(Scott Coker: “Whooaa.” That other dude: “Niiiiiiice.” / Photo courtesy of facebook.com/StrikeforceMixedMartialArts)
Welcome, friends, to the most bonerrific highly-anticipated women’s bantamweight fight in MMA history. Seven months after winning the Strikeforce 135-pound strap, Miesha Tate will attempt to make her first title defense against arm-snapping fire-cracker Ronda Rousey. And that’s just the cherry on top of a loaded fight card that also features two former Strikeforce champions (Josh Thomson, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza), a pack of crowd-pleasing sluggers (Paul Daley, Scott Smith, KJ Noons), and the return of former PRIDE welterweight grand prix champion Kazuo Misaki.
Handling our liveblog for this evening is Steve Silverman, who will be posting round-by-round results for the Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey main card after the jump starting at 10 p.m. ET. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and please toss your own brilliant opinions and observations into the comments section.
Mauro Ranallo … what a jive-ass putting on his phony radio voice…. No doubt that Miesha Tat and Ronda Rousey will put on a sterling show…
Tate is a very solid-looking fighter … and a stunning babe… and Rousey may not be ready for her just yet….
Jacare Souza and Bristol Marunde will get the night started….
Steve Silverman here and happy to be bringing the action to you ….
Marunde has won 9 of his last 10 fights….Souza is a take-down artist who will try to put Marunde on his back and punish him.
Souza trains with Anderson Silva, soyou know that makes him a real badass….
Jacare starts with a straight right and he is boxing early. … Marunde looking to switch between righty and southpaw…
Both fighters looking for an opening .. Hard right by Jacare and then a takedown. Marunde working a pyramid….
Short hard right by Jacare that drops Marunde… Jacare has his back… and is getting in knee strikes…Jacare domination in the first round..Marunde does very little damage as first round ends.
Jacare pounding away as Marunde covers up. Uppercuts and pounding punches…Strikes to back of head by Jacare and he breaks them….
Round 2….
Roundhouse right by Marunde misses badly and then lands a short right and then another….
Jacare with two big kicks and Marunde has his face against the cage. Jacare gets his back but Marunder escapes….
Jacare is very patient….and that doesn’t make for a lot of action…but he is in charge.Knee by Jacare to the chin of Marunde
Kick and then left-hand body shot to Jacare. Then another. both are short and powerful…Nice kick by Marunde. Right hand by Jacare…
Two overhand rights by Jacare…and a hard takedown by Jacare….
Round 3…
Jacare takes Marunde down and is on his back. Jacare trying to get his right hand loose…
Marunde is cut high on the forehead. Jacare delivering right hands to Marunde and he is getting hit with lot fo punches….
Jacare getting in his hook and he is punishing Marunde. He can’t get loose and is just a defensive fighter. Then Jacare gets the side-triangle choke and Marunde submits….
Jacare was able to win this fight without taking any real punishment himself. He trapped Marunde’s arm and choked him out….
Jacare wins via submission in the third round….
Scott Smith vs. Lumumba Sayers coming up next….
Sayers brings a record of 5-2 into this fight while Smith comes in with a record of 18-9 and 1 no contest…He has lost three in a row…
Smith’s a little chubby around the middle; Sayers with a 3-inch reach advantage…
Sayers with a straight right hand… another right hand and then throws Smith on his back. H e sinks in a hook and starts punishing….
Great throw down by Sayers…. gets in guillotine choke and it’s over… Smith wins big….
CORRECTION… SAYERS WINS BIG….
Smith got thrown down and couldn’t react… Sayers started pounding and then got in his guillotine. Another first-round win by Sayers… All his fights are one-rounders, six wins and two losses…1:34 is the official time.
Smith looks absolutely done as he suffers his fourth straight loss. He offered no resistance…
Kazuo Miskai vs. Paul Daleyy coming up next….
Misaki is 24-11-2 and is from Tokyo….
Misaki has a big right hand but he likes to use takedowns…. Incredible cauliflower left ear…
Daley, from London, has won two fights in a row….However, he has problems with wrestlers and grapplers, so Misaki could give him a problem…
Daley tries a right roundhouse kick.. Daley with jabs, but thy are not landing…Misaki with overhand right….
Misaki drives through with takedown…Misaki lets him get back up. Right kick to midsection…
Misaki to body and then to head… Daley looks slow and wwkwrd. yo cna tll he’s strong but slow. Misaki hits him hard to jaw… Misaki taking charge….
Daley takes Misaki down but Misaki gets his legs around him and he is controlling from bottom. Daley gets in a couple of bombs at end of the round…
Round 2….
Jab and body kick by Misaki.. Knee by Misaki.
Daley having a hard time gtting his punches in. Misaki is a little quicker and making himself hard to hit…. Misaki getting better of exchanges… Daley takes down Misaki but Misaki is comfortable….
Daley trying to work over the ribs… ref calls for more action… wild left by Daley but it misses. Misaki gives up his back.
Misaki flips positions and he is on top in last minute..ref breaks them because action is nil..Misaki with overhand right and then a kick.
Round 3
Daley needs a big round to win this fight… right kick by Misaki…Left jab by Daley, good counter by Misaki….
Daley with a couple of left jabs and then throws Misaki down….elbow by Daley and Misaki is cut badly…
Bad cut over Misaki’s left eye but doctor allows fight to continue… Complete bloodbath…
Daley looks tired. He has a target in that cut to go after but Misaki is coming back after Daley. Misaki also has a broken nose but he is not backing down going into final minute.
Daley gets takedown but Misaki gets right up. Daley looks so tired but he tris to rally with takedown and he doesn’t get it….
It’s over and it will go to scorecards….
Daley did so much damage with a big elbow. He ripped a big cut and also broke Misaki’s nose. Misaki seemed to get in most of the other damaging blows…
Misaki will need stitches to get that cut closed… waiting on decision….
stats are all in favor of Misaki…and Misaki gets the decision….
It is a split decision … Misaki controlled much of the fight … except for getting cut badly. But Misaki wins….
Next fight….
Josh Thomson (18-3-1) vs K.J. Noons (10-3)
Thomson is a great grappler while Noons wants to stay on his feet…
Ronda Rousey looked she wanted to hammer Heidi Androl during interview… Rousey looks like she means business….Does she have enough to throw at Tate?
Noons and Thomson are good friends outside the ring….
Just about ready to go…
Round 1 coming….
Thomson with a front kick to the jaw….Thomson a bit quicker….
Thomson push kicks are dangerous… Thomson looking for a takedown…Noons measuring him and trying to get in his jab….
Thomson gets the takedown and he is working to keep control…Noons trying to get back to his feet…
Noons looks comfortable sitting and ref may break them up for lack of action. Noons trapped on side of cage….
Thomson in control but not getting in many shots…fans booing because there’s not enough action…
Round 2 is coming and the fans did not like Round 1…slight advantage for Thomson…
Superman punch by Noons but it doesn’t do much damage… Thomson slips, Noons on top but reversal by Thomson…
Throw down by Thomson and that means that he is on top… but no real action…Thomson now trying to throw elbows and Noons trying to do the same from the bottom….
Thomson with a right hand and needs to throw more punches… end of round two…
Referee stands them up. because the action is lacking. Noons letting go with uppercuts…Noons is cut over left eye….
Noons gets in a right hand but Thomson takes him down with about a minute to go in round.
Noons bleeding from left eye but he doesn’t seem hurt badly.
Round Three coming….
Good takedown by Thomson… choke triangle by Thomson.. it’s in deep…..
Noons gets loose for a second, but Thomson get the choke and is in control….Noons just trying to survive. He’s not fighting back….
Thomson with elbows and hammer fists. Noons is tired and in pain….
Now Thomson is in charge, delivering aggressive forearms and elbows…less than a minute to go. Thomson with ground and pound. Noons is shut down…
Noons a couple of weak punches and Thomson with a knee to close….
Waiting for the decision. Thomson should get unanimous decision….
AND HERE’S THE DECISION… THOMSON WINS AND IT’S UNANIMOUS…
It was kind of boring… Thomson tells Ranallo that his performance tonight was “shit.” Conditioning was shit and so was fight. It was a boring fight….
TATE VS. ROUSEY COMING UP!!!
Just about ready for the main event….
Both fighters are top grapplers, but Rousey lacks experience. She is very aggressive. Tate can win on the ground or if she keeps it standing….
Rousey has four wins in 138 seconds of total action….Tate wants to make Rousey “bleed her own blood….
Both of these fighters are red-hot and sexy dolls….I love these good-looking hard-asses…
Rousey seems totally confident despite lack of experience….
Tate is angry because Rousey said she could beat up Tate and Tate’s boyfriend….
Tate may hit harder than Gina Carano — another babe….
Round 1 coming up….
Look for this to be a short fight… 1 or 2 rounds….
Here we go….
Misha Tate with flurry and Rousey takes her down. RRousey has her
Tate gets loose and escapes. Rousey had her arm bar….but Tate got away…
Tate looking choke. Rousey escapes and hit her with left. Rousey looking for throw and she brings down Tte.
Rousey tosses Tate and she looks like she is stronger. Ground and pound for Rousey….
Rousey gets the arm bar and she wins the fight. She may have broken Tate’s arm….
Rousey is some angry fighter. Great strength and technique to go long with killer instinct. Tate did not want to quit and she paid a big price…..
Rousey used her hips to throw Tate a couple of times. Big night for Rousey. Experience didn’t matter because Rousey was too powerful and tough….
4;27 of first Round… Rousey is new champion… She’s all smiles now….
Good night and hope you enjoyed it….