poke. Aoki pulled guard and went for a rubber guard or triangle and Melendez mashed him up against the cage. Melendez landed some good Ground and Pound half way through the round. Aoki pulled guard again with a minute left in the round but Melendez got free and stood up. Melendez lands some good strikes and lands a flurry to end the round. Melendez soundly wins this decision 50-45. Melendez has looked very impressive since he lost the decision to Josh Thomson. I'm thinking Josh Thomson or possibly KJ Noons would be the next fighter for Melendez unless they bring in somebody else from Japan like a Kawajiri or JZ.
Judges score cards: 50-45 on all three score cards
Winner: Gilbert Melendez by Decision (Unanimous)
Former NFL Player Eddie George, Bobby Lashley, Cung Le, Nick Diaz, Scott Smith, Herschel Walker, and Brett Rogers are shown in attendance.
Highlights are shown of Jason "Mayhem" Miller versus Tim Stout, which happened early this evening, were shown. Mayhem was shown completing a take down and then landed some Ground and Pound and the ref stopped the fight as Stout turtled up. Ranallo says Jason Miller will fight Robbie Lawler on June 16th in Los Angeles.
Strikeforce Middleweight Championship: Jake Shields (c) (24-4-1) vs. Dan Henderson (25-7)
Former Pride champion Dan Henderson is the man that CBS and Strikeforce are marketing this night of fights around as he’s the most experienced and well known fighter fighting on this card. That being said, I really don’t see Dan as being very marketable. I like Dan Henderson as much as the next guy but his highest profile win in the last 2 years was against Michael Bisping (yes he beat Rich Franklin but that was a split decision and nobody remembers it). If Dan Henderson was that marketable the UFC would have kept him. That being said, Dan Henderson is still a very good fighter with his biggest strength being his wrestling as well as his punching power (at least that’s what Michael Bisping tells me). Jake Shields is a skilled jiu jitsu fighter who has an uncanny ability to control his opponents. He frustrated Mayhem Miller on his way to a decision victory at the last CBS show. Shields is on a 13 fight winning streak that includes Mayhem, Robbie Lawler, Paul Daley, Yushin Okami, Toby Imada and Carlos Condit but Dan Henderson is clearly the top fighter that Shields has faced.
They show some of the "simulated" fight between Henderson and Shields using the upcoming MMA game from EA. Definitely looks like a step down from the UFC Undisputed series.
R1- Henderson landed a big right hand 19 seconds into the fight and Shields went down hard. Henderson jumped on top and Sheilds grabbed Dan to survive and then grabbed on a leg lock but Hendo was able to slip out at the one minute mark of the fight. Hendo hit a right hand to the body that drove Shields back. Hendo definitely looks a lot bigger than Shields. Henderson landed some good strikes and Shields looked like he purposely fell to his back to invite Hendo to the ground and give himself an opportunity to recover. Hendo landed a good right hand and Shields is just trying to survive and we are only half way through the round. Shields shot in for a take down and looked like he got it but Hendo fought back and got the clinch back to their feet against the cage. Henderson looked really good and brought the striking that the first two fights did not. Hendo 10-8 in the first round and so far Shields is looking like he would be a better fit back at Welterweight.
R2- Shields shot in early and tried for a single leg and almost got caught in a Rear Naked but Shields ended up in Hendo's guard. Shields quickly passed Hendo's guard and took full mount. Shields lands some strikes from full mount. Shields landed some strikes and then tried an arm triangle but couldn't get it. Shields is landing some really good Ground and Pound. Shields landed some more Ground and Pound and then expertly grabbed onto the cage to hold position as Hendo bucked and the ref didn't even notice it. Borderline 10-8 round but I don't think Shields came close to finishing so I gave it 10-9 which makes it Hendo 19-18 so far. Great come back round by Shields in that round.
R3- Shields dove in for a single leg but Hendo sprawled and kept the fight standing. Sheilds went for another take down and got it with three minutes left in the round. Shields passed Hendo's guard and took side control with half the round remaining. Shields got full mount with a minute left in the round and briefly tried a guillotine but couldn't get it clamped in fully and released it. Shields landed some light Ground and Pound and then tried for an arm bar but couldn't get it before the bell rang. Shields took this round 10-9 and I've got the fight 28-28 right now.
Props to Gilbert Melendez who just finished his fight and is now cornering Jake Shields in this fight (along with Nick Diaz).
R4- Shields immediately went for a take down but Hendo scrambled out of it. Shields grabbed onto another single leg take down and Hendo locked Shields down temporarily before Shields completed the take down. Shields got full mount with one minute left in the round. Shields grinding out this fight even though the fans aren't too happy about it. Shields is up 38-37 on my score card.
R5- Shields got a take down with four minutes left in the round. Shields got full mount with three and a half minutes left in the fight. Shields landing some decent strikes from full mount. Shields went for an arm triangle but couldn't get in the right position to execute the submission. Shields tried for an arm bar in the last thirty seconds of the fight and then grabbed a knee bar but couldn't finish and the bell rung to finish the fight. Shields wins this 48-46 on my score card.
Judges score cards: 49-46, 49-45, 48-45
Winner: Jake Shields by Decision (Unanimous)
Decent night of fights but Strikeforce definitely didn't create any new stars or gain any new fans tonight with three five round decisions. They really needed some electricity tonight and Hendo provided that in the first round but couldn't out last Shields. Hopefully Strikeforce learns from this and we don't get 3 championship fights on one card featuring wrestlers on the same show.
Post-Fight Mayhem Miller shows that he's a jackass and interrupts Jake Shields interview and a brawl ensues. That was straight out of Elite XC. I was asking for some more excitement but that's a little ridiculous. I love me some Pro Wrestling (well I use to until Vince McMahon took over) but you have to have respect for your opponents and Mayhem Miller showed his ass again here.
Bridgestone Arena
Saturday, April 17
Nashville, Tennessee
CBS
Strikeforce has an all-star card for the hardcore MMA fans with Dan Henderson/Jake Shields, Gegard Mousasi/King Mo Lawal, and Gilbert Melendez/Shinya Aoki. In my predictions I put out earlier this week I picked Henderson, Mousasi and Melendez. I honestly think all 3 fights could go either way so it will be interesting to see how they fall. Gus Johnson, Mauro Ranallo and Frank Shamrock are the announcers and Jimmy Lennon Jr is the ring announcer.
Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship: Gegard Mousasi (c) (28-2-1) vs. Mo Lawal (6-0)
Mousasi introduced himself to Strikeforce fans by decimating their champion Renato “Babalu” Sobral in just one minute. Fans of the DREAM promotion in Japan were not surprised at all as they had already seen Mousasi beat Denis Kang, Melvin Manhoef and Jacare Souza. Mousasi is on a 15 fight win streak and has not lost since 2006 (submitted by Akihiro Gono via arm bar in Pride). Mousasi’s strength is his standup and lightning quick hands but he also is decent on the ground and has a good bottom game (just ask Jacare about that!). King Mo Lawal is one of the most charismatic fighters in MMA and he’s a guy that I think could really help put Strikeforce on the map as he’s much more marketable than Mousasi and guys like Dan Henderson and Jake Shields. Mo has a decorated past in wrestling. Just check Wikipedia, he was a stud. Mo is still very young in the MMA game. He’s beat guys like Travis Wiuff, Mike Whitehead and Mark Kerr. So he’s faced some veterans but he’s been relatively untested and has certainly not faced anyone with the type of skill that Mousasi has. Mo has finished 5 of his 6 wins by TKO.
R1- Mo went for a take down and ate a bunch of punches but completed the take down. Mousasi has a very active guard and he's keeping this round even despite fighting from the bottom. Mo is landing some strikes from the top but isn't landing anything cleanly. Mousasi got to his feet with one minute left in the round. Mousasi stuffed a take down and landed some knees. Mo got a take down with under a minute left. King Mo looks a bit tired and Mousasi easily got to his feet. Really close round that could have gone either way probably went to Mo due to dominating the position of the fight for the majority of the round. Shamrock gave the round to Mo 10-9.
R2- Mo got a quick take down in the first twenty seconds of the round. Mousasi landing strikes from his back. Mo is really exposing his head trying to get better position on the ground and is taking shots. Mousasi looked really good fighting off of his back and it looked like Mo just let him up so he wouldn't take anymore of Mousasi's strikes. Mousasi hit a good left up against the cage and then Mo immediately took him down. Mousasi landed some more shots from the bottom and then got to his feet with a minute left in the round. Mo got another take down but he's just eating strikes. Mousasi went for a submission but couldn't get it. Mousasi had Mo on his knees for a minute and landed some shots and then took his back but didn't have enough time to hook in a submission. That round goes to Mousasi making it 19-19.
R3- Mo keeping his hands down in this round and Mousasi landing some strikes. King Mo swinging for the fences but not hitting and then getting a take down. Mo is controlling this round and is starting to land some strikes from the top position. Mo took this round and he's up 29-28 going into the Championship Rounds.
R4- Mo got a take down about thirty seconds into the round. John McCarthy stands them up at the mid-point way of the round as Mo wasn't doing much from the top. Mo went for a take down and ate some strikes but completed the take down. Not a lot of action in this round but I've got Mo taking it and taking a 39-37 advantage in the final round. I think Mousasi has to finish if he wants to keep his championship.
R5- Mo shot in and got a take down thirty seconds into the round. The fight is stopped for an illegal up kick by Mousasi with two minutes left in the round. Mo's left eye is swelling shut. John McCarthy took a point away from Mousasi for kicking to the head of a grounded fighter. Mousasi landed some good shots when they were put back in play. Mousasi got back to his feet with under two minutes left. Mousasi threw some strikes but Mo took Mousasi back down with one minute left in the round. They are stood back up with twenty-five seconds left. Mo landed a take down with seven seconds left in the round and this one is over. Mo didn't do much in this round besides the take downs. I've got the fight scored 48-46 for Mo with Mousasi losing one point due to an illegal blow.
Not a sexy performance by King Mo but he showed his dominant wrestling tonight and while his stamina wasn't top-notch it was enough to win the fight over a very good fighter in Gegard Mousasi.
Judges score cards: 49-45 on all judges score cards
Winner and new champion: King Mo Lawal by Decision (Unanimous)
Strikeforce Lightweight Championship: Gilbert Melendez (c) (17-2) vs. Shinya Aoki (23-4)
Shinya Aoki is the challenger in this fight and in my book he has to be considered the favorite. Aoki has developed over the last few years into someone I thought of as a boring fighter to someone who starting snapping opponents arms and not thinking twice about it. Aoki has always been a gifted jiu jitsu practitioner but now that he has the attitude to go with it he is going to be trouble for anybody he’s fighting. Aoki has won his last 3 fights since he tried moving up in weight and got destroyed by Hayato Sakari at DREAM 8. Over the last two years Aoki has beaten a who’s who of MMA lightweights in Eddie Alvarez, Gesias Calvalcante, Joachim Hansen, Vitor Ribeiro, Caol Uno and Mizuto Hirota. Aoki has finished 5 of his last 6 wins and 4 of those have been by submission. Aoki has a 60% submission rate in his wins. Gilbert Melendez started his career by winning 13 straight fights including wins over Clay Guida and Tasuya Kawajiri. Melendez then dropped 2 of his next 3 fights as he fell to Mitsuhiro Ishida and Josh Thomson. Melendez’s last two victories have been over the only two men who have defeated him. Now that’s impressive, not many MMA fighters can boast that they have came back and re-claimed victories against the only men who defeated them. Without inside knowledge of Melendez it looked like he just got unfocused for a while and after watching his last 3 fights it seems like he is re-focused and back on track.
R1- Long feeling out process and the crowd is growing restless. Aoki continues his heeldom from the New Years Eve show and gives Melendez and eye poke. Aoki grabbed an arm and latched onto it and brought the fight to the ground but Melendez was able to escape without any damage. Melendez stuff an Aoki take down and then jumped in Aoki's guard to try to deliver some damage. Melendez landed some good shots but Aoki got back to his feet. Aoki landed a knee but Melendez absorbed it and landed a couple of strikes. Melendez 10-9.
R2- Aoki shot in and Melendez stopped him and Aoki ended up on his back but that's a position that he's comfortable with. Melendez has busted up Aoki's lip. Aoki landed a good left hand to Melendez chin. Melendez got Aoki up against the cage and threw a barrage of strikes but didn't land anything substantial. Aoki went for a take down and was stuffed and then tried to pull guard. Aoki shot in again and Melendez stopped it with a fist and ended the round on top of Aoki. Melendez 20-18. Strikeforce is in danger of going way over tonight, especially since Dan Henderson loves to go to decisions.
R3- Aoki went for a take down early and really fought for it but Melendez spun out and then jumped into Aoki's guard. Aoki keeps going to his back in this round and is drawing the ire of the Nashville crowd. Melendez landing some good shots on the ground. Aoki landed a knee but Melendez answered with some strikes. Melendez 30-27. So far I've enjoyed both fights but if I was a fan casually interested in MMA I don't know if I would. I think Strikeforce should book more guys that like to stand and bang in addition to it's great arsenal of wrestlers. I think they need more variety on the show.
R4- Aoki went in again and Melendez fought off the take down and took top position but gave it up. Melendez landed a good right hand that stopped Aoki from coming in for a take down. Melendez landed a good knee to Aoki's chest when Aoki tried another take down. The ref was trying to stop the fight to stand up the fighters and Melendez landed 3 good shots to Aoki and thought the ref was stopping the fight in his favor. Aoki tried for a take down and Melendez took his guard and landed some good strikes. Melendez 40-36.
R5- Ranallo says Melendez has landed 102 strikes to Aoki's 15 at this point in the contest. Aoki goes in for a take down and complains of an eye poke. Aoki pulled guard and went for a rubber guard or triangle and Melendez mashed him up against the cage. Melendez landed some good Ground and Pound half way through the round. Aoki pulled guard again with a minute left in the round but Melendez got free and stood up. Melendez lands some good strikes and lands a flurry to end the round. Melendez soundly wins this decision 50-45. Melendez has looked very impressive since he lost the decision to Josh Thomson. I'm thinking Josh Thomson or possibly KJ Noons would be the next fighter for Melendez unless they bring in somebody else from Japan like a Kawajiri or JZ.
Judges score cards: 50-45 on all three score cards
Winner: Gilbert Melendez by Decision (Unanimous)
Former NFL Player Eddie George, Bobby Lashley, Cung Le, Nick Diaz, Scott Smith, Herschel Walker, and Brett Rogers are shown in attendance.
Highlights are shown of Jason "Mayhem" Miller versus Tim Stout, which happened early this evening, were shown. Mayhem was shown completing a take down and then landed some Ground and Pound and the ref stopped the fight as Stout turtled up. Ranallo says Jason Miller will fight Robbie Lawler on June 16th in Los Angeles.
Strikeforce Middleweight Championship: Jake Shields (c) (24-4-1) vs. Dan Henderson (25-7)
Former Pride champion Dan Henderson is the man that CBS and Strikeforce are marketing this night of fights around as he’s the most experienced and well known fighter fighting on this card. That being said, I really don’t see Dan as being very marketable. I like Dan Henderson as much as the next guy but his highest profile win in the last 2 years was against Michael Bisping (yes he beat Rich Franklin but that was a split decision and nobody remembers it). If Dan Henderson was that marketable the UFC would have kept him. That being said, Dan Henderson is still a very good fighter with his biggest strength being his wrestling as well as his punching power (at least that’s what Michael Bisping tells me). Jake Shields is a skilled jiu jitsu fighter who has an uncanny ability to control his opponents. He frustrated Mayhem Miller on his way to a decision victory at the last CBS show. Shields is on a 13 fight winning streak that includes Mayhem, Robbie Lawler, Paul Daley, Yushin Okami, Toby Imada and Carlos Condit but Dan Henderson is clearly the top fighter that Shields has faced.
They show some of the "simulated" fight between Henderson and Shields using the upcoming MMA game from EA. Definitely looks like a step down from the UFC Undisputed series.
R1- Henderson landed a big right hand 19 seconds into the fight and Shields went down hard. Henderson jumped on top and Sheilds grabbed Dan to survive and then grabbed on a leg lock but Hendo was able to slip out at the one minute mark of the fight. Hendo hit a right hand to the body that drove Shields back. Hendo definitely looks a lot bigger than Shields. Henderson landed some good strikes and Shields looked like he purposely fell to his back to invite Hendo to the ground and give himself an opportunity to recover. Hendo landed a good right hand and Shields is just trying to survive and we are only half way through the round. Shields shot in for a take down and looked like he got it but Hendo fought back and got the clinch back to their feet against the cage. Henderson looked really good and brought the striking that the first two fights did not. Hendo 10-8 in the first round and so far Shields is looking like he would be a better fit back at Welterweight.
R2- Shields shot in early and tried for a single leg and almost got caught in a Rear Naked but Shields ended up in Hendo's guard. Shields quickly passed Hendo's guard and took full mount. Shields lands some strikes from full mount. Shields landed some strikes and then tried an arm triangle but couldn't get it. Shields is landing some really good Ground and Pound. Shields landed some more Ground and Pound and then expertly grabbed onto the cage to hold position as Hendo bucked and the ref didn't even notice it. Borderline 10-8 round but I don't think Shields came close to finishing so I gave it 10-9 which makes it Hendo 19-18 so far. Great come back round by Shields in that round.
R3- Shields dove in for a single leg but Hendo sprawled and kept the fight standing. Sheilds went for another take down and got it with three minutes left in the round. Shields passed Hendo's guard and took side control with half the round remaining. Shields got full mount with a minute left in the round and briefly tried a guillotine but couldn't get it clamped in fully and released it. Shields landed some light Ground and Pound and then tried for an arm bar but couldn't get it before the bell rang. Shields took this round 10-9 and I've got the fight 28-28 right now.
Props to Gilbert Melendez who just finished his fight and is now cornering Jake Shields in this fight (along with Nick Diaz).
R4- Shields immediately went for a take down but Hendo scrambled out of it. Shields grabbed onto another single leg take down and Hendo locked Shields down temporarily before Shields completed the take down. Shields got full mount with one minute left in the round. Shields grinding out this fight even though the fans aren't too happy about it. Shields is up 38-37 on my score card.
R5- Shields got a take down with four minutes left in the round. Shields got full mount with three and a half minutes left in the fight. Shields landing some decent strikes from full mount. Shields went for an arm triangle but couldn't get in the right position to execute the submission. Shields tried for an arm bar in the last thirty seconds of the fight and then grabbed a knee bar but couldn't finish and the bell rung to finish the fight. Shields wins this 48-46 on my score card.
Judges score cards: 49-46, 49-45, 48-45
Winner: Jake Shields by Decision (Unanimous)
Decent night of fights but Strikeforce definitely didn't create any new stars or gain any new fans tonight with three five round decisions. They really needed some electricity tonight and Hendo provided that in the first round but couldn't out last Shields. Hopefully Strikeforce learns from this and we don't get 3 championship fights on one card featuring wrestlers on the same show.
Post-Fight Mayhem Miller shows that he's a jackass and interrupts Jake Shields interview and a brawl ensues. That was straight out of Elite XC. I was asking for some more excitement but that's a little ridiculous. I love me some Pro Wrestling (well I use to until Vince McMahon took over) but you have to have respect for your opponents and Mayhem Miller showed his ass again here.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
CBS Strikeforce Saturday Night Fights 4/17 Preview
CBS Strikeforce Saturday Night Fights
Saturday, April 17
Nashville, Tennessee
I was looking at my DVR this week and was shocked at just how much MMA is scheduled for this week. On Wednesday Spike TV has the latest episode of The Ultimate Fighter and a new Pride show, on Thursday Bellator is on Fox Sports (or one of those channels in the 640s of my DirecTV), on Friday HDNet brings us the latest King of the Cage with Ray Mercer and Jeremy Horn and on Saturday is the big Strikeforce show on CBS. The last time Strikeforce was on CBS was the Fedor/Brett Rogers show and Fedor went over big and even had ESPN anchors name dropping him when discussing football highlights. It will be interesting to see how they do this time without Fedor or a non-traditional draw like a Herschel Walker or Bobby Lashley that were both rumored for this card at one point or another. Strikeforce has an all-star card for the hardcore MMA fans with Dan Henderson/Jake Shields, Gegard Mousasi/King Mo Lawal, and Gilbert Melendez/Shinya Aoki. Jason “Mayhem” Miller of MTVs Bully Beatdown has been added to the under card in a fight that should be shown on the show but with 3 title fights scheduled for five five minute rounds you never know how much time they will have left on the broadcast. I think the best thing about this card is that I can look at the top 3 fights and I can see all 6 fighters winning and I’m truly interested in seeing all 3 of these fights. It should be a really good night of fights. Let’s take a look at the top 3 fights on this card.
Strikeforce Lightweight Championship: Gilbert Melendez (17-2) vs. Shinya Aoki (23-4)
Shinya Aoki is the challenger in this fight and in my book he has to be considered the favorite. Aoki has developed over the last few years into someone I thought of as a boring fighter to someone who starting snapping opponents arms and not thinking twice about it. Aoki has always been a gifted jiu jitsu practitioner but now that he has the attitude to go with it he is going to be trouble for anybody he’s fighting. Aoki has won his last 3 fights since he tried moving up in weight and got destroyed by Hayato Sakari at DREAM 8. Over the last two years Aoki has beaten a who’s who of MMA lightweights in Eddie Alvarez, Gesias Calvalcante, Joachim Hansen, Vitor Ribeiro, Caol Uno and Mizuto Hirota. Aoki has finished 5 of his last 6 wins and 4 of those have been by submission. Aoki has a 60% submission rate in his wins.
Gilbert Melendez started his career by winning 13 straight fights including wins over Clay Guida and Tasuya Kawajiri. Melendez then dropped 2 of his next 3 fights as he fell to Mitsuhiro Ishida and Josh Thomson. Melendez’s last two victories have been over the only two men who have defeated him. Now that’s impressive, not many MMA fighters can boast that they have came back and re-claimed victories against the only men who defeated them. Without inside knowledge of Melendez it looked like he just got unfocused for a while and after watching his last 3 fights it seems like he is re-focused and back on track.
Melendez has a huge advantage in the stand-up game and Melendez also has a strong wrestling base. Aoki’s only shot in this fight is to get this fight to the ground and take over with his superior jiu jitsu or come up with some amazing flying submission. Based on that I have to go with Melendez on this fight. I see Melendez keeping this fight standing and finishing Aoki by TKO. Although I must admit that it feels funny typing that I’m confident that Melendez is going to finish the #1 Lightweight in the world (Aoki was pretty much thought of as #2 to B.J. Penn and now that Penn has been beaten due to controversial decision I have to think Aoki jumps up to the #1 spot). Styles make fights and this one figures to be a chess match. Melendez desperate to keep the fight standing and Aoki desperate to get into positions to use his jiu jitsu.
Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship: Gegard Mousasi (c) (28-2-1) vs. Mo Lawal (6-0)
Mousasi introduced himself to Strikeforce fans by decimating their champion Renato “Babalu” Sobral in just one minute. Fans of the DREAM promotion in Japan were not surprised at all as they had already seen Mousasi beat Denis Kang, Melvin Manhoef and Jacare Souza. Mousasi is on a 15 fight win streak and has not lost since 2006 (submitted by Akihiro Gono via arm bar in Pride). Mousasi’s strength is his standup and lightning quick hands but he also is decent on the ground and has a good bottom game (just ask Jacare about that!).
King Mo Lawal is one of the most charismatic fighters in MMA and he’s a guy that I think could really help put Strikeforce on the map as he’s much more marketable than Mousasi and guys like Dan Henderson and Jake Shields. Mo has a decorated past in wrestling. Just check Wikipedia, he was a stud. Mo is still very young in the MMA game. He’s beat guys like Travis Wiuff, Mike Whitehead and Mark Kerr. So he’s faced some veterans but he’s been relatively untested and has certainly not faced anyone with the type of skill that Mousasi has. Mo has finished 5 of his 6 wins by TKO.
Mousasi has the advantage standing in this fight but Mo is a superior wrestler and I think that’s the weak spot in Mousasi’s game if he has one. I really like both of these young fighters so I’m going to be cheering for a great competitive fight but I just think that Mousasi has too much skill right now for Mo to handle. Mo’s biggest opportunity to win this fight is to get Mousasi to the ground and ground him out but I see Mousasi being able to catch Mo and land a barrage of his quick strikes to seal the deal in this one. Give Lawal another year or two and he’ll be too much for Mousasi to handle. Really good match-up as I put these two guys up there with Jon “Bones” Jones of the UFC as Light Heavyweights that will be making their mark in this sport for a long time.
Strikeforce Middleweight Championship: Jake Shields (c) (24-4-1) vs. Dan Henderson (25-7)
Former Pride champion Dan Henderson is the man that CBS and Strikeforce are marketing this night of fights around as he’s the most experienced and well known fighter fighting on this card. That being said, I really don’t see Dan as being very marketable. I like Dan Henderson as much as the next guy but his highest profile win in the last 2 years was against Michael Bisping (yes he beat Rich Franklin but that was a split decision and nobody remembers it). If Dan Henderson was that marketable the UFC would have kept him. That being said, Dan Henderson is still a very good fighter with his biggest strength being his wrestling as well as his punching power (at least that’s what Michael Bisping tells me).
Jake Shields is a skilled jiu jitsu fighter who has an uncanny ability to control his opponents. He frustrated Mayhem Miller on his way to a decision victory at the last CBS show. Shields is on a 13 fight winning streak that includes Mayhem, Robbie Lawler, Paul Daley, Yushin Okami, Toby Imada and Carlos Condit but Dan Henderson is clearly the top fighter that Shields has faced.
In 5 of his last 7 wins Henderson has won by decision. Shields has finished 8 of his last 9 fights but they’ve all been against fighters of a lesser caliber than Henderson. Henderson has the better boxing in this match-up (but Robbie Lawler had the advantage here against Shields and that didn’t help him) and has the better wrestling so he should have the ability to stop Shields take downs. If I was a betting man I would go with Henderson here by decision but would not be surprised to see Shields pull this one out.
Saturday, April 17
Nashville, Tennessee
I was looking at my DVR this week and was shocked at just how much MMA is scheduled for this week. On Wednesday Spike TV has the latest episode of The Ultimate Fighter and a new Pride show, on Thursday Bellator is on Fox Sports (or one of those channels in the 640s of my DirecTV), on Friday HDNet brings us the latest King of the Cage with Ray Mercer and Jeremy Horn and on Saturday is the big Strikeforce show on CBS. The last time Strikeforce was on CBS was the Fedor/Brett Rogers show and Fedor went over big and even had ESPN anchors name dropping him when discussing football highlights. It will be interesting to see how they do this time without Fedor or a non-traditional draw like a Herschel Walker or Bobby Lashley that were both rumored for this card at one point or another. Strikeforce has an all-star card for the hardcore MMA fans with Dan Henderson/Jake Shields, Gegard Mousasi/King Mo Lawal, and Gilbert Melendez/Shinya Aoki. Jason “Mayhem” Miller of MTVs Bully Beatdown has been added to the under card in a fight that should be shown on the show but with 3 title fights scheduled for five five minute rounds you never know how much time they will have left on the broadcast. I think the best thing about this card is that I can look at the top 3 fights and I can see all 6 fighters winning and I’m truly interested in seeing all 3 of these fights. It should be a really good night of fights. Let’s take a look at the top 3 fights on this card.
Strikeforce Lightweight Championship: Gilbert Melendez (17-2) vs. Shinya Aoki (23-4)
Shinya Aoki is the challenger in this fight and in my book he has to be considered the favorite. Aoki has developed over the last few years into someone I thought of as a boring fighter to someone who starting snapping opponents arms and not thinking twice about it. Aoki has always been a gifted jiu jitsu practitioner but now that he has the attitude to go with it he is going to be trouble for anybody he’s fighting. Aoki has won his last 3 fights since he tried moving up in weight and got destroyed by Hayato Sakari at DREAM 8. Over the last two years Aoki has beaten a who’s who of MMA lightweights in Eddie Alvarez, Gesias Calvalcante, Joachim Hansen, Vitor Ribeiro, Caol Uno and Mizuto Hirota. Aoki has finished 5 of his last 6 wins and 4 of those have been by submission. Aoki has a 60% submission rate in his wins.
Gilbert Melendez started his career by winning 13 straight fights including wins over Clay Guida and Tasuya Kawajiri. Melendez then dropped 2 of his next 3 fights as he fell to Mitsuhiro Ishida and Josh Thomson. Melendez’s last two victories have been over the only two men who have defeated him. Now that’s impressive, not many MMA fighters can boast that they have came back and re-claimed victories against the only men who defeated them. Without inside knowledge of Melendez it looked like he just got unfocused for a while and after watching his last 3 fights it seems like he is re-focused and back on track.
Melendez has a huge advantage in the stand-up game and Melendez also has a strong wrestling base. Aoki’s only shot in this fight is to get this fight to the ground and take over with his superior jiu jitsu or come up with some amazing flying submission. Based on that I have to go with Melendez on this fight. I see Melendez keeping this fight standing and finishing Aoki by TKO. Although I must admit that it feels funny typing that I’m confident that Melendez is going to finish the #1 Lightweight in the world (Aoki was pretty much thought of as #2 to B.J. Penn and now that Penn has been beaten due to controversial decision I have to think Aoki jumps up to the #1 spot). Styles make fights and this one figures to be a chess match. Melendez desperate to keep the fight standing and Aoki desperate to get into positions to use his jiu jitsu.
Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship: Gegard Mousasi (c) (28-2-1) vs. Mo Lawal (6-0)
Mousasi introduced himself to Strikeforce fans by decimating their champion Renato “Babalu” Sobral in just one minute. Fans of the DREAM promotion in Japan were not surprised at all as they had already seen Mousasi beat Denis Kang, Melvin Manhoef and Jacare Souza. Mousasi is on a 15 fight win streak and has not lost since 2006 (submitted by Akihiro Gono via arm bar in Pride). Mousasi’s strength is his standup and lightning quick hands but he also is decent on the ground and has a good bottom game (just ask Jacare about that!).
King Mo Lawal is one of the most charismatic fighters in MMA and he’s a guy that I think could really help put Strikeforce on the map as he’s much more marketable than Mousasi and guys like Dan Henderson and Jake Shields. Mo has a decorated past in wrestling. Just check Wikipedia, he was a stud. Mo is still very young in the MMA game. He’s beat guys like Travis Wiuff, Mike Whitehead and Mark Kerr. So he’s faced some veterans but he’s been relatively untested and has certainly not faced anyone with the type of skill that Mousasi has. Mo has finished 5 of his 6 wins by TKO.
Mousasi has the advantage standing in this fight but Mo is a superior wrestler and I think that’s the weak spot in Mousasi’s game if he has one. I really like both of these young fighters so I’m going to be cheering for a great competitive fight but I just think that Mousasi has too much skill right now for Mo to handle. Mo’s biggest opportunity to win this fight is to get Mousasi to the ground and ground him out but I see Mousasi being able to catch Mo and land a barrage of his quick strikes to seal the deal in this one. Give Lawal another year or two and he’ll be too much for Mousasi to handle. Really good match-up as I put these two guys up there with Jon “Bones” Jones of the UFC as Light Heavyweights that will be making their mark in this sport for a long time.
Strikeforce Middleweight Championship: Jake Shields (c) (24-4-1) vs. Dan Henderson (25-7)
Former Pride champion Dan Henderson is the man that CBS and Strikeforce are marketing this night of fights around as he’s the most experienced and well known fighter fighting on this card. That being said, I really don’t see Dan as being very marketable. I like Dan Henderson as much as the next guy but his highest profile win in the last 2 years was against Michael Bisping (yes he beat Rich Franklin but that was a split decision and nobody remembers it). If Dan Henderson was that marketable the UFC would have kept him. That being said, Dan Henderson is still a very good fighter with his biggest strength being his wrestling as well as his punching power (at least that’s what Michael Bisping tells me).
Jake Shields is a skilled jiu jitsu fighter who has an uncanny ability to control his opponents. He frustrated Mayhem Miller on his way to a decision victory at the last CBS show. Shields is on a 13 fight winning streak that includes Mayhem, Robbie Lawler, Paul Daley, Yushin Okami, Toby Imada and Carlos Condit but Dan Henderson is clearly the top fighter that Shields has faced.
In 5 of his last 7 wins Henderson has won by decision. Shields has finished 8 of his last 9 fights but they’ve all been against fighters of a lesser caliber than Henderson. Henderson has the better boxing in this match-up (but Robbie Lawler had the advantage here against Shields and that didn’t help him) and has the better wrestling so he should have the ability to stop Shields take downs. If I was a betting man I would go with Henderson here by decision but would not be surprised to see Shields pull this one out.
Thursday, April 01, 2010
Strikeforce Challengers Series 3/26 Re-Cap
Strikeforce Challengers Series
Savemart Center
Fresno, California
March 26, 2010
Showtime
Strikeforce Challengers features up and coming prospects looking to move up the ladder. The Main Event features Lavar Johnson who was shot at a Family Reunion last July in what Mauro called a senseless tragedy (one of Lavar's relatives was killed) and was in critical condition and will be making his return tonight. Mauro Ranallo, Stephen Quadros and Pat Militech are the announcers for the show. Danny Miller is the ring announcer.The fight to watch on the card is Luke Stewart versus Andre Galvao.
Catchweight Fight (160 lbs)- Justin Wilcox (8-3) vs. Shamar Bailey (13-1)
Bailey is a wrestler with 4 knockouts and 3 submissions to his credit and he has won his last 4 fights. Wilcox is also a wrestler but is listed as a freestyle fighter. Wilcox is on a 3 fight win streak and is training with the American Kickboxing Academy and is a former wrestling teammate of Josh Koscheck. Bailey has a 2" height and 6.5" reach advantage.
R1- Wilcox rocked Bailey early with a kick that connected to Bailey's face. Wilcox connected with a couple of punches and Bailey retreated knocking over the ref. Looks like Bailey has a cut on his forehead and the blood is in his eye. Wilcox hits another head kick but Bailey absorbs it. Bailey keeps wiping blood out of his eye and the ref stops the fight to check on the cut. Wilcox was dominating the fight standing but went for a take down and got stuffed. Bailey went for a take down but Wilcox sprawled out of it. Strong round for Wilcox. I scored it 10-9. Wilcox landed a lot of shots and cut Bailey but never knocked him down despite landing some good clean shots. Good opening round for the first fight of the night.
R2- Wilcox landed a barrage of strikes in the first thirty seconds and Bailey is having trouble with his other eye now. Wilcox hit a good kick and then nailed Bailey with a low blow. Wilcox hit another high kick to the head and then a good overhand right. Wilcox hit Bailey with an open hand to the face and poked him in the eye but the ref didn't stop the fight like he should have and allowed Wilcox an unfair advantage and Wilcox took him down to the mat. Wilcox would have won the round with or without the poor refereeing. Wilcox 20-18.
R3- Wilcox continues his dominance and lands some good strikes early in this round. Both guys are trading strikes in the middle of the round and Wilcox got a take down with about two minutes left in the fight. Wilcox mounted and stayed busy with punches but Bailey did a good job defending by wrapping him up. Wilcox went for an arm bar at the end of the round but couldn't land it. Really good performance by Wilcox as he took this fight 30-27 in my book. Bailey showed a lot of heart but just didn't have the offense to hang with Wilcox. Good opening fight.
Judges score cards: 30-26, 30-27, 30-27
Winner: Justin Wilcox by Decision (Unanimous)
Women's Welterweight Fight (135 lbs)- Miesha Tate (8-2) vs. Zoila Frausto (5-0)
R1- Tate went for an early take down and had to work for it but completed it. Tate was able to land some strikes and then took Zoila's back but Zoila got to her feet and flipped her off. Tate got another take down with 45 seconds left in the round. Tate 10-9.
R2- Zoila landed a couple of strikes at the beginning of the round much to the delight of the round but got take down. Tate is using her shoulder to choke Zoila in side control. Tate went for an arm triangle and couldn't get it so she mounted and landed some strikes. Zoila tried to push her off but got caught in an arm bar and Zoila fought it hard but had to tap out. Really good showing for Miesha Tate.
Winner: Miesha Tate by Submission (Arm Bar) R2 4:09
Mauro Ranallo hypes up the Saturday April 17th Strikeforce show as he interviews King Mo Lawal ringside. Mo says he been training with guys like Rashad Evans, Mark Munoz, Babalu, Mayhem Miller and Fabricio Werdum. King Mo promises a flashy entrance and is looking for a knockout. Jake Shields also joins Mauro and they discuss his defense against Dan Henderson.
The show features three world title fights:
Lightweight Title Fight- Gilbert Melendez (c) vs. Shinya Aoki
Light Heavyweight Title Fight- Gegard Mousasi (c) vs. King Mo Lawal
Middleweight Title Fight- Jake Shields (c) vs. Dan Henderson
Welterweight Fight- Luke Stewart (6-2) vs. Andre Galvao (3-1)
Galvao is a BJJ fighter who has won all of his fights by submission. He trains with guys like Anderson Silva and Jacare Souza. Stewart is also a BJJ fighter who has 3 wins by submission and 3 by knockout. Stewart has a 2" height and 4.5" reach advantage.
R1- Stewart landed a nice punch early but got taken down very quickly after that. Galvao went for a leg lock but Stewart did a good job neutralizing it and transitioned back to his feet. Stewart threw some strikes and then got a take down but Galvao bounced right back up. Galvao landed a couple of knees at the end of the round. Really close round that could have easily gone either way.
R2- Stewart went for a knee but fell down and Galvao jumped on top but Stewart flipped him over and they quickly went back to their feet. Galvao got a take down with a minute left in the round. Galvao landed some strikes but got flipped over when he went for an arm triangle. Another close round that was probably taken by Stewart due to his work when they were standing during the first part of the fight. Quadros has Stewart up 20-18 after two rounds.
R3- Galvao swept Stewart and took him down inside the first minute of the final round. Stewart flipped Galvao over with three minutes left in the round but couldn't do anything before Galvao escaped. Galvao landed a good knee and then took Stewart down but Stewart again flipped him over. Neither guy came close to finishing this fight. Stewart will most likely take the decision. The first and third rounds were close with Stewart taking the second round.
Judges score cards: 30-27 Stewart, 30-27 Galvao, 29-28 Galvao. Wow, how can you have a 30-27 in favor of one guy and a 30-27 in favor of the other guy?
Winner: Andre Galvao by Decision (Split)
Light Heavyweight Fight- George Bush III (5-1) vs. Abongo Humphrey (5-1)
Both of these guys have previously fought at Heavyweight. Bush is a freestyle fighter and is not a former president of the United States. Bush has 3 knockouts and 1 submission in his 5 wins. Bush also played baseball at the Ohio State University. Mark Coleman is in Bush's corner for the fight tonight. Bush is coming off of a loss to Ricco Rodriguez. This is Humphrey's first fight at Light Heavyweight. He is also a freestyle fighter. All 5 of Abongo's wins have come by way of knockout. Abongo's only loss is to Brett Rogers. Bush has a 4.5" reach advantage.
R1- Abongo landed a head kick early but Bush absorbed it and took him down. Abongo grabbed a guillotine up against the cage and Bush tapped out. Surprising finish and good showing for Abongo.
Winner: Abongo Humphrey by Submission (Guillotine) R1 1:44
Heavyweight Fight- Lavar Johnson (13-3) vs. Lolohea Mahe (6-0-1)
This is the Strikeforce debut of Mahe. Mahe came in 2 pounds over the 265 lb Heavyweight limit but Johnson agreed to the fight. Mahe has won all of his fights by way of knockout. Johnson is from Fresno and gets a good reaction during his introduction. Johnson has a 2" reach and 1.5" height advantage. Mahe has a 26 pound weight advantage. Johnson has 11 wins by knockout and 2 by submission.
R1- Johnson is sticking the left jab early. Mahe landed a good overhand right. Mahe went for a take downa nd Johnson locked in a guillotine but couldn't finish with it. Mahe finished the take down with two minutes left in the round. Johnson got back to his feet but got taken down again near the end of the round. Mahe probably stole this round with the two take downs and by clearly controlling the last two minutes of the round.
R2- Johnson missed a high head kick and Mahe landed a good kick to the side. Johnson landed a couple of knees. With four minutes left in the round Mahe looks exhausted. Johnson landed a good right hand. Mahe is just spent and Johnson is landing some strikes. Johnson is not in great shape himself and Mahe is able to stay in the fight. Johnson grabs another guillotine against the cage but Mahe gets out of it. Johnson lands some good strikes and has bloodied up Mahe's nose. Mahe covers up on the fence and eats some strikes and Johnson lands an over hand right that brings Mahe to his knees and then lands a couple more strikes before the ref steps in. Both guys really gassed in this round but Johnson had more left in the tank and was able to finish Mahe.
Winner: Lavar Johnson by TKO (Strikes) R2 3:29
Savemart Center
Fresno, California
March 26, 2010
Showtime
Strikeforce Challengers features up and coming prospects looking to move up the ladder. The Main Event features Lavar Johnson who was shot at a Family Reunion last July in what Mauro called a senseless tragedy (one of Lavar's relatives was killed) and was in critical condition and will be making his return tonight. Mauro Ranallo, Stephen Quadros and Pat Militech are the announcers for the show. Danny Miller is the ring announcer.The fight to watch on the card is Luke Stewart versus Andre Galvao.
Catchweight Fight (160 lbs)- Justin Wilcox (8-3) vs. Shamar Bailey (13-1)
Bailey is a wrestler with 4 knockouts and 3 submissions to his credit and he has won his last 4 fights. Wilcox is also a wrestler but is listed as a freestyle fighter. Wilcox is on a 3 fight win streak and is training with the American Kickboxing Academy and is a former wrestling teammate of Josh Koscheck. Bailey has a 2" height and 6.5" reach advantage.
R1- Wilcox rocked Bailey early with a kick that connected to Bailey's face. Wilcox connected with a couple of punches and Bailey retreated knocking over the ref. Looks like Bailey has a cut on his forehead and the blood is in his eye. Wilcox hits another head kick but Bailey absorbs it. Bailey keeps wiping blood out of his eye and the ref stops the fight to check on the cut. Wilcox was dominating the fight standing but went for a take down and got stuffed. Bailey went for a take down but Wilcox sprawled out of it. Strong round for Wilcox. I scored it 10-9. Wilcox landed a lot of shots and cut Bailey but never knocked him down despite landing some good clean shots. Good opening round for the first fight of the night.
R2- Wilcox landed a barrage of strikes in the first thirty seconds and Bailey is having trouble with his other eye now. Wilcox hit a good kick and then nailed Bailey with a low blow. Wilcox hit another high kick to the head and then a good overhand right. Wilcox hit Bailey with an open hand to the face and poked him in the eye but the ref didn't stop the fight like he should have and allowed Wilcox an unfair advantage and Wilcox took him down to the mat. Wilcox would have won the round with or without the poor refereeing. Wilcox 20-18.
R3- Wilcox continues his dominance and lands some good strikes early in this round. Both guys are trading strikes in the middle of the round and Wilcox got a take down with about two minutes left in the fight. Wilcox mounted and stayed busy with punches but Bailey did a good job defending by wrapping him up. Wilcox went for an arm bar at the end of the round but couldn't land it. Really good performance by Wilcox as he took this fight 30-27 in my book. Bailey showed a lot of heart but just didn't have the offense to hang with Wilcox. Good opening fight.
Judges score cards: 30-26, 30-27, 30-27
Winner: Justin Wilcox by Decision (Unanimous)
Women's Welterweight Fight (135 lbs)- Miesha Tate (8-2) vs. Zoila Frausto (5-0)
R1- Tate went for an early take down and had to work for it but completed it. Tate was able to land some strikes and then took Zoila's back but Zoila got to her feet and flipped her off. Tate got another take down with 45 seconds left in the round. Tate 10-9.
R2- Zoila landed a couple of strikes at the beginning of the round much to the delight of the round but got take down. Tate is using her shoulder to choke Zoila in side control. Tate went for an arm triangle and couldn't get it so she mounted and landed some strikes. Zoila tried to push her off but got caught in an arm bar and Zoila fought it hard but had to tap out. Really good showing for Miesha Tate.
Winner: Miesha Tate by Submission (Arm Bar) R2 4:09
Mauro Ranallo hypes up the Saturday April 17th Strikeforce show as he interviews King Mo Lawal ringside. Mo says he been training with guys like Rashad Evans, Mark Munoz, Babalu, Mayhem Miller and Fabricio Werdum. King Mo promises a flashy entrance and is looking for a knockout. Jake Shields also joins Mauro and they discuss his defense against Dan Henderson.
The show features three world title fights:
Lightweight Title Fight- Gilbert Melendez (c) vs. Shinya Aoki
Light Heavyweight Title Fight- Gegard Mousasi (c) vs. King Mo Lawal
Middleweight Title Fight- Jake Shields (c) vs. Dan Henderson
Welterweight Fight- Luke Stewart (6-2) vs. Andre Galvao (3-1)
Galvao is a BJJ fighter who has won all of his fights by submission. He trains with guys like Anderson Silva and Jacare Souza. Stewart is also a BJJ fighter who has 3 wins by submission and 3 by knockout. Stewart has a 2" height and 4.5" reach advantage.
R1- Stewart landed a nice punch early but got taken down very quickly after that. Galvao went for a leg lock but Stewart did a good job neutralizing it and transitioned back to his feet. Stewart threw some strikes and then got a take down but Galvao bounced right back up. Galvao landed a couple of knees at the end of the round. Really close round that could have easily gone either way.
R2- Stewart went for a knee but fell down and Galvao jumped on top but Stewart flipped him over and they quickly went back to their feet. Galvao got a take down with a minute left in the round. Galvao landed some strikes but got flipped over when he went for an arm triangle. Another close round that was probably taken by Stewart due to his work when they were standing during the first part of the fight. Quadros has Stewart up 20-18 after two rounds.
R3- Galvao swept Stewart and took him down inside the first minute of the final round. Stewart flipped Galvao over with three minutes left in the round but couldn't do anything before Galvao escaped. Galvao landed a good knee and then took Stewart down but Stewart again flipped him over. Neither guy came close to finishing this fight. Stewart will most likely take the decision. The first and third rounds were close with Stewart taking the second round.
Judges score cards: 30-27 Stewart, 30-27 Galvao, 29-28 Galvao. Wow, how can you have a 30-27 in favor of one guy and a 30-27 in favor of the other guy?
Winner: Andre Galvao by Decision (Split)
Light Heavyweight Fight- George Bush III (5-1) vs. Abongo Humphrey (5-1)
Both of these guys have previously fought at Heavyweight. Bush is a freestyle fighter and is not a former president of the United States. Bush has 3 knockouts and 1 submission in his 5 wins. Bush also played baseball at the Ohio State University. Mark Coleman is in Bush's corner for the fight tonight. Bush is coming off of a loss to Ricco Rodriguez. This is Humphrey's first fight at Light Heavyweight. He is also a freestyle fighter. All 5 of Abongo's wins have come by way of knockout. Abongo's only loss is to Brett Rogers. Bush has a 4.5" reach advantage.
R1- Abongo landed a head kick early but Bush absorbed it and took him down. Abongo grabbed a guillotine up against the cage and Bush tapped out. Surprising finish and good showing for Abongo.
Winner: Abongo Humphrey by Submission (Guillotine) R1 1:44
Heavyweight Fight- Lavar Johnson (13-3) vs. Lolohea Mahe (6-0-1)
This is the Strikeforce debut of Mahe. Mahe came in 2 pounds over the 265 lb Heavyweight limit but Johnson agreed to the fight. Mahe has won all of his fights by way of knockout. Johnson is from Fresno and gets a good reaction during his introduction. Johnson has a 2" reach and 1.5" height advantage. Mahe has a 26 pound weight advantage. Johnson has 11 wins by knockout and 2 by submission.
R1- Johnson is sticking the left jab early. Mahe landed a good overhand right. Mahe went for a take downa nd Johnson locked in a guillotine but couldn't finish with it. Mahe finished the take down with two minutes left in the round. Johnson got back to his feet but got taken down again near the end of the round. Mahe probably stole this round with the two take downs and by clearly controlling the last two minutes of the round.
R2- Johnson missed a high head kick and Mahe landed a good kick to the side. Johnson landed a couple of knees. With four minutes left in the round Mahe looks exhausted. Johnson landed a good right hand. Mahe is just spent and Johnson is landing some strikes. Johnson is not in great shape himself and Mahe is able to stay in the fight. Johnson grabs another guillotine against the cage but Mahe gets out of it. Johnson lands some good strikes and has bloodied up Mahe's nose. Mahe covers up on the fence and eats some strikes and Johnson lands an over hand right that brings Mahe to his knees and then lands a couple more strikes before the ref steps in. Both guys really gassed in this round but Johnson had more left in the tank and was able to finish Mahe.
Winner: Lavar Johnson by TKO (Strikes) R2 3:29
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Strikeforce Challengers Series 2/26/2010 Re-Cap
Strikeforce Challengers Series
The Civic
San Jose, California
2/26/2010
This is the first Strikeforce Challengers Series event of the year and tonight we will see the crowning of the first Woman's 135lb Champion. The announcers for the show tonight are Mauro Ranallo, Stephen Quadros and Pat Miletich. Danny Miller is the ring announcer tonight (where is Jimmy Lennon Jr?).
Middleweight Fight- Raul Castillo (6-0) vs. Yancy Medeiros (3-0)
Medeiros is a Hawaiian fighter has a background in kick boxing and is a free style fighter. He is only 22 years of age and was also a wrestler in high school. Castillo is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter who is based in California. 4 of Castillo's 6 wins have come by way of knockout. Castillo has met Nick Diaz in 3 grappling matches and has won 2 of them.
R1- Yancy took this round as he stuffed several take down attempts and landed some good combinations. Yancy finished the round very well and landed several shots in the last minute of the round. Yancy 10-9.
R2- Yancy took this round and is up 20-18 going into the final round. Not as much action in this round. Yancy again avoided a take down and won the stand up although he didn't land that many strikes in the round.
R3- Yancy hit a good strike with about a minute and a half left that briefly floored Castillo. Yancy wins the fight on my score card 30-27. He looked good for only having 3 professional fights under his belt before tonight.
Judges score cards: 30-27 on all score cards
Winner: Yancy Medeiros by Decision (Unanimous)
Herschel Walker joins Mauro Ranallo ringside and they discuss his pro debut victory over Greg Nagy. Strikeforce Champion Gilbert Melenedez is also interviewed and they talk about a potential rubber match against former champion Josh Thomson and he also says he would like to test himself against DREAM Lightweight Champion Shinya Aoki. Mauro also hypes a "major" announcement that is coming on Monday.
Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz and his trainer Cesar Gracie are both ringside for the fights tonight.
Welterweight Fight- James Terry (7-1) vs. Tarec Saffiedine (7-2)
Tarec has a background in kick boxing and is a free style fighter. He has won 5 of his 7 fights by submission. Tarec trains with Dan Henderson at Team Quest and previously fought in the DREAM promotion in Japan and was 1-1 during his stay in DREAM. Terry is a free style fighter from San Jose so he is the home town fighter in this fight.
R1- Tarec looks good early and has taken the center of the ring and is landing some strikes. Tarec hit a head kick but didn't land it full force and Terry kept his feet. Terry got a take down with one minute left in the round but within 20 seconds Tarec was back on his feet. Terry has a ct on his face. Tarec 10-9.
R2- Tarec is landing good systematic strikes and has bloodied Terry's mouth. Tarec is up 20-18 going into the final round.
R3- Terry got an early take down in this round but Tarec again quickly got back to his feet without sustaining any damage. Tarec has opened up a big cut under Terry's left eye and Tarec is continuing to land good systematic strikes. Tarec got a full mount with 10 seconds left in the round and got in some Ground and Pound before the bell rung. I've got Tarec winning this fight 30-27. Terry showed a lot of heart and a good chin. Tarec looked very good. He should be Main Eventing the next Strikeforce Challengers event and then possibly moving on the main Strikeforce cards after that.
Judges score cards: 30-27 on all cards
Winner: Tarec Saffiedine by Decision (Unanimous)
Mauro Ranallo interviews Lavar Johnson. Johnson was involved in a tragic shooting last July at a Family Reunion. He was in the hospital for a month and his cousin was killed in this incident. He has now been medically cleared to resume his MMA career. In his last fight he won in his Strikeforce debut in only 18 seconds. He will headline the next Strikeforce Challengers Series event.
Middleweight Fight- Luke Rockhold (6-1) vs. Paul Bradley (12-1)
Bradley fights out of the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy and is a freestyle fighter with a background in wrestling at the University of Iowa. Bradley is moving up in weight for this fight. Rockhold is a jiu jitsu fighter with a background in wrestling. Rockhold has won all of his fights by submission and has won his last 4 with the Rear Naked Choke. Rockhold is the home town fighter in this fight. Rockhold has a 7" height and 5" reach advantage in this fight.
R1- Rockhold caught Bradley coming in with a right hand directly behind the ear a minute and fifteen seconds into the round. Rockhold jumped on top to try and finish but Bradley was able to hang on and stay in the fight. Rockhold hit another good counter right hand that floored Bradley but Bradley got back to his feet. Bradley hit some knees to the body the ref stopped the fight as Bradley went down for the third time in the round. Rockhold looked good as he hurt Bradley twice before the finish.
Winner: Luke Rockhold by TKO (Strikes) R1 2:24
Middleweight Fight- Trevor Prangley (22-5) vs. Karl Amoussou (11-2-1)
Amoussou is a French Judo Fighter. Amoussou has finished 7 of his 11 fights by way of submission. Prangley is a wrestler/free style fighter. He is based out of San Jose by way of South Africa. Prangley has a 2" height and 3.5" reach advantage.
R1- Prangley is the aggressor early but twice he came in and ate some good shots from Amoussou. Prangley got a take down two minutes into the round but Amoussou tied him up and the ref stood the fight up. Amoussou landed some more good shots and then Prangley answered with a right hand. Prangley hit Amoussou with an accidental eye poke and Amoussou could not see out of his eye so the fight was stopped and ruled a no contest. Amoussou looked really good and this looked like it was going to be a good fight so this is a disappointing result.
Decision: No Contest/Technical Draw (Doctor Stoppage)
Woman's Welterweight (135lb) Title Fight- Sarah Kaufman (10-0) vs. Takayo Hashi (12-1)
They are naming this the Welterweight Title and saying the title Cyborg Santos currently holds is the Middleweight Title. Hashi is a freestyle fighter from Tokyo, Japan. Hashi has a background in grappling and says she feels she is a better well-rounded fighter than Kaufman. She has won 8 consecutive fights and has avenged the only loss on her record. Kaufman is a Muay Thai/BJJ fighter from British Columbia, Canada. She's a self-proclaimed "nerd" and brought her crossword puzzle book with her to help her relax before the fight. Kaufman has won 8 of her 10 fights by knockout and has a 3" reach advantage in this fight.
R1- Kaufman hit a good right thirty seconds into the fight that briefly knocked Hashi down. Kaufman hit a left half way through the round that briefly dropped Hashi to her knees. Kaufman blocked a kick and landed a good right. Kaufman 10-9.
R2- Not much action in this round. Kaufman 20-18.
R3- Kaufman landed a good right at the three minute mark of the round but Hashi absorbed it and kept her feet. Kaufman hit a big right that floored Hashi but she didn't follow up. Kaufman 30-27.
R4- Not a lot of action in this round. Hashi tried to grapple with Kaufman but couldn't ever get an advantage. Kaufman 40-36 going into the final round.
R5- Hashi hit a front kick to the face but it didn't have anything behind it. Kaufman continues to control the fight but didn't do anything to put Hashi away. Kaufman won on my score card 50-45.
Judges score cards: 50-45 on all score cards
Winner and new Strikeforce Woman's Welterweight Champion: Sarah Kaufman by Decision (Unanimous)
The Civic
San Jose, California
2/26/2010
This is the first Strikeforce Challengers Series event of the year and tonight we will see the crowning of the first Woman's 135lb Champion. The announcers for the show tonight are Mauro Ranallo, Stephen Quadros and Pat Miletich. Danny Miller is the ring announcer tonight (where is Jimmy Lennon Jr?).
Middleweight Fight- Raul Castillo (6-0) vs. Yancy Medeiros (3-0)
Medeiros is a Hawaiian fighter has a background in kick boxing and is a free style fighter. He is only 22 years of age and was also a wrestler in high school. Castillo is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter who is based in California. 4 of Castillo's 6 wins have come by way of knockout. Castillo has met Nick Diaz in 3 grappling matches and has won 2 of them.
R1- Yancy took this round as he stuffed several take down attempts and landed some good combinations. Yancy finished the round very well and landed several shots in the last minute of the round. Yancy 10-9.
R2- Yancy took this round and is up 20-18 going into the final round. Not as much action in this round. Yancy again avoided a take down and won the stand up although he didn't land that many strikes in the round.
R3- Yancy hit a good strike with about a minute and a half left that briefly floored Castillo. Yancy wins the fight on my score card 30-27. He looked good for only having 3 professional fights under his belt before tonight.
Judges score cards: 30-27 on all score cards
Winner: Yancy Medeiros by Decision (Unanimous)
Herschel Walker joins Mauro Ranallo ringside and they discuss his pro debut victory over Greg Nagy. Strikeforce Champion Gilbert Melenedez is also interviewed and they talk about a potential rubber match against former champion Josh Thomson and he also says he would like to test himself against DREAM Lightweight Champion Shinya Aoki. Mauro also hypes a "major" announcement that is coming on Monday.
Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz and his trainer Cesar Gracie are both ringside for the fights tonight.
Welterweight Fight- James Terry (7-1) vs. Tarec Saffiedine (7-2)
Tarec has a background in kick boxing and is a free style fighter. He has won 5 of his 7 fights by submission. Tarec trains with Dan Henderson at Team Quest and previously fought in the DREAM promotion in Japan and was 1-1 during his stay in DREAM. Terry is a free style fighter from San Jose so he is the home town fighter in this fight.
R1- Tarec looks good early and has taken the center of the ring and is landing some strikes. Tarec hit a head kick but didn't land it full force and Terry kept his feet. Terry got a take down with one minute left in the round but within 20 seconds Tarec was back on his feet. Terry has a ct on his face. Tarec 10-9.
R2- Tarec is landing good systematic strikes and has bloodied Terry's mouth. Tarec is up 20-18 going into the final round.
R3- Terry got an early take down in this round but Tarec again quickly got back to his feet without sustaining any damage. Tarec has opened up a big cut under Terry's left eye and Tarec is continuing to land good systematic strikes. Tarec got a full mount with 10 seconds left in the round and got in some Ground and Pound before the bell rung. I've got Tarec winning this fight 30-27. Terry showed a lot of heart and a good chin. Tarec looked very good. He should be Main Eventing the next Strikeforce Challengers event and then possibly moving on the main Strikeforce cards after that.
Judges score cards: 30-27 on all cards
Winner: Tarec Saffiedine by Decision (Unanimous)
Mauro Ranallo interviews Lavar Johnson. Johnson was involved in a tragic shooting last July at a Family Reunion. He was in the hospital for a month and his cousin was killed in this incident. He has now been medically cleared to resume his MMA career. In his last fight he won in his Strikeforce debut in only 18 seconds. He will headline the next Strikeforce Challengers Series event.
Middleweight Fight- Luke Rockhold (6-1) vs. Paul Bradley (12-1)
Bradley fights out of the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy and is a freestyle fighter with a background in wrestling at the University of Iowa. Bradley is moving up in weight for this fight. Rockhold is a jiu jitsu fighter with a background in wrestling. Rockhold has won all of his fights by submission and has won his last 4 with the Rear Naked Choke. Rockhold is the home town fighter in this fight. Rockhold has a 7" height and 5" reach advantage in this fight.
R1- Rockhold caught Bradley coming in with a right hand directly behind the ear a minute and fifteen seconds into the round. Rockhold jumped on top to try and finish but Bradley was able to hang on and stay in the fight. Rockhold hit another good counter right hand that floored Bradley but Bradley got back to his feet. Bradley hit some knees to the body the ref stopped the fight as Bradley went down for the third time in the round. Rockhold looked good as he hurt Bradley twice before the finish.
Winner: Luke Rockhold by TKO (Strikes) R1 2:24
Middleweight Fight- Trevor Prangley (22-5) vs. Karl Amoussou (11-2-1)
Amoussou is a French Judo Fighter. Amoussou has finished 7 of his 11 fights by way of submission. Prangley is a wrestler/free style fighter. He is based out of San Jose by way of South Africa. Prangley has a 2" height and 3.5" reach advantage.
R1- Prangley is the aggressor early but twice he came in and ate some good shots from Amoussou. Prangley got a take down two minutes into the round but Amoussou tied him up and the ref stood the fight up. Amoussou landed some more good shots and then Prangley answered with a right hand. Prangley hit Amoussou with an accidental eye poke and Amoussou could not see out of his eye so the fight was stopped and ruled a no contest. Amoussou looked really good and this looked like it was going to be a good fight so this is a disappointing result.
Decision: No Contest/Technical Draw (Doctor Stoppage)
Woman's Welterweight (135lb) Title Fight- Sarah Kaufman (10-0) vs. Takayo Hashi (12-1)
They are naming this the Welterweight Title and saying the title Cyborg Santos currently holds is the Middleweight Title. Hashi is a freestyle fighter from Tokyo, Japan. Hashi has a background in grappling and says she feels she is a better well-rounded fighter than Kaufman. She has won 8 consecutive fights and has avenged the only loss on her record. Kaufman is a Muay Thai/BJJ fighter from British Columbia, Canada. She's a self-proclaimed "nerd" and brought her crossword puzzle book with her to help her relax before the fight. Kaufman has won 8 of her 10 fights by knockout and has a 3" reach advantage in this fight.
R1- Kaufman hit a good right thirty seconds into the fight that briefly knocked Hashi down. Kaufman hit a left half way through the round that briefly dropped Hashi to her knees. Kaufman blocked a kick and landed a good right. Kaufman 10-9.
R2- Not much action in this round. Kaufman 20-18.
R3- Kaufman landed a good right at the three minute mark of the round but Hashi absorbed it and kept her feet. Kaufman hit a big right that floored Hashi but she didn't follow up. Kaufman 30-27.
R4- Not a lot of action in this round. Hashi tried to grapple with Kaufman but couldn't ever get an advantage. Kaufman 40-36 going into the final round.
R5- Hashi hit a front kick to the face but it didn't have anything behind it. Kaufman continues to control the fight but didn't do anything to put Hashi away. Kaufman won on my score card 50-45.
Judges score cards: 50-45 on all score cards
Winner and new Strikeforce Woman's Welterweight Champion: Sarah Kaufman by Decision (Unanimous)
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Strikeforce: Miami 1/30/10 Re-Cap
Strikeforce: Miami
Bank Atlantic Center
Miami, Florida
1/30/10
Two title fights are featured tonight as well as the MMA debut of former Heisman Trophy Winner Herschel Walker and Melvin Manhoef. Nick Diaz fights DREAM Welterweight Champion Marius Zaromskis for the vacant Strikeforce Welterweight Title. Melvin Manhoef debuts against Robbie Lawler in what promises to be a slugfest. Woman’s Champion Cris “Cyborg” Santos makes her first defense of her newly won championship. Former WWE Wrestler Bobby Lashley will also make his Strikeforce debut tonight. Mauro Ranallo is joined in the announce booth by Frank Shamrock and Stephen Quadros. Jimmy Lennon, Jr is the ring announcer.
Bobby Lashley (4-0) vs. Wes Sims (22-12-1)
Sims took this fight on one week notice. Sims was a participant on the last season of TUF and lost in a first round fight to Justin Wren when he submitted to an arm triangle. Lashley has been training with American Top Team (ATT). Sims has a 6” height and 4” reach advantage.
R1- To start the fight Sims mocks Lashley by asking for a “Test of Strength”. Lashley got a double leg take down and landed some good strikes. Lashley hit some good strikes and Sims gave up his back and Lashley lands some more strikes and the ref stopped the fight. Possibly was an early stoppage but definitely a dominant performance from Lashley.
Winner: Bobby Lashley by TKO (Strikes) R1 2:06
Gilbert Melendez, Brett Rogers, Scott Smith, Antonio Silva, Mo Lawal, Gegard Mousasi, and Dan Henderson are all in attendance tonight.
Middleweight Fight- Robbie Lawler (16-5-1) vs. Melvin Manhoef (24-6-1)
Manhoef is coming off of a first round TKO victory over Kazuo Misaki at the K-1 Dynamite New Years Eve show in Japan. Manhoef has won 23 of his 24 wins by KO (or TKO). Lawler’s last fight was his loss to Jake Shields back in June. This should be fun.
R1- Not a lot of action to start but Manhoef is landing some kicks and then hits a combo against the cage. Manhoef threw a bunch of punches and kicks as Lawler covered up. Manhoef was really controlling the fight but Lawler hit a huge right hand out of nowhere and then landed a left hand on the way down that knocked Manhoef out. WOW. What a finish. Manhoef landed 23 strikes to Lawler’s 3 in this fight.
Winner: Robbie Lawler by KO R1 3:33
Rex Ryan (New York Jets Coach) is ringside and he’s booed and interviewed.
Heavyweight Fight- Herschel Walker (0-0) vs. Greg Nagy (1-1)
Herschel has been training at AKA with Javier Mendes. He was a Heisman Trophy winner but that was in the early 1980s, he’s now 47 and making his MMA debut in this fight. Any winnings of Walker’s will be donated to a charity that gives back to the inner city. Walker has a 4” reach advantage. This is a Heavyweight Fight but neither guy weighs over 215 pounds. Herschel got a good response from the crowd.
R1- Herschel landed some kicks and then stuffed a take down. Why is Nagy trying to tackle a running back? Herschel rolled Nagy over and landed some good Ground and Pound. Herschel got caught in a heel hook but did a good job rolling out and retaking a dominant position. Herschel got side control and landed some good punches. Herschel took this round 10-9, possibly 10-8.
R2- Herschel got a good take down in the first minute of the round. Herschel took Nagy’s back and Nagy rolled over and gave up the mount. Herschel pinned Nagy’s arms and got some strikes but Nagy rolled out. Herschel was hold Nagy and fans screamed for a knee and Walker gave them one. Herschel is just dominating this round. Another borderline 10-8 round.
R3- Nagy came out and tried to throw strikes but Herschel clinched him and took him down. Nagy went for an arm bar but couldn’t get it. Herschel got the mount again and Nagy gave up his back again. The ref stopped the fight as Nagy was just laying on his stomach and not doing anything. Good debut by Herschel. Obviously he has a lot to work on but He showed some good basic skills and dominated this fight. Walker landed 77 strikes to Nagy’s 7 during the fight.
Winner: Herschel Walker by TKO (Strikes) R3 2:17
Woman’s 145 lb Title Fight- Cris Cyborg © (8-1) vs. Marloes Coenen (17-3)
R1- They go right at it after the bell rang. Cyborg got a good trip take down and landed in Coenen’s guard. Cyborg briefly stood up and landed a good right hand. They stood back up and Cyborg landed some good strikes. Cyborg 10-9 after the first round.
R2- Coenen got thrown to the floor early in the round. Cyborg did a good job later in the round in denying a take down and then getting a take down. Cyborg is up 20-18 after the first two rounds.
R3- Cyborg gets some really good Ground and Pound towards the end of this round and the ref stops the fight.
Winner: Cris Cyborg by TKO (Strikes) R3 3:40
Brett Rogers is interviewed ringside.
UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St Pierre is in attendance at the show.
Welterweight Title Fight- Nick Diaz (20-7-1) vs. Marius Zaromskis (13-3)
Diaz has a 5” reach and 2” height advantage. Nick Diaz was last seen in June choking out Scott Smith via Rear Naked Choke in the third round. Zaromskis is the DREAM Welterweight Champion having won their tournament having defeated Seichi Ikemoto, tournament favorite Hayato Sakurai and Jason High.
R1- They come out swinging early and Diaz is using his reach to his advantage. Diaz worked hard to get a take down but could not hold Zaromskis. Diaz is looking good as he is hitting his usual assault of peppering jabs. Zaromskis hit a big time left and then a big time right and Diaz went down. Zaromskis jumped on top but Diaz defended himself and stayed in the fight as they went back to their feet. Diaz is hitting some good strikes. Diaz got him up against the cage and landed some really good strikes. Zaromskis got out of the corner but Diaz kept peppering him with strikes and eventually Zaromskis went down and the ref stopped the fight. Strong fight and another good showing by Diaz.
Winner: Nick Diaz by TKO (Strikes) R1 4:38
Bank Atlantic Center
Miami, Florida
1/30/10
Two title fights are featured tonight as well as the MMA debut of former Heisman Trophy Winner Herschel Walker and Melvin Manhoef. Nick Diaz fights DREAM Welterweight Champion Marius Zaromskis for the vacant Strikeforce Welterweight Title. Melvin Manhoef debuts against Robbie Lawler in what promises to be a slugfest. Woman’s Champion Cris “Cyborg” Santos makes her first defense of her newly won championship. Former WWE Wrestler Bobby Lashley will also make his Strikeforce debut tonight. Mauro Ranallo is joined in the announce booth by Frank Shamrock and Stephen Quadros. Jimmy Lennon, Jr is the ring announcer.
Bobby Lashley (4-0) vs. Wes Sims (22-12-1)
Sims took this fight on one week notice. Sims was a participant on the last season of TUF and lost in a first round fight to Justin Wren when he submitted to an arm triangle. Lashley has been training with American Top Team (ATT). Sims has a 6” height and 4” reach advantage.
R1- To start the fight Sims mocks Lashley by asking for a “Test of Strength”. Lashley got a double leg take down and landed some good strikes. Lashley hit some good strikes and Sims gave up his back and Lashley lands some more strikes and the ref stopped the fight. Possibly was an early stoppage but definitely a dominant performance from Lashley.
Winner: Bobby Lashley by TKO (Strikes) R1 2:06
Gilbert Melendez, Brett Rogers, Scott Smith, Antonio Silva, Mo Lawal, Gegard Mousasi, and Dan Henderson are all in attendance tonight.
Middleweight Fight- Robbie Lawler (16-5-1) vs. Melvin Manhoef (24-6-1)
Manhoef is coming off of a first round TKO victory over Kazuo Misaki at the K-1 Dynamite New Years Eve show in Japan. Manhoef has won 23 of his 24 wins by KO (or TKO). Lawler’s last fight was his loss to Jake Shields back in June. This should be fun.
R1- Not a lot of action to start but Manhoef is landing some kicks and then hits a combo against the cage. Manhoef threw a bunch of punches and kicks as Lawler covered up. Manhoef was really controlling the fight but Lawler hit a huge right hand out of nowhere and then landed a left hand on the way down that knocked Manhoef out. WOW. What a finish. Manhoef landed 23 strikes to Lawler’s 3 in this fight.
Winner: Robbie Lawler by KO R1 3:33
Rex Ryan (New York Jets Coach) is ringside and he’s booed and interviewed.
Heavyweight Fight- Herschel Walker (0-0) vs. Greg Nagy (1-1)
Herschel has been training at AKA with Javier Mendes. He was a Heisman Trophy winner but that was in the early 1980s, he’s now 47 and making his MMA debut in this fight. Any winnings of Walker’s will be donated to a charity that gives back to the inner city. Walker has a 4” reach advantage. This is a Heavyweight Fight but neither guy weighs over 215 pounds. Herschel got a good response from the crowd.
R1- Herschel landed some kicks and then stuffed a take down. Why is Nagy trying to tackle a running back? Herschel rolled Nagy over and landed some good Ground and Pound. Herschel got caught in a heel hook but did a good job rolling out and retaking a dominant position. Herschel got side control and landed some good punches. Herschel took this round 10-9, possibly 10-8.
R2- Herschel got a good take down in the first minute of the round. Herschel took Nagy’s back and Nagy rolled over and gave up the mount. Herschel pinned Nagy’s arms and got some strikes but Nagy rolled out. Herschel was hold Nagy and fans screamed for a knee and Walker gave them one. Herschel is just dominating this round. Another borderline 10-8 round.
R3- Nagy came out and tried to throw strikes but Herschel clinched him and took him down. Nagy went for an arm bar but couldn’t get it. Herschel got the mount again and Nagy gave up his back again. The ref stopped the fight as Nagy was just laying on his stomach and not doing anything. Good debut by Herschel. Obviously he has a lot to work on but He showed some good basic skills and dominated this fight. Walker landed 77 strikes to Nagy’s 7 during the fight.
Winner: Herschel Walker by TKO (Strikes) R3 2:17
Woman’s 145 lb Title Fight- Cris Cyborg © (8-1) vs. Marloes Coenen (17-3)
R1- They go right at it after the bell rang. Cyborg got a good trip take down and landed in Coenen’s guard. Cyborg briefly stood up and landed a good right hand. They stood back up and Cyborg landed some good strikes. Cyborg 10-9 after the first round.
R2- Coenen got thrown to the floor early in the round. Cyborg did a good job later in the round in denying a take down and then getting a take down. Cyborg is up 20-18 after the first two rounds.
R3- Cyborg gets some really good Ground and Pound towards the end of this round and the ref stops the fight.
Winner: Cris Cyborg by TKO (Strikes) R3 3:40
Brett Rogers is interviewed ringside.
UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St Pierre is in attendance at the show.
Welterweight Title Fight- Nick Diaz (20-7-1) vs. Marius Zaromskis (13-3)
Diaz has a 5” reach and 2” height advantage. Nick Diaz was last seen in June choking out Scott Smith via Rear Naked Choke in the third round. Zaromskis is the DREAM Welterweight Champion having won their tournament having defeated Seichi Ikemoto, tournament favorite Hayato Sakurai and Jason High.
R1- They come out swinging early and Diaz is using his reach to his advantage. Diaz worked hard to get a take down but could not hold Zaromskis. Diaz is looking good as he is hitting his usual assault of peppering jabs. Zaromskis hit a big time left and then a big time right and Diaz went down. Zaromskis jumped on top but Diaz defended himself and stayed in the fight as they went back to their feet. Diaz is hitting some good strikes. Diaz got him up against the cage and landed some really good strikes. Zaromskis got out of the corner but Diaz kept peppering him with strikes and eventually Zaromskis went down and the ref stopped the fight. Strong fight and another good showing by Diaz.
Winner: Nick Diaz by TKO (Strikes) R1 4:38
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Strikeforce: Evolution 12/20/09 Re-Cap
Strikeforce: Evolution
HP Pavilion
San Jose, California
12/20/09
The feature attraction tonight is the return of undefeated former Middleweight Champion Cung Le to take on slugger Scott Smith. Mauro Ranallo is the lead announcer and he’s joined on the show by Frank Shamrock and Stephan Quadros. Jimmy Lennon, Jr is the ring announcer. We will also Matt Lindland, Ronaldo Jacare Souza and Mo Lawal on tonight’s show. Also tonight is the Lightweight title re-match between champion Josh Thomson and the man he beat for the title Gilbert Melendez.
Jake Shields, Robbie Lawler, Cris Cyborg, KJ Noons, Herschel Walker, Bobby Lashley, and Dan Henderson are all in attendance ringside for the show tonight.
Heavyweight Fight- Mo Lawal (5-0) vs. Mike Whitehead (24-7)
Lawal is a Light Heavyweight so it will be interesting to see how he adjusts to the weight differential in this fight. Whitehead weighs in at 261 pounds versus only 218 for Lawal. Lawal has a 4” reach advantage. Whitehead has won 15 of his last 16 fights including a real snoozer against Kevin Randleman by in June.
R1- King Mo landed some decent shots early as Whitehead looked to clinch. Mo continues to land some good jabs and Whitehead is bleeding from near his eye. Mo hit a big time 1-2 combo flooring Whitehead and then jumping on top and finishing him off. Very impressive showing by King Mo.
Winner: Mo Lawal by KO R1 3:08
Middleweight Fight- Matt Lindland (21-6) vs. Jacare Souza (10-2)
Souza is a jiu jitsu fighter and Lindland is a wrestler. 9 of Jacare’s 10 wins have come from submission. Lindland is an Olympic Silver Medalist wrestler and Jacare is a two-time BJJ World Champion.
R1- Jacare lands some strikes early and avoids a take down. Jacare landed a good shot to the body but then got taken down by Lindland. Jacare got in position for an arm bar. Lindland was able to escape but Jacare took an advantageous position. Jacare was able to take side control and clamp in an arm triangle and he tapped Lindland.
Winner: Jacare Souza By Submission (Arm Triangle) R1 4:18
Two great debuts by King Mo and Jacare in the first two fights for Strikeforce.
Strikeforce Lightweight Title Fight- Josh Thomson © (16-2) vs. Gilbert Melendez (16-2)
This is a re-match from the 6/27/08 Strikeforce show where Thomson beat Melendez for the title via decision (50-45 on all score cards). Since that time Thomson has been battling injuries and Melendez defeated Rodrigo Damm for the Interim title. This is Thomson’s first title defense since winning the title. Thomson has won 8 straight fights.
R1- They exchanged some shots in the first minute. Thomson grabbed a Melendez kick and took him off his feet but they quickly got back to their feet and exchanged some leather with Thomson getting the better of the shots. Melendez went for a take down but could not get it but he did land a couple of strikes. Melendez landed some good shots in an exchange late in the round. Really good first round that was virtually even. I’ve got Thomson up 10-9 by just a hair.
R2- Melendez landed a good right hand to start off the round that floored Thomson. Thomson quickly got back to his feet and they exchanged leather before Melendez hit Thomson with a low blow. Melendez caught a Thomson kick but couldn’t take him off his feet. Very even round with the exception of the opening knock down. Thomson landed a couple of shots that looked like they stunned Melendez a bit. Both guys stood toe to toe and threw wild punches and Thomson went down but he grabbed onto Melendez to give himself time to recover and the round ends with Melendez on top. This round went to Melendez so we’ve got a 19-19 fight after two rounds.
R3- Melendez is the aggressor in the first half of the round. Thomson went for a take down but could not get Melendez off his feet. Melendez took this round and I’ve got him up 29-28 on my score card.
R4- Thomson got an early take down but could not keep Melendez on the ground. Melendez caught a Thomson kick and briefly got him on the ground but he couldn’t hold him down. Both guys landed some decent shots in the last minute of the round. Melendez landed an eye poke with 12 seconds left in the round. This was the closest round of any and could have gone either way.
R5- Thomson landed some good shots and then both guys went toe to toe. Thomson is really coming out swinging for the fences thinking that he probably needs to finish this fight to keep his championship. Thomson looked like he punched himself out and then Melendez landed a good punch that floored him and Melendez jumped into Thomson’s guard. Thomson got back to his feet with two minutes left in the fight. Melendez rushed in and Thomson took him down to the mat with one minute left in the fight but Melendez fought back to his feet. Both guys stood toe to toe and slugged it out to end the fight. Really strong fight, possible Fight of the Year Candidate. I’ve got Melendez taking this fight via decision.
Judges score cards show: 49-47, 49-46, 49-46 in favor of Melendez
Winner and new champion: Gilbert Melendez by Decision (Unanimous)
Dan Henderson and Bobby Lashley are interviewed cage side. Henderson says that he’s going to be fighting at Middleweight to start.
Friday January 22nd will be the next Strikeforce Challengers event
Saturday January 30th will be the next Strikeforce event featuring Nick Diaz, Cris Cyborg, Robbie Lawler, Bobby Lashley and Herschel Walker.
In April 2010 Strikeforce/M-1 Global Saturday Night Fights will return featuring Fedor Emelianenko and Dan Henderson
Middleweight Fight- Cung Le (6-0) vs. Scott Smith (16-6)
R1- Cung Le hit a wicked spinning back kick one minute into the fight that dropped Scott Smith. Cung then jumped on top and landed some shots until Smith got back to his feet at the half way point of the round. Le landed another spinning back kick as Smith was leaning back and it knocked him down but didn’t have near the impact of the last one and Smith quickly got back to his feet. Let hit a good round house kick to the face. Le hit another back kick that knocked Smith to the cage but not off his feet. Borderline 10-8 round in favor of Le. Let out struck Smith 45 to 4 in the first round so I’d say that 10-8 is a good score for round one.
R2- Le knocked Smith down with another spinning back kick. Le jumped on top but Smith wrapped him up until the ref stood them back up half way through the round. Lots of clinching in the second half of the round. Le is up 20-17 after two rounds but Le looks like his cardio is fading.
R3- Le landed good back to back spinning back kicks but Smith did not leave his feet. Le landed some good punches and then a spinning back fist. Le slammed Smith to the ground but could not hold him down. Smith landed some shots and clipped Le with a left hand that knocked Le to the mat. Le got back up and Smith landed a big right that folded Le’s legs. Smith jumped on top and the ref stopped the fight. Le dominated this fight until mid-way through the last round and Smith landed about 10 punches and won this fight. Amazing.
Winner: Scott Smith by TKO (Strikes) R3 3:25
HP Pavilion
San Jose, California
12/20/09
The feature attraction tonight is the return of undefeated former Middleweight Champion Cung Le to take on slugger Scott Smith. Mauro Ranallo is the lead announcer and he’s joined on the show by Frank Shamrock and Stephan Quadros. Jimmy Lennon, Jr is the ring announcer. We will also Matt Lindland, Ronaldo Jacare Souza and Mo Lawal on tonight’s show. Also tonight is the Lightweight title re-match between champion Josh Thomson and the man he beat for the title Gilbert Melendez.
Jake Shields, Robbie Lawler, Cris Cyborg, KJ Noons, Herschel Walker, Bobby Lashley, and Dan Henderson are all in attendance ringside for the show tonight.
Heavyweight Fight- Mo Lawal (5-0) vs. Mike Whitehead (24-7)
Lawal is a Light Heavyweight so it will be interesting to see how he adjusts to the weight differential in this fight. Whitehead weighs in at 261 pounds versus only 218 for Lawal. Lawal has a 4” reach advantage. Whitehead has won 15 of his last 16 fights including a real snoozer against Kevin Randleman by in June.
R1- King Mo landed some decent shots early as Whitehead looked to clinch. Mo continues to land some good jabs and Whitehead is bleeding from near his eye. Mo hit a big time 1-2 combo flooring Whitehead and then jumping on top and finishing him off. Very impressive showing by King Mo.
Winner: Mo Lawal by KO R1 3:08
Middleweight Fight- Matt Lindland (21-6) vs. Jacare Souza (10-2)
Souza is a jiu jitsu fighter and Lindland is a wrestler. 9 of Jacare’s 10 wins have come from submission. Lindland is an Olympic Silver Medalist wrestler and Jacare is a two-time BJJ World Champion.
R1- Jacare lands some strikes early and avoids a take down. Jacare landed a good shot to the body but then got taken down by Lindland. Jacare got in position for an arm bar. Lindland was able to escape but Jacare took an advantageous position. Jacare was able to take side control and clamp in an arm triangle and he tapped Lindland.
Winner: Jacare Souza By Submission (Arm Triangle) R1 4:18
Two great debuts by King Mo and Jacare in the first two fights for Strikeforce.
Strikeforce Lightweight Title Fight- Josh Thomson © (16-2) vs. Gilbert Melendez (16-2)
This is a re-match from the 6/27/08 Strikeforce show where Thomson beat Melendez for the title via decision (50-45 on all score cards). Since that time Thomson has been battling injuries and Melendez defeated Rodrigo Damm for the Interim title. This is Thomson’s first title defense since winning the title. Thomson has won 8 straight fights.
R1- They exchanged some shots in the first minute. Thomson grabbed a Melendez kick and took him off his feet but they quickly got back to their feet and exchanged some leather with Thomson getting the better of the shots. Melendez went for a take down but could not get it but he did land a couple of strikes. Melendez landed some good shots in an exchange late in the round. Really good first round that was virtually even. I’ve got Thomson up 10-9 by just a hair.
R2- Melendez landed a good right hand to start off the round that floored Thomson. Thomson quickly got back to his feet and they exchanged leather before Melendez hit Thomson with a low blow. Melendez caught a Thomson kick but couldn’t take him off his feet. Very even round with the exception of the opening knock down. Thomson landed a couple of shots that looked like they stunned Melendez a bit. Both guys stood toe to toe and threw wild punches and Thomson went down but he grabbed onto Melendez to give himself time to recover and the round ends with Melendez on top. This round went to Melendez so we’ve got a 19-19 fight after two rounds.
R3- Melendez is the aggressor in the first half of the round. Thomson went for a take down but could not get Melendez off his feet. Melendez took this round and I’ve got him up 29-28 on my score card.
R4- Thomson got an early take down but could not keep Melendez on the ground. Melendez caught a Thomson kick and briefly got him on the ground but he couldn’t hold him down. Both guys landed some decent shots in the last minute of the round. Melendez landed an eye poke with 12 seconds left in the round. This was the closest round of any and could have gone either way.
R5- Thomson landed some good shots and then both guys went toe to toe. Thomson is really coming out swinging for the fences thinking that he probably needs to finish this fight to keep his championship. Thomson looked like he punched himself out and then Melendez landed a good punch that floored him and Melendez jumped into Thomson’s guard. Thomson got back to his feet with two minutes left in the fight. Melendez rushed in and Thomson took him down to the mat with one minute left in the fight but Melendez fought back to his feet. Both guys stood toe to toe and slugged it out to end the fight. Really strong fight, possible Fight of the Year Candidate. I’ve got Melendez taking this fight via decision.
Judges score cards show: 49-47, 49-46, 49-46 in favor of Melendez
Winner and new champion: Gilbert Melendez by Decision (Unanimous)
Dan Henderson and Bobby Lashley are interviewed cage side. Henderson says that he’s going to be fighting at Middleweight to start.
Friday January 22nd will be the next Strikeforce Challengers event
Saturday January 30th will be the next Strikeforce event featuring Nick Diaz, Cris Cyborg, Robbie Lawler, Bobby Lashley and Herschel Walker.
In April 2010 Strikeforce/M-1 Global Saturday Night Fights will return featuring Fedor Emelianenko and Dan Henderson
Middleweight Fight- Cung Le (6-0) vs. Scott Smith (16-6)
R1- Cung Le hit a wicked spinning back kick one minute into the fight that dropped Scott Smith. Cung then jumped on top and landed some shots until Smith got back to his feet at the half way point of the round. Le landed another spinning back kick as Smith was leaning back and it knocked him down but didn’t have near the impact of the last one and Smith quickly got back to his feet. Let hit a good round house kick to the face. Le hit another back kick that knocked Smith to the cage but not off his feet. Borderline 10-8 round in favor of Le. Let out struck Smith 45 to 4 in the first round so I’d say that 10-8 is a good score for round one.
R2- Le knocked Smith down with another spinning back kick. Le jumped on top but Smith wrapped him up until the ref stood them back up half way through the round. Lots of clinching in the second half of the round. Le is up 20-17 after two rounds but Le looks like his cardio is fading.
R3- Le landed good back to back spinning back kicks but Smith did not leave his feet. Le landed some good punches and then a spinning back fist. Le slammed Smith to the ground but could not hold him down. Smith landed some shots and clipped Le with a left hand that knocked Le to the mat. Le got back up and Smith landed a big right that folded Le’s legs. Smith jumped on top and the ref stopped the fight. Le dominated this fight until mid-way through the last round and Smith landed about 10 punches and won this fight. Amazing.
Winner: Scott Smith by TKO (Strikes) R3 3:25
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Strikeforce Challengers Series 11/20/09 Re-Cap
Strikeforce Challengers Series
Memorial Hall
Kansas City, Kansas
November 20, 2009
This is the final Strikeforce Challengers Series of 2009. Mauro Ranallo is the lead announcer and he is joined in the booth by Stephen Quadros and Pat Miletich. Some fighters to watch tonight are Tyron Woodley, Erik Apple and Rafael Feijao. There is also a very intriguing match-up between Kerry Vera and Kim Couture. I’m sure you recognize those last names if you are an MMA fan. No Jimmy Lennon Jr tonight as the cage announcer is Mike Vale.
Middleweight Fight- Kevin Casey (2-1) vs. Chad Vance (7-3)
Casey is a submission specialist and Vance is a wrestler. Casey has a 5” reach advantage.
R1- Casey got him down early and took his back. Casey got a Rear Naked and go the tap. Quick and impressive victory for Casey.
Winner: Kevin Casey by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) R1
Light Heavyweight Fight- Aaron Rosa (12-2) vs. Rafael Feijao (7-2)
Feijao is a Muy Thai/Jiu Jitsu fighter who was considered a really hot prospect before a loss in his last fight. Feijao has finished all of his fights as he has 6 KOs and 1 submission out of his 7 wins. Feijao trains with Anderson Silva and has him in his corner tonight. Rosa is a striker who has recently quit his full-time job to concentrate 100% on MMA. Rosa has a 2.5” height and 4” reach advantage.
R1- Rosa came out swinging but Fejiao clinched him and landed some good shots. Not much damage done in this round but Feijao controlled the majority of the round. Feijao 10-9.
R2- Feijao hit a good punch/knee combo and then got a take down about mid-way through the round. Elbow strikes are illegal in Strikeforce and Feijao is warned and they are stood back up. Feijao caught Rosa and then started to pound him on the ground and the ref stepped in and stopped the fight. A real lackluster fight with an exciting finish.
Winner: Rafael Feijao by TKO (Strikes) R2 3:25
Welterweight Fight- Erik Apple (10-1) vs. Bobby Voelker (20-7)
Voelker is from Kansas City so he’s the hometown fighter. Apple is a Muy Thai fighter and a wrestler. Voelker has a 2.5” reach advantage.
R1- Apple hit some strikes early and had Voelker in trouble but he couldn’t finish. Apple got a take down but Voelker returned the favor with a minute left in the round. Voelker put a lot of pressure on Apple at the end of the round but I had Apple winning the first 4 minutes so I’ve got the first round scored Apple 10-9.
R2- Voelker lands some strikes to start this round and then got a take down. Voelker hurt Apple and then jumped on top for some Ground and Pound and the ref stopped the fight. Good resilience by Voelker in the first round and then he came out strong in the second to put this fight away.
Winner: Bobby Voelker by TKO (Strikes) R2 1:23
Women’s 135lb Fight- Kerry Vera (1-0) vs. Kim Couture (1-1)
R1- Vera hit some nice knees in the clinch. Vera just landed better more concise shots throughout this fight as Couture seemed like she was swinging blindly. Vera got her up against the cage and just destroyed her. Very impressive showing by Vera.
Winner: Kerry Vera by TKO (Strikes) R1 3:35
December 19th we will see Strikeforce on Showtime as Cung Le takes on Scott Smith and Jacare and Matt Lindland fight each other in each fighters Strikeforce debut. Robbie Lawler will also be in action at that show. In January Strikeforce returns to Showtime with the debut of Herschel Walker and Cris Cyborg will also be on the show.
Welterweight Fight- Tyron Woodley (4-0) vs. Rudy Bears (10-3)
Back in September Woodley defeated Zack Light by 2nd round submission during a Strikeforce Challengers Series show. Bears is a kick boxer and Woodley is a wrestler. Bears has won 6 straight fights and Woodley is undefeated.
R1- Woodley got a take down in the first minute of the fight. Woodley went for an arm bar but couldn’t get it and they stood back up. Woodley hit some knees and then got a double leg take down about half way through the round and went for an arm triangle. Woodley was able to position his body correctly and got the tap from the arm triangle. Very impressive fight and finish by Woodley.
Winner: Tyron Woodley by Submission (Arm Triangle) R1 2:52
Memorial Hall
Kansas City, Kansas
November 20, 2009
This is the final Strikeforce Challengers Series of 2009. Mauro Ranallo is the lead announcer and he is joined in the booth by Stephen Quadros and Pat Miletich. Some fighters to watch tonight are Tyron Woodley, Erik Apple and Rafael Feijao. There is also a very intriguing match-up between Kerry Vera and Kim Couture. I’m sure you recognize those last names if you are an MMA fan. No Jimmy Lennon Jr tonight as the cage announcer is Mike Vale.
Middleweight Fight- Kevin Casey (2-1) vs. Chad Vance (7-3)
Casey is a submission specialist and Vance is a wrestler. Casey has a 5” reach advantage.
R1- Casey got him down early and took his back. Casey got a Rear Naked and go the tap. Quick and impressive victory for Casey.
Winner: Kevin Casey by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) R1
Light Heavyweight Fight- Aaron Rosa (12-2) vs. Rafael Feijao (7-2)
Feijao is a Muy Thai/Jiu Jitsu fighter who was considered a really hot prospect before a loss in his last fight. Feijao has finished all of his fights as he has 6 KOs and 1 submission out of his 7 wins. Feijao trains with Anderson Silva and has him in his corner tonight. Rosa is a striker who has recently quit his full-time job to concentrate 100% on MMA. Rosa has a 2.5” height and 4” reach advantage.
R1- Rosa came out swinging but Fejiao clinched him and landed some good shots. Not much damage done in this round but Feijao controlled the majority of the round. Feijao 10-9.
R2- Feijao hit a good punch/knee combo and then got a take down about mid-way through the round. Elbow strikes are illegal in Strikeforce and Feijao is warned and they are stood back up. Feijao caught Rosa and then started to pound him on the ground and the ref stepped in and stopped the fight. A real lackluster fight with an exciting finish.
Winner: Rafael Feijao by TKO (Strikes) R2 3:25
Welterweight Fight- Erik Apple (10-1) vs. Bobby Voelker (20-7)
Voelker is from Kansas City so he’s the hometown fighter. Apple is a Muy Thai fighter and a wrestler. Voelker has a 2.5” reach advantage.
R1- Apple hit some strikes early and had Voelker in trouble but he couldn’t finish. Apple got a take down but Voelker returned the favor with a minute left in the round. Voelker put a lot of pressure on Apple at the end of the round but I had Apple winning the first 4 minutes so I’ve got the first round scored Apple 10-9.
R2- Voelker lands some strikes to start this round and then got a take down. Voelker hurt Apple and then jumped on top for some Ground and Pound and the ref stopped the fight. Good resilience by Voelker in the first round and then he came out strong in the second to put this fight away.
Winner: Bobby Voelker by TKO (Strikes) R2 1:23
Women’s 135lb Fight- Kerry Vera (1-0) vs. Kim Couture (1-1)
R1- Vera hit some nice knees in the clinch. Vera just landed better more concise shots throughout this fight as Couture seemed like she was swinging blindly. Vera got her up against the cage and just destroyed her. Very impressive showing by Vera.
Winner: Kerry Vera by TKO (Strikes) R1 3:35
December 19th we will see Strikeforce on Showtime as Cung Le takes on Scott Smith and Jacare and Matt Lindland fight each other in each fighters Strikeforce debut. Robbie Lawler will also be in action at that show. In January Strikeforce returns to Showtime with the debut of Herschel Walker and Cris Cyborg will also be on the show.
Welterweight Fight- Tyron Woodley (4-0) vs. Rudy Bears (10-3)
Back in September Woodley defeated Zack Light by 2nd round submission during a Strikeforce Challengers Series show. Bears is a kick boxer and Woodley is a wrestler. Bears has won 6 straight fights and Woodley is undefeated.
R1- Woodley got a take down in the first minute of the fight. Woodley went for an arm bar but couldn’t get it and they stood back up. Woodley hit some knees and then got a double leg take down about half way through the round and went for an arm triangle. Woodley was able to position his body correctly and got the tap from the arm triangle. Very impressive fight and finish by Woodley.
Winner: Tyron Woodley by Submission (Arm Triangle) R1 2:52
Friday, November 13, 2009
Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers 11/7/09 Re-Cap
Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers
CBS Saturday Night Fights
Sears Centre
Chicago, Illinois
11/7/09
They start the show with a hard hype push for Fedor and put Brett Rogers over as the “most exciting heavyweight on the planet.” Gus Johnson is the lead announcer tonight and he is joined by Mauro Ranallo and Frank Shamrock. Jimmy Lennon Jr is the ring announcer. Also on this card is a fight for the vacant Middleweight title (vacated by Cung Le) between Jake Shields and Jason Miller, Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Gegard Mousasi will take on Sokoudjou and Antonio Silva will take on Fabricio Werdum.
Heavyweight Fight- Fabricio Werdum (12-4-1) vs. Antonio Silva (13-1)
Gus Johnson puts over Werdum as one of the top Heavyweight Jiu Jitsu fighters. Silva has a 4” reach and 21 lb weight advantage. Silva is on a 6 fight win streak and is the former Elite XC Heavyweight Champion. Werdum won his Strikeforce debut by submitting Mike Kyle back in August.
R1- Werdum came in for some offense but ate some punches from Silva and then went to the mat. Silva landed a wild right hand and Werdum is trying to just hold onto Silva’s leg and withstand the barrage and he does. Werdum went for a takedown but Silva threw him down instead. Werdum hit a big right hand but Silva clinched and came back with a couple of elbows. Werdum came back and landed some strikes. Silva got Werdum to the mat and landed some strikes at the end of the round. Good first round with Silva taking it 10-9.
R2- Werdum came in early in the round but Silva counter punched and knocked Werdum to the mat. Werdum baited Silva to the ground and eventually flipped him over and got on top of him but Silva got back up with little damage taken. Werdum got another take down with about a minute left in the round. This was a really close round that Werdum might have stolen.
R3- Werdum got a take down about a minute and a half into the round. Silva was able to get to the cage and get back to his feet. Silva landed a punch but Werdum responded with a knee. Werdum landed another knee in the clinch. Werdum grabbed Sliva and got another take down. Werdum finishes the round with some strikes. I’ve got Werdum taking this round. I could see a split decision by the judges. I’ve got Werdum 29-28.
Judges scores: 29-28 in favor of Werdum on all score cards
Winner: Fabricio Werdum by Decision (Unanimous)
Light Heavyweight Fight- Gegard Mousasi (26-2-1) vs. Sokoudjou (7-4)
Mousasi is the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight champion as he destroyed Babalu Sobral in his last fight to win the title. Mousasi has a 3” height advantage. Sokoudjou has Dan Henderson in his corner. Mousasi is on a 13 fight win streak.
R1- Mousasi throws a couple of high leg kicks early that deflect off Sokoudjou. Mousasi has really taken the center of the cage and is stalking Sokoudjou but neither fighter has found the range yet. Sokoudjou went for a couple take downs but was fought off. Mousasi landed some shots but Sokoudjou got a judo throw and took Mousasi down. Mousasi rolled him over with about a minute left in the fight but Sokoudjou fought back and flipped him back over with a judo move against the cage. Sokoudjou went for a guillotine and Mousasi got out of it but ate a knee. Sokoudjou landed another judo throw. Mousasi ended the round by getting a take down that might have won the round for him. Very close round that could have gone either way. Sokoudjou has traditionally faded after the first round so it will be interesting to see if he’s improved his conditioning.
R2- Mousasi came in quickly in this round and they clinched and Mousasi landed some minor strikes. Mousasi threw a bunch of punches against the cage but Sokoudjou fought through the barrage. Sokoudjou tried a judo throw but Mousasi reversed it and Sokoudjou actually got the take down. Sokoudjou then pretty much just laid on Mousasi resting. Mousasi grabbed an arm and was able to take Sokoudjou’s guard. Mousasi is landing some good strikes on the ground. The ref stops the fight. Sokoudjou again faded in the second round and Mousasi outlasted him. Mousasi was never in trouble in this fight and while he didn’t look as dominant as his last fight he still fought a good fight.
Winner: Gegard Mousasi by TKO (Strikes) R2 3:43
The show the “stars” in the crowd. The following people are shown: Andrei Arlovski, Robbie Lawler, Scott Smith, Matt Lindland, Shinya Aoki, Cung Le. Le will fight Scott Smith Dec 19th. They also say Lawler and Lindland will be on that show. Aoki will be coming to Strikforce soon and Arlovski is currently training with Greg Jackson
Middleweight Title Fight- Jake Shields (23-4-1) vs. Jason Miller (22-6-1)
Shields is the former Elite XC Welterweight Champion and is coming off of a quick victory of Robbie Lawler. Miller comes out with red hair with a black skunk stripe and comes out with some dancers. Miller has a big 5” reach advantage in this fight. Shields has won 12 consecutive fights.
R1- Shields got a quick take down in the first 10 seconds of the fight. Shields took Miller’s back and then moved to full mount. Miller did a good job of getting back to his feet without taking much damage. Shields quickly got another take down. Miller got back to his feet and slammed Shields to the ground with about a minute and a half left in the round. Shields got back to his feet but Miller suplexed him to the ground. Really close round as Shields dominated the first part and Miller the second part. Shields controlled more of the round and landed more strikes but Miller ended with a couple of slams. Shields 10-9 after one round.
R2- Shields got cut at the beginning of the round but didn’t take any damage. Miller got a take down but then Shields quickly got the advantage on the mat. Shields is able to get a full mount but Miller flipped out using the cage and Shields took Miller’s back again. Shields really controlled Miller for the first 4 minutes of this round and is now up 20-18 on my score card. On the re-play it looked like Shields got the cut from a headbutt.
R3- Miller got a quick take down in the first 10 seconds of the round but Shields quickly got back to his feet and then took Miller down. Shields has full mount and is landing some strikes. About half way through the round Miller was able to get back to his feet. Big John McCarthy stops the fight briefly so Miller’s corner can fix his gloves. Shields got a take down as soon as they were re-started. Miller was able to take Shields back at the end of the round and clamped in a Rear Naked Choke with about 8 seconds left but Shields held on and did not tap. Shields dominated the entire round but almost got choked out with 8 seconds left so it will be interesting to see how this round is scored.
R4- Shields quickly got a take down to start the round and rode Miller for the first half of the round. McCarthy stood them up and Shields again quickly got a take down. Shields easily took this round. I’ve got Shields up on score cards. Miller needs to get a 10-8 round or finish the fight if he wants to win.
R5- Shields got a take down about a minute into the fight. Shields really controlled this round from start to finish. I think Shields won this fight 50-45. Although I could see rounds 1 or 3 going to Miller.
Judges score cards: 48-47, 49-46, 49-46 all in favor of Shields
Winner and new champion: Jake Shields by Decision (Unanimous)
Heavyweight Fight- Fedor Emelianenko (30-1) vs. Brett Rogers (10-0)
Rogers has a lot of physical advantages in this fight as he has a 4.5” height, 7” reach and 32 lb weight advantage. Fedor is a Sambo/Judo fighter and Rogers is a Boxer/Muy Thai fighter. Fedor is introduced as the WAMMA Heavyweight Champion (the belt he won in Affliction) and gets a good reaction from the crowd.
R1- Fedor threw a couple of big bombs at the beginning but missed. It didn’t look like Rogers hit Fedor with anything but his glove may have clipped his nose as Fedor’s nose had blood on the tip. Rogers looks a lot more apprehensive then I’ve ever seen him. Fedor got Rogers down but Rogers quickly got up and they clinched against the cage. Thre is a lot of blood coming out of Fedor’s nose. The announcers say he got caught by a jab. Fedor hit a big left hand and then was able to get Rogers down on the mat. Fedor landed some good punches on the ground. Rogers pushed out of the bottom but as he did so Fedor grabbed a kimura but had to release it and Rogers ended up in Fedor’s guard. Rogers hit some good Ground and Pound. Fedor went for an arm bar and couldn’t get it but was able to get out of the guard. Fedor caught Rogers with a punch as Rogers was really slow to get up and Fedor took the half guard position on Rogers and went for an arm triangle. Still a lot of blood coming out of Fedor. Great first round. Fedor takes this round 10-9 but has been cut badly in a couple of places.
R2- Fedor chants start this round and then some USA chants are started. Fedor got Rogers up against the cage and threw some punches but Rogers was able to block them. The announcers say the doctor believes Fedor’s nose is broken. Fedor landed a highlight reel right hand and Rogers dropped like a ton of bricks. Fedor jumped on top and landed some punches and the ref stopped the fight but I don’t think he needed those extra punches as the big right knocked out Rogers. Really fun fight and a fantastic Main Event for Strikeforce on their CBS debut.
Winner: Fedor Emelianenko by TKO (Strikes) R2 1:48
CBS Saturday Night Fights
Sears Centre
Chicago, Illinois
11/7/09
They start the show with a hard hype push for Fedor and put Brett Rogers over as the “most exciting heavyweight on the planet.” Gus Johnson is the lead announcer tonight and he is joined by Mauro Ranallo and Frank Shamrock. Jimmy Lennon Jr is the ring announcer. Also on this card is a fight for the vacant Middleweight title (vacated by Cung Le) between Jake Shields and Jason Miller, Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Gegard Mousasi will take on Sokoudjou and Antonio Silva will take on Fabricio Werdum.
Heavyweight Fight- Fabricio Werdum (12-4-1) vs. Antonio Silva (13-1)
Gus Johnson puts over Werdum as one of the top Heavyweight Jiu Jitsu fighters. Silva has a 4” reach and 21 lb weight advantage. Silva is on a 6 fight win streak and is the former Elite XC Heavyweight Champion. Werdum won his Strikeforce debut by submitting Mike Kyle back in August.
R1- Werdum came in for some offense but ate some punches from Silva and then went to the mat. Silva landed a wild right hand and Werdum is trying to just hold onto Silva’s leg and withstand the barrage and he does. Werdum went for a takedown but Silva threw him down instead. Werdum hit a big right hand but Silva clinched and came back with a couple of elbows. Werdum came back and landed some strikes. Silva got Werdum to the mat and landed some strikes at the end of the round. Good first round with Silva taking it 10-9.
R2- Werdum came in early in the round but Silva counter punched and knocked Werdum to the mat. Werdum baited Silva to the ground and eventually flipped him over and got on top of him but Silva got back up with little damage taken. Werdum got another take down with about a minute left in the round. This was a really close round that Werdum might have stolen.
R3- Werdum got a take down about a minute and a half into the round. Silva was able to get to the cage and get back to his feet. Silva landed a punch but Werdum responded with a knee. Werdum landed another knee in the clinch. Werdum grabbed Sliva and got another take down. Werdum finishes the round with some strikes. I’ve got Werdum taking this round. I could see a split decision by the judges. I’ve got Werdum 29-28.
Judges scores: 29-28 in favor of Werdum on all score cards
Winner: Fabricio Werdum by Decision (Unanimous)
Light Heavyweight Fight- Gegard Mousasi (26-2-1) vs. Sokoudjou (7-4)
Mousasi is the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight champion as he destroyed Babalu Sobral in his last fight to win the title. Mousasi has a 3” height advantage. Sokoudjou has Dan Henderson in his corner. Mousasi is on a 13 fight win streak.
R1- Mousasi throws a couple of high leg kicks early that deflect off Sokoudjou. Mousasi has really taken the center of the cage and is stalking Sokoudjou but neither fighter has found the range yet. Sokoudjou went for a couple take downs but was fought off. Mousasi landed some shots but Sokoudjou got a judo throw and took Mousasi down. Mousasi rolled him over with about a minute left in the fight but Sokoudjou fought back and flipped him back over with a judo move against the cage. Sokoudjou went for a guillotine and Mousasi got out of it but ate a knee. Sokoudjou landed another judo throw. Mousasi ended the round by getting a take down that might have won the round for him. Very close round that could have gone either way. Sokoudjou has traditionally faded after the first round so it will be interesting to see if he’s improved his conditioning.
R2- Mousasi came in quickly in this round and they clinched and Mousasi landed some minor strikes. Mousasi threw a bunch of punches against the cage but Sokoudjou fought through the barrage. Sokoudjou tried a judo throw but Mousasi reversed it and Sokoudjou actually got the take down. Sokoudjou then pretty much just laid on Mousasi resting. Mousasi grabbed an arm and was able to take Sokoudjou’s guard. Mousasi is landing some good strikes on the ground. The ref stops the fight. Sokoudjou again faded in the second round and Mousasi outlasted him. Mousasi was never in trouble in this fight and while he didn’t look as dominant as his last fight he still fought a good fight.
Winner: Gegard Mousasi by TKO (Strikes) R2 3:43
The show the “stars” in the crowd. The following people are shown: Andrei Arlovski, Robbie Lawler, Scott Smith, Matt Lindland, Shinya Aoki, Cung Le. Le will fight Scott Smith Dec 19th. They also say Lawler and Lindland will be on that show. Aoki will be coming to Strikforce soon and Arlovski is currently training with Greg Jackson
Middleweight Title Fight- Jake Shields (23-4-1) vs. Jason Miller (22-6-1)
Shields is the former Elite XC Welterweight Champion and is coming off of a quick victory of Robbie Lawler. Miller comes out with red hair with a black skunk stripe and comes out with some dancers. Miller has a big 5” reach advantage in this fight. Shields has won 12 consecutive fights.
R1- Shields got a quick take down in the first 10 seconds of the fight. Shields took Miller’s back and then moved to full mount. Miller did a good job of getting back to his feet without taking much damage. Shields quickly got another take down. Miller got back to his feet and slammed Shields to the ground with about a minute and a half left in the round. Shields got back to his feet but Miller suplexed him to the ground. Really close round as Shields dominated the first part and Miller the second part. Shields controlled more of the round and landed more strikes but Miller ended with a couple of slams. Shields 10-9 after one round.
R2- Shields got cut at the beginning of the round but didn’t take any damage. Miller got a take down but then Shields quickly got the advantage on the mat. Shields is able to get a full mount but Miller flipped out using the cage and Shields took Miller’s back again. Shields really controlled Miller for the first 4 minutes of this round and is now up 20-18 on my score card. On the re-play it looked like Shields got the cut from a headbutt.
R3- Miller got a quick take down in the first 10 seconds of the round but Shields quickly got back to his feet and then took Miller down. Shields has full mount and is landing some strikes. About half way through the round Miller was able to get back to his feet. Big John McCarthy stops the fight briefly so Miller’s corner can fix his gloves. Shields got a take down as soon as they were re-started. Miller was able to take Shields back at the end of the round and clamped in a Rear Naked Choke with about 8 seconds left but Shields held on and did not tap. Shields dominated the entire round but almost got choked out with 8 seconds left so it will be interesting to see how this round is scored.
R4- Shields quickly got a take down to start the round and rode Miller for the first half of the round. McCarthy stood them up and Shields again quickly got a take down. Shields easily took this round. I’ve got Shields up on score cards. Miller needs to get a 10-8 round or finish the fight if he wants to win.
R5- Shields got a take down about a minute into the fight. Shields really controlled this round from start to finish. I think Shields won this fight 50-45. Although I could see rounds 1 or 3 going to Miller.
Judges score cards: 48-47, 49-46, 49-46 all in favor of Shields
Winner and new champion: Jake Shields by Decision (Unanimous)
Heavyweight Fight- Fedor Emelianenko (30-1) vs. Brett Rogers (10-0)
Rogers has a lot of physical advantages in this fight as he has a 4.5” height, 7” reach and 32 lb weight advantage. Fedor is a Sambo/Judo fighter and Rogers is a Boxer/Muy Thai fighter. Fedor is introduced as the WAMMA Heavyweight Champion (the belt he won in Affliction) and gets a good reaction from the crowd.
R1- Fedor threw a couple of big bombs at the beginning but missed. It didn’t look like Rogers hit Fedor with anything but his glove may have clipped his nose as Fedor’s nose had blood on the tip. Rogers looks a lot more apprehensive then I’ve ever seen him. Fedor got Rogers down but Rogers quickly got up and they clinched against the cage. Thre is a lot of blood coming out of Fedor’s nose. The announcers say he got caught by a jab. Fedor hit a big left hand and then was able to get Rogers down on the mat. Fedor landed some good punches on the ground. Rogers pushed out of the bottom but as he did so Fedor grabbed a kimura but had to release it and Rogers ended up in Fedor’s guard. Rogers hit some good Ground and Pound. Fedor went for an arm bar and couldn’t get it but was able to get out of the guard. Fedor caught Rogers with a punch as Rogers was really slow to get up and Fedor took the half guard position on Rogers and went for an arm triangle. Still a lot of blood coming out of Fedor. Great first round. Fedor takes this round 10-9 but has been cut badly in a couple of places.
R2- Fedor chants start this round and then some USA chants are started. Fedor got Rogers up against the cage and threw some punches but Rogers was able to block them. The announcers say the doctor believes Fedor’s nose is broken. Fedor landed a highlight reel right hand and Rogers dropped like a ton of bricks. Fedor jumped on top and landed some punches and the ref stopped the fight but I don’t think he needed those extra punches as the big right knocked out Rogers. Really fun fight and a fantastic Main Event for Strikeforce on their CBS debut.
Winner: Fedor Emelianenko by TKO (Strikes) R2 1:48
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Strikeforce Challengers Series 9/25/09 Re-Cap
Strikeforce Challengers Series
Tulsa, Oklahoma
September 25, 2009
This is the third Strikeforce Challengers Series event on Showtime. Mauro Ranallo, Stephen Quadros and Pat Miletich are the announcers for tonight’s event. Jimmy Lennon Jr is the ring announcer.
Heavyweight Fight- Daniel Cormier (0-0) vs. Gary Frazier (0-0)
This is the MMA debut for both fighters. Cormier was an Olympic wrestler and Frazier has a background in football and track. Frazier is listed as a boxer/wrestler. Cormier is training under Bob Cook at the American Kickboxing Academy (Jon Fitch, Josh Koscheck, Mike Swick, Cain Velasquez, Josh Thomson). Muhammed Lawal is in Cormier’s corner and is one of the reasons that Cormier got his start in MMA. Frazier has a 5.5” reach and 3” height advantage.
R1- Cormier took the center of the cage and Frazier seems to be content to back off and try to look for an opening but not really any action in the first minute of the fight. Cormier landed the first strikes of the fight and then stuffed a take down attempt. Frazier runs away from Cormier then tries to dive at him but Cormier jumps on top of him and hits him with some Ground and Pound as Frazier is turtled up. Cormier was able to switch position and took side control and landed some punches. Frazier gets back up and runs away from Cormier and then throws some strikes that back off Cormier. Good round for Cormier as he easily took this round. It was a borderline 10-8 round.
R2- Cormier tried for a single leg and Frazier avoided it by grabbing onto the cage on three separated instances. He should have had a point deducted because he clearly did it twice more after he was warned and was able to avoid a take down due to an illegal activity. Cormier landed some strikes about half way through the round. Frazier went for a knee but missed and slipped and Cormier jumped on top and landed some hammer fists. Cormier passed guard to the mount and landed some more Ground and Pound. Frazier gave up his back and Cormier landed some punches on his ears and the ref stepped in and stopped the fight.
Good debut by Cormier. Frazier was clearly out of his league in this fight.
Winner: Daniel Cormer by TKO (Strikes) R2 3:39
Catchweight Fight- Thomas Longacre (5-0) vs. Travis Calanoc (4-0)
Colanoc is from Tulsa and is listed as a boxer/jiu jitsu fighter. Longacre is from Tyler, Texas and is listed as a kickboxer. Longacre is the XFL (whatever that is) Featherweight Champion. Longacre has a 3.5” reach advantage in this fight. Longacre is listed at 148 lbs and Calanoc is listed at 146.5 so not sure if both guys missed weight for this fight or what.
R1- Longacre landed a combo in the first minute that knocked Calanoc back to the cage but couldn’t tell if it was a punch or a slip to avoid a punch. Longacre is throwing a lot of strikes and has taken the center of the cage. Longacre looked really good early but he went for a head kick and Calanoc blocked it and landed a knee and then a punch that hurt Longacre. Longacre was able to clinch so that he had some time to recover. Calanoc was able to trip Longacre and tried to pull guard with a guillotine but he slipped right off and Longacre sat down in his guard but he couldn’t hold the position. Really good first round with some twists and turns. Longacre looked really good early but Calanoc came closer to stopping the fight. This round could have gone either way.
R2- Longacre takes the center of the octagon like he did in the first half of last round. Fairly even round with Longacre being more aggressive and looking more confident. Longacre landed a really good combo at the four minute mark. Calanoc pulled guard and grabbed a guillotine but he couldn’t hold it and Longacre quickly got back to his feet. Longacre took this round.
R3- Longacre got a take down about a minute into the fight and quickly took side control but he gave up the position. Longacre is again winning the stand up battle in this round. Calanoc tries to pull guard with a guillotine choke but Longacre quickly slips out and ends in Calanoc’s guard. Calanoc went for an arm bar but Longacre avoided it and got back to his feet. Both guys throw in the last ten seconds trying to land the punch that ends the fight. Longacre is going to win this round and will win the fight. Good fight.
Judges score cards say: All three judges score the fight 30-27
Winner: Thomas Longacre by Decision (Unanimous)
Welterweight Fight- Tyron Woodley (3-0) vs. Zack Light (6-8)
Woodley is a two-time All-American wrestler from Missouri and Zack Light is also a college wrestler. Zack Light is also the wrestling coach at the Wolfslair (Michael Bisping, Rampage Jackson, Cheick Kongo, Paul Kelly) in the UK. All 3 of Woodley’s wins have come by submission and he trains with American Top Team (Denis Kang, JZ Calvancante, Jorge Santiago, Thiago Silva, Mike Brown, Luis Cane).
R1- Woodley has some quick strikes. Woodley got a slam on Light about one and a half minutes into the fight. Woodley was able to get mount and land some strikes and then clamped in an arm triangle. Woodley couldn’t finish Light and went back to full mount. Good round by Woodley, he looked solid.
R2- Light came in for a punch and Woodley caught him with a knee. Then Woodley landed a right hand that floored Light. Light quickly got up but Woodley got a fast take down. Woodley again went for the arm triangle but gave it up in favor of the full mount and some Ground and Pound. Woodley again went for the arm triangle. The fighters went back to their feet with two minutes left in the round and Woodley got another take down and mounted. Light pushed off the cage and Woodley clamped in an arm bar and Light tapped. Great counter by Woodley. Woodley looked really good, can’t wait to see him fight again.
Winner: Tyron Woodley by Submission (Arm Bar) R2 3:38
Heavyweight Fight- Ray Sefo (1-0) vs. Kevin Jordan (11-7)
Jordan played football at Memphis and is listed as a boxer/jiu jitsu fighter. Sefo is a 6-time World Champion Kickboxer. Sefo has the highest knockout ratio in K-1. Sefo has not fought in MMA since 2005. Jordan has a 3.5” height and 3” reach advantage. Sefo has been training at Xtreme Couture. Shawn Thompkins is in Sefo’s corner for the fight.
R1- Sefo lands a couple of kicks and Jordan goes for a take down but Sefo rolls over on top. Sefo tried to pass and he got reversed and Jordan took side control. Jordan went for a key lock but Sefo held on to his arm and avoid the submission. Jordan transitioned to full mount and lands some punches. Sefo is able to survive the round but Jordan definitely takes round one.
R2- Jordan went for a take down right off the bat and got stuffed. Jordan looked like he hurt his leg or his knee and didn’t get up. Sefo seized the opportunity and jumped down on Jordan and then Jordan pushed him off but couldn’t stand up and tapped out. Well that was a freak injury. Sefo was lucky to get out of here with a win. He definitely needs to work on his ground game if he wants to continue in MMA.
Winner: Ray Sefo by TKO (Knee Injury) R2 0:24
Middleweight Fight- Tim Kennedy (10-2) vs. Zak Cummings (10-0)
Kennedy is 1-0 in Strikeforce while Cummings is making his Strikeforce debut. Kennedy beat Nick Thompson in his last fight for Strikeforce. Zak Cummings is listed as a jiu jitsu fighter. Kennedy is listed as a kickboxer. Kennedy is a Green Beret trained in Special Forces.
R1- Kennedy went for a take down and landed it within the first 30 seconds of the fight. Cummings gave up his back and Kennedy landed some strikes and Cummings moved back to his back. Kennedy is landed some good strikes on Cummings. Kennedy is just all over Cummings. Kennedy took this round 10-8. Cummings has a good size mouse on his eye and looks like he has a cut right above his right eye.
R2- Kennedy went for a choke about two minutes into the round but couldn’t lock it in. Cummings went for a take down but Kennedy sprawled out and clamped on a north/south choke and Cummings tapped out. Great fight for Kennedy.
Winner: Tim Kennedy by Submission (North/South Choke) R2 2:43
Tulsa, Oklahoma
September 25, 2009
This is the third Strikeforce Challengers Series event on Showtime. Mauro Ranallo, Stephen Quadros and Pat Miletich are the announcers for tonight’s event. Jimmy Lennon Jr is the ring announcer.
Heavyweight Fight- Daniel Cormier (0-0) vs. Gary Frazier (0-0)
This is the MMA debut for both fighters. Cormier was an Olympic wrestler and Frazier has a background in football and track. Frazier is listed as a boxer/wrestler. Cormier is training under Bob Cook at the American Kickboxing Academy (Jon Fitch, Josh Koscheck, Mike Swick, Cain Velasquez, Josh Thomson). Muhammed Lawal is in Cormier’s corner and is one of the reasons that Cormier got his start in MMA. Frazier has a 5.5” reach and 3” height advantage.
R1- Cormier took the center of the cage and Frazier seems to be content to back off and try to look for an opening but not really any action in the first minute of the fight. Cormier landed the first strikes of the fight and then stuffed a take down attempt. Frazier runs away from Cormier then tries to dive at him but Cormier jumps on top of him and hits him with some Ground and Pound as Frazier is turtled up. Cormier was able to switch position and took side control and landed some punches. Frazier gets back up and runs away from Cormier and then throws some strikes that back off Cormier. Good round for Cormier as he easily took this round. It was a borderline 10-8 round.
R2- Cormier tried for a single leg and Frazier avoided it by grabbing onto the cage on three separated instances. He should have had a point deducted because he clearly did it twice more after he was warned and was able to avoid a take down due to an illegal activity. Cormier landed some strikes about half way through the round. Frazier went for a knee but missed and slipped and Cormier jumped on top and landed some hammer fists. Cormier passed guard to the mount and landed some more Ground and Pound. Frazier gave up his back and Cormier landed some punches on his ears and the ref stepped in and stopped the fight.
Good debut by Cormier. Frazier was clearly out of his league in this fight.
Winner: Daniel Cormer by TKO (Strikes) R2 3:39
Catchweight Fight- Thomas Longacre (5-0) vs. Travis Calanoc (4-0)
Colanoc is from Tulsa and is listed as a boxer/jiu jitsu fighter. Longacre is from Tyler, Texas and is listed as a kickboxer. Longacre is the XFL (whatever that is) Featherweight Champion. Longacre has a 3.5” reach advantage in this fight. Longacre is listed at 148 lbs and Calanoc is listed at 146.5 so not sure if both guys missed weight for this fight or what.
R1- Longacre landed a combo in the first minute that knocked Calanoc back to the cage but couldn’t tell if it was a punch or a slip to avoid a punch. Longacre is throwing a lot of strikes and has taken the center of the cage. Longacre looked really good early but he went for a head kick and Calanoc blocked it and landed a knee and then a punch that hurt Longacre. Longacre was able to clinch so that he had some time to recover. Calanoc was able to trip Longacre and tried to pull guard with a guillotine but he slipped right off and Longacre sat down in his guard but he couldn’t hold the position. Really good first round with some twists and turns. Longacre looked really good early but Calanoc came closer to stopping the fight. This round could have gone either way.
R2- Longacre takes the center of the octagon like he did in the first half of last round. Fairly even round with Longacre being more aggressive and looking more confident. Longacre landed a really good combo at the four minute mark. Calanoc pulled guard and grabbed a guillotine but he couldn’t hold it and Longacre quickly got back to his feet. Longacre took this round.
R3- Longacre got a take down about a minute into the fight and quickly took side control but he gave up the position. Longacre is again winning the stand up battle in this round. Calanoc tries to pull guard with a guillotine choke but Longacre quickly slips out and ends in Calanoc’s guard. Calanoc went for an arm bar but Longacre avoided it and got back to his feet. Both guys throw in the last ten seconds trying to land the punch that ends the fight. Longacre is going to win this round and will win the fight. Good fight.
Judges score cards say: All three judges score the fight 30-27
Winner: Thomas Longacre by Decision (Unanimous)
Welterweight Fight- Tyron Woodley (3-0) vs. Zack Light (6-8)
Woodley is a two-time All-American wrestler from Missouri and Zack Light is also a college wrestler. Zack Light is also the wrestling coach at the Wolfslair (Michael Bisping, Rampage Jackson, Cheick Kongo, Paul Kelly) in the UK. All 3 of Woodley’s wins have come by submission and he trains with American Top Team (Denis Kang, JZ Calvancante, Jorge Santiago, Thiago Silva, Mike Brown, Luis Cane).
R1- Woodley has some quick strikes. Woodley got a slam on Light about one and a half minutes into the fight. Woodley was able to get mount and land some strikes and then clamped in an arm triangle. Woodley couldn’t finish Light and went back to full mount. Good round by Woodley, he looked solid.
R2- Light came in for a punch and Woodley caught him with a knee. Then Woodley landed a right hand that floored Light. Light quickly got up but Woodley got a fast take down. Woodley again went for the arm triangle but gave it up in favor of the full mount and some Ground and Pound. Woodley again went for the arm triangle. The fighters went back to their feet with two minutes left in the round and Woodley got another take down and mounted. Light pushed off the cage and Woodley clamped in an arm bar and Light tapped. Great counter by Woodley. Woodley looked really good, can’t wait to see him fight again.
Winner: Tyron Woodley by Submission (Arm Bar) R2 3:38
Heavyweight Fight- Ray Sefo (1-0) vs. Kevin Jordan (11-7)
Jordan played football at Memphis and is listed as a boxer/jiu jitsu fighter. Sefo is a 6-time World Champion Kickboxer. Sefo has the highest knockout ratio in K-1. Sefo has not fought in MMA since 2005. Jordan has a 3.5” height and 3” reach advantage. Sefo has been training at Xtreme Couture. Shawn Thompkins is in Sefo’s corner for the fight.
R1- Sefo lands a couple of kicks and Jordan goes for a take down but Sefo rolls over on top. Sefo tried to pass and he got reversed and Jordan took side control. Jordan went for a key lock but Sefo held on to his arm and avoid the submission. Jordan transitioned to full mount and lands some punches. Sefo is able to survive the round but Jordan definitely takes round one.
R2- Jordan went for a take down right off the bat and got stuffed. Jordan looked like he hurt his leg or his knee and didn’t get up. Sefo seized the opportunity and jumped down on Jordan and then Jordan pushed him off but couldn’t stand up and tapped out. Well that was a freak injury. Sefo was lucky to get out of here with a win. He definitely needs to work on his ground game if he wants to continue in MMA.
Winner: Ray Sefo by TKO (Knee Injury) R2 0:24
Middleweight Fight- Tim Kennedy (10-2) vs. Zak Cummings (10-0)
Kennedy is 1-0 in Strikeforce while Cummings is making his Strikeforce debut. Kennedy beat Nick Thompson in his last fight for Strikeforce. Zak Cummings is listed as a jiu jitsu fighter. Kennedy is listed as a kickboxer. Kennedy is a Green Beret trained in Special Forces.
R1- Kennedy went for a take down and landed it within the first 30 seconds of the fight. Cummings gave up his back and Kennedy landed some strikes and Cummings moved back to his back. Kennedy is landed some good strikes on Cummings. Kennedy is just all over Cummings. Kennedy took this round 10-8. Cummings has a good size mouse on his eye and looks like he has a cut right above his right eye.
R2- Kennedy went for a choke about two minutes into the round but couldn’t lock it in. Cummings went for a take down but Kennedy sprawled out and clamped on a north/south choke and Cummings tapped out. Great fight for Kennedy.
Winner: Tim Kennedy by Submission (North/South Choke) R2 2:43
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Strikeforce Challengers Series 6/19/09 "Villasenor vs. Santos" Re-Cap
Strikeforce Challenger Series 6/19/09
Joe Villasenor vs. Evangelista Santos
Kent, Washington
This is the second installment of the Strikeforce Challengers Series. Mauro Ranallo is the lead announcer and he is joined by Stephen Quadros and Pat Miletich. The Challenger Series focuses on hungry prospects and veterans looking to make an impact.
Middleweight Fight- Luke Rockhold (4-1) vs. Cory Devela (9-2)
Rockhold fought on the Strikeforce “Destruction” show last November and defeated Nik Theotikos by first round submission. Devela fought Terry Martin in September for Strikeforce and lost by TKO in the third round. Rockhold has won all of his fights by submission. Rockhold is a wrestler and jiu jitsu fighter. Devela is the only fighter on this card from Washington.
R1- Devela came in right of the bat and landed a punch but took a punch and was floored. Rockhold followed him to the floor and nailed him with a bunch of punches. Devela bleed on the mat and then Rockhold locked him in with the Rear Naked Choke and Devela tapped out. Great showing by Rockhold. Rockhold has looked really good in both of the fights I’ve seen him in.
Winner: Luke Rockhold by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) R1 0:30
Women’s Fight- 135 Pounds- Sarah Kaufman (9-0) vs. Shayna Baszler (11-5)
Baszler trains with Josh Barnett. Baszler comes to the ring with a guitar on her back. Baszler fought Christiane Cyborg on CBS for Elite XC in 2008 but lost by TKO in the second round. Kaufman beat Miesha Tate at the first Strikeforce Challengers show by Decision. This is being fought under 3 five minute rounds, which is a change from the usual 3 minute rounds that most women’s MMA fights are fought under. Mauro let’s us know that future women’s fights will be contested under 5 minute rounds.
R1- Baszler was able to get a trip early and took Kaufman’s guard. Kaufman got out of that position but Baszler got a brief choke before Kaufman could get out of the submission hold. The ref stood the fight up with a minute thirty left in the round. Baszler clinched her and the ref broke them up. Close round that probably goes to Baszler due to the take down and submission attempt.
R2- They clinched and Kaufman snuck in a good right hand as they broke the clinch. Kaufman hit a good combo. Kaufman is starting to pick Baszler apart on their feet now. Kaufman clearly took this round as she closed very strong and I’ve got the fight 19-19 going into the final stanza.
R3- Baszler went for a single leg take down but Kaufman stuffed it and ended up on top. Kaufman got a take down and landed some brief Ground and Pound but then let Baszler up to her feet. Kaufman is clearly winning the stand up game. Baszler went for a last minute knee bar but Kaufman stuffed it and will take this fight by decision.
Judges score cards say: 29-28, 30-27 and 30-27 in favor of Kaufman. I had the fight 29-28 in favor of Kaufman.
Winner: Sarah Kaufman by Decision (Unanimous)
Josh Barnett joins Mauro Ranallo at ringside. He talks about the Baszler fight and the upcoming fight that he has against Fedor on August 1st for Affliction.
Catchweight Fight (160 pounds)- Jorge Gurgel (12-5) vs. Conor Heun (8-2)
Heun is a 30 year old wrestler who has 5 submissions out of his 8 wins. Heun has a brown belt in jiu jitsu under Eddie Bravo. Gurgel is a jiu jitsu fighter who prefers to stand on his feet and that’s the reason that he’s no longer in the UFC. Gurgel has 9 submissions in his 12 wins. Heun has a 4” reach advantage.
R1- Gurgel is hitting some leg kicks. When the fighters get close together they are both just swinging for the fences. Gurgel continues to hit leg kicks and is the more accurate striker so far. Heun started to come on at the end of the round and he landed some good strikes. This was a very close round. I’m not sure Heun did enough at the end of the round to get the nod.
R2- Heun is pushing forward at the beginning of this round and looking to get in close range to throw strikes. Gurgel hit a nice high head kick but Heun took it and didn’t go down. Gurgel caught Heun with some punches but doesn’t follow up. Gurgel hits a good right hand. Gurgel had a head kick blocked and then gets Gurgel on the cage and hits some strikes and draws blood from Gurgel. They are just swinging for the fences and the fans are eating it up. Gurgel landed some nice strikes to close the round. Great round. I’ve got Gurgel up 20-18 so far.
R3- Gurgle hit a body kick but Heun took Gurgel down and they scrambled back to their feet with 3 minutes left in the round. Gurgel got caught Heun and Heun jumped on top and then grabbed the rubber guard and then they stood back up with a minute and a half left. Really good fight. I’ve got Heun taking this round but Gurgel winning the fight 29-28.
Judges score cards show: 29-28, 30-27 in favor of Gurgel.
Winner: Jorge Gurgel by Decision (Unanimous)
They show a hype video for upcoming Gina Carano/Cyborg fight.
Middleweight Fight- Nick Thompson (38-10-1) vs. Tim Kennedy (9-2)
Kennedy is a kickboxer who is a Special Forces Army Ranger. Thompson fought Jake Shields for the Elite XC Welterweight Title on CBS last July but fell victim to a guillotine choke in the first round. Thompson is a boxer and a wrestler. In Thompson pre-fight interview he seems to think that Jake Shields has the Strikeforce Title. Thompson is the most experienced fighter on this show. Thompson has 21 submission victories in his career. Thompson beat Paul Daley in a recent fight.
R1- Kennedy shot in early but Thompson grabbed his arm and went for a kimura. Thompson finally released the attempts and Kennedy tried to take Thompson’s back and ended up getting half guard. Both guys are very active on the mat so far in the first round. Kennedy mounted but Thompson quickly pushed him back to half guard. This was a good first round that was the opposite of Gurgel/Heun as this fight was contested almost solely on the ground. Kennedy won the first round 10-9.
R2- Kennedy got a take down at the one minute mark of the round. Kennedy lands some strikes and Thompson tapped out to the strikes.
Post-fight Thompson gets in the refs face. Maybe about the strikes as it looked like Kennedy hit several shots to the back of Thompson’s head and the ref did nothing to stop them.
Winner: Tim Kennedy by Submission (Strikes) R2 2:37
Middleweight Fight- Joe Villasenor (26-6) vs. Evangelista Santos (16-12)
Santos is a Muay Thai and BJJ fighter. Cyborg is coming off of an elbow injury. Villasenor fought and defeated Phil Baroni on CBS in May of 2008 in only one minute winning by TKO. Villasenor is a boxer and jiu jitsu fighter. Villasenor trains with Greg Jackson’s camp. He has not fought since the Baroni fight. Cyborg has a 3” reach advantage in this fight.
R1- Villasenor is the aggressor early but is getting caught with some counter punches. Villasenor gets a take down about half way through the round. First round goes to Villasenor 10-9.
R2- They throw some good leather early into this round. Cyborg is hitting low kicks. They really mixed it up at the end of the round. Really close round. Villasenor is the one pushing the action but this one could have gone either way.
R3- Cyborg got a take down a minute into the third round. Villasenor got to his feet without taking any damage. Villasenor is pushing the action and has opened up a cut on Cyborg. I’ve got Villasenor taking this round and the fight.
Judges score cards say: 29-28 Villasenor, 29-28 Cyborg (?), and 29-28 Villasenor.
Winner: Joe Villasenor by Decision (Split)
This was a decent show but definitely one where you didn’t miss much if you missed it. Gurgel/Heun was a really fun fight and was FOTN. I hope Villasenor gets moved up to the main show because he’s a solid fighter and I’d like to see how he does against some of the top Middleweights that Strikeforce has. Luke Rockhold looked great and it looks like Sarah Kaufman is positioning herself for a possible fight with the winner of Carano/Cyborg.
Joe Villasenor vs. Evangelista Santos
Kent, Washington
This is the second installment of the Strikeforce Challengers Series. Mauro Ranallo is the lead announcer and he is joined by Stephen Quadros and Pat Miletich. The Challenger Series focuses on hungry prospects and veterans looking to make an impact.
Middleweight Fight- Luke Rockhold (4-1) vs. Cory Devela (9-2)
Rockhold fought on the Strikeforce “Destruction” show last November and defeated Nik Theotikos by first round submission. Devela fought Terry Martin in September for Strikeforce and lost by TKO in the third round. Rockhold has won all of his fights by submission. Rockhold is a wrestler and jiu jitsu fighter. Devela is the only fighter on this card from Washington.
R1- Devela came in right of the bat and landed a punch but took a punch and was floored. Rockhold followed him to the floor and nailed him with a bunch of punches. Devela bleed on the mat and then Rockhold locked him in with the Rear Naked Choke and Devela tapped out. Great showing by Rockhold. Rockhold has looked really good in both of the fights I’ve seen him in.
Winner: Luke Rockhold by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) R1 0:30
Women’s Fight- 135 Pounds- Sarah Kaufman (9-0) vs. Shayna Baszler (11-5)
Baszler trains with Josh Barnett. Baszler comes to the ring with a guitar on her back. Baszler fought Christiane Cyborg on CBS for Elite XC in 2008 but lost by TKO in the second round. Kaufman beat Miesha Tate at the first Strikeforce Challengers show by Decision. This is being fought under 3 five minute rounds, which is a change from the usual 3 minute rounds that most women’s MMA fights are fought under. Mauro let’s us know that future women’s fights will be contested under 5 minute rounds.
R1- Baszler was able to get a trip early and took Kaufman’s guard. Kaufman got out of that position but Baszler got a brief choke before Kaufman could get out of the submission hold. The ref stood the fight up with a minute thirty left in the round. Baszler clinched her and the ref broke them up. Close round that probably goes to Baszler due to the take down and submission attempt.
R2- They clinched and Kaufman snuck in a good right hand as they broke the clinch. Kaufman hit a good combo. Kaufman is starting to pick Baszler apart on their feet now. Kaufman clearly took this round as she closed very strong and I’ve got the fight 19-19 going into the final stanza.
R3- Baszler went for a single leg take down but Kaufman stuffed it and ended up on top. Kaufman got a take down and landed some brief Ground and Pound but then let Baszler up to her feet. Kaufman is clearly winning the stand up game. Baszler went for a last minute knee bar but Kaufman stuffed it and will take this fight by decision.
Judges score cards say: 29-28, 30-27 and 30-27 in favor of Kaufman. I had the fight 29-28 in favor of Kaufman.
Winner: Sarah Kaufman by Decision (Unanimous)
Josh Barnett joins Mauro Ranallo at ringside. He talks about the Baszler fight and the upcoming fight that he has against Fedor on August 1st for Affliction.
Catchweight Fight (160 pounds)- Jorge Gurgel (12-5) vs. Conor Heun (8-2)
Heun is a 30 year old wrestler who has 5 submissions out of his 8 wins. Heun has a brown belt in jiu jitsu under Eddie Bravo. Gurgel is a jiu jitsu fighter who prefers to stand on his feet and that’s the reason that he’s no longer in the UFC. Gurgel has 9 submissions in his 12 wins. Heun has a 4” reach advantage.
R1- Gurgel is hitting some leg kicks. When the fighters get close together they are both just swinging for the fences. Gurgel continues to hit leg kicks and is the more accurate striker so far. Heun started to come on at the end of the round and he landed some good strikes. This was a very close round. I’m not sure Heun did enough at the end of the round to get the nod.
R2- Heun is pushing forward at the beginning of this round and looking to get in close range to throw strikes. Gurgel hit a nice high head kick but Heun took it and didn’t go down. Gurgel caught Heun with some punches but doesn’t follow up. Gurgel hits a good right hand. Gurgel had a head kick blocked and then gets Gurgel on the cage and hits some strikes and draws blood from Gurgel. They are just swinging for the fences and the fans are eating it up. Gurgel landed some nice strikes to close the round. Great round. I’ve got Gurgel up 20-18 so far.
R3- Gurgle hit a body kick but Heun took Gurgel down and they scrambled back to their feet with 3 minutes left in the round. Gurgel got caught Heun and Heun jumped on top and then grabbed the rubber guard and then they stood back up with a minute and a half left. Really good fight. I’ve got Heun taking this round but Gurgel winning the fight 29-28.
Judges score cards show: 29-28, 30-27 in favor of Gurgel.
Winner: Jorge Gurgel by Decision (Unanimous)
They show a hype video for upcoming Gina Carano/Cyborg fight.
Middleweight Fight- Nick Thompson (38-10-1) vs. Tim Kennedy (9-2)
Kennedy is a kickboxer who is a Special Forces Army Ranger. Thompson fought Jake Shields for the Elite XC Welterweight Title on CBS last July but fell victim to a guillotine choke in the first round. Thompson is a boxer and a wrestler. In Thompson pre-fight interview he seems to think that Jake Shields has the Strikeforce Title. Thompson is the most experienced fighter on this show. Thompson has 21 submission victories in his career. Thompson beat Paul Daley in a recent fight.
R1- Kennedy shot in early but Thompson grabbed his arm and went for a kimura. Thompson finally released the attempts and Kennedy tried to take Thompson’s back and ended up getting half guard. Both guys are very active on the mat so far in the first round. Kennedy mounted but Thompson quickly pushed him back to half guard. This was a good first round that was the opposite of Gurgel/Heun as this fight was contested almost solely on the ground. Kennedy won the first round 10-9.
R2- Kennedy got a take down at the one minute mark of the round. Kennedy lands some strikes and Thompson tapped out to the strikes.
Post-fight Thompson gets in the refs face. Maybe about the strikes as it looked like Kennedy hit several shots to the back of Thompson’s head and the ref did nothing to stop them.
Winner: Tim Kennedy by Submission (Strikes) R2 2:37
Middleweight Fight- Joe Villasenor (26-6) vs. Evangelista Santos (16-12)
Santos is a Muay Thai and BJJ fighter. Cyborg is coming off of an elbow injury. Villasenor fought and defeated Phil Baroni on CBS in May of 2008 in only one minute winning by TKO. Villasenor is a boxer and jiu jitsu fighter. Villasenor trains with Greg Jackson’s camp. He has not fought since the Baroni fight. Cyborg has a 3” reach advantage in this fight.
R1- Villasenor is the aggressor early but is getting caught with some counter punches. Villasenor gets a take down about half way through the round. First round goes to Villasenor 10-9.
R2- They throw some good leather early into this round. Cyborg is hitting low kicks. They really mixed it up at the end of the round. Really close round. Villasenor is the one pushing the action but this one could have gone either way.
R3- Cyborg got a take down a minute into the third round. Villasenor got to his feet without taking any damage. Villasenor is pushing the action and has opened up a cut on Cyborg. I’ve got Villasenor taking this round and the fight.
Judges score cards say: 29-28 Villasenor, 29-28 Cyborg (?), and 29-28 Villasenor.
Winner: Joe Villasenor by Decision (Split)
This was a decent show but definitely one where you didn’t miss much if you missed it. Gurgel/Heun was a really fun fight and was FOTN. I hope Villasenor gets moved up to the main show because he’s a solid fighter and I’d like to see how he does against some of the top Middleweights that Strikeforce has. Luke Rockhold looked great and it looks like Sarah Kaufman is positioning herself for a possible fight with the winner of Carano/Cyborg.
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