This is the Strikeforce live blog for Cris Cyborg vs. Hiroko Yamanaka, a women’s 145-pound championship bout on tonight’s Strikeforce on Showtime event from the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego.
Cyborg (10-1) is back after an 18-month absence. She last fought in June 2010, knocking out Jan Finney to make her second successful title defense. Yamanaka (12-1) is coming off a stint with JEWELS and has won her last eight fights.
Round 1: Santos drops Yamanaka with her second punch, an overhand right. The ref looks ready to step in but holds off as Cyborg works for the finish. Yamanaka gets back to her feet and Cyborg drops her again after a flurry against the cage. One more punch on the ground and it’s over. Yamanaka looks mad at the stoppage, and it was probably a bit early but it was probably just a matter of time anyway.
Winner: Cris “Cyborg” Santos via first-round TKO(:16)
This is the Strikeforce live blog for Cris Cyborg vs. Hiroko Yamanaka, a women’s 145-pound championship bout on tonight’s Strikeforce on Showtime event from the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego.
Cyborg (10-1) is back after an 18-month absence. She last fought in June 2010, knocking out Jan Finney to make her second successful title defense. Yamanaka (12-1) is coming off a stint with JEWELS and has won her last eight fights.
Round 1: Santos drops Yamanaka with her second punch, an overhand right. The ref looks ready to step in but holds off as Cyborg works for the finish. Yamanaka gets back to her feet and Cyborg drops her again after a flurry against the cage. One more punch on the ground and it’s over. Yamanaka looks mad at the stoppage, and it was probably a bit early but it was probably just a matter of time anyway.
Winner: Cris “Cyborg” Santos via first-round TKO(:16)
Filed under: StrikeforceWill Gilbert Melendez make a statement that he deserves to be fighting for the UFC lightweight belt, or will Jorge Masvidal pull off a major upset? Will Cris Cyborg continue to look like the toughest woman in the world after a l…
Will Gilbert Melendez make a statement that he deserves to be fighting for the UFC lightweight belt, or will Jorge Masvidal pull off a major upset? Will Cris Cyborg continue to look like the toughest woman in the world after a layoff of more than a year? Can Gegard Mousasi stop a takedown? Will MMA fans remember to watch Strikeforce on Saturday, more than three months after the last major Strikeforce card? We’ll answer those questions and more as we predict the winners of Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal below.
What: Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal
Where: Valley View Casino Center, San Diego
When: Saturday, the Showtime broadcast begins at 10:00 PM ET
Predictions on the four televised fights below.
Gilbert Melendez vs. Jorge Masvidal For Melendez, this fight is less about defending his Strikeforce lightweight title than it is about demonstrating that he deserves to be brought into the UFC and given huge pay-per-view fights, like the Strikeforce champions at heavyweight (Alistair Overeem) light heavyweight (Dan Henderson) middleweight (Jake Shields) and welterweight (Nick Diaz) have been. Melendez needs more than just a victory — he needs a sensational performance, a spectacular submission or knockout that has everyone clamoring to see Melendez fight the winner of the upcoming Frankie Edgar-Ben Henderson fight.
Melendez should beat Masvidal handily, but finishing him in highlight-reel fashion is going to be tough to do. Masvidal has only been finished three times in his 28-fight MMA career. Melendez will win, but it’s going to be tough for him to win in a way that convinces the UFC that he deserves the next crack at the belt. Pick: Melendez
Cris Cyborg vs. Hiroko Yamanaka Cyborg is finally returning to the cage a year and a half after she demolished Jan Finney in a serious mismatch. Give Strikeforce credit for the matchmaking this time around, however, because Yamanaka is no mismatch — she’s probably the second-best145-pound woman in the world, after Cyborg, and she presents some interesting matchup problems for Cyborg. The 5-foot-11 Yamanaka taller and longer than Cyborg, and Cyborg’s tendency to swing wildly with her chin up and her hands down could leave her exposed to an opponent with a reach advantage.
But Yamanaka isn’t much of a finisher (eight of her 12 wins are by decision), and in a 25-minute title fight, eventually Cyborg is going to hit her and hit her hard. Look for Cyborg to win, but look for Yamanaka to give her the toughest test she’s had since she made her EliteXC debut three and a half years ago. Pick: Cyborg
Gegard Mousasi vs. Ovince St. Preux Mousasi has much more experience than St. Preux and a much, much more well-rounded game than St. Preux. Some fans view this fight as a mismatch that Mousasi should win easily.
I’m not so sure about that. I think St. Preux, a former University of Tennessee defensive end who has gone on a tear in the cage over the last couple of years, has just the kind of style to drive Mousasi crazy: St. Preux is stronger than Mousasi and has good takedowns, and Mousasi has shown in his loss to Mo Lawal and his draw with Keith Jardine that he has a really, really hard time staying off his back. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to see St. Preux take Mousasi down enough to grind out a decision.
However, while Mousasi isn’t very good at staying off his back, he is good at finishing his opponents from his back. And that’s what I see him doing: Look for him to catch St. Preux in a triangle choke or an arm bar and force him to tap. Pick: Mousasi
KJ Noons vs. Billy Evangelista Noons and Evangelista are both coming off losses to Masvidal, and the loser of this one may be done in Strikeforce, where no fighter on a losing streak can expect to be safe. I see this fight going the distance, and Noons landing more effective strikes and winning the decision. Pick: Noons
Filed under: Strikeforce, NewsAfter a seemingly interminable, 18-month trip to the sidelines during the prime of her career, Strikeforce women’s featherweight champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos is finally heading back where she belongs, in the middle o…
After a seemingly interminable, 18-month trip to the sidelines during the prime of her career, Strikeforce women’s featherweight champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos is finally heading back where she belongs, in the middle of the cage.
When Santos returns at December 17’s Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal event, she’ll have the respected Japanese fighter Hiroko Yamanaka standing across from her, hoping to wrest the belt away. But like always, Santos will enter as a huge favorite to retain her championship in dominant fashion, and a win could open the door for her to become a two-division champion.
That’s because Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker told reporters on Tuesday that the promotion plans to continue both Cyborg’s featherweight class, as well as the bantamweight class, currently reigned over by champ Miesha Tate. Recently, it had been rumored that the featherweight class would be dropped. But even though Coker suggests Cyborg’s division will still be in play, the Brazilian phenom said she is interested in fighting in both classes.
“It’s going to be difficult but I’m going to try to make the move if there’s more work for me there,” Santos said on Tuesday.
“I want to try to do both categories if possible, but I know there is more opportunity at 135,” she added.
It’s hard to blame “Cyborg” for looking to fill her plate after her recent stretch of inactivity. She had fought four times in 14 months from April 2009 to June 2010, scoring four KO/TKO finishes in that time, but the last of those wins over Jan Finney was the last fight on her contract.
The two sides engaged in lengthy negotiations, and for a time, Santos announced she would fight in her home country, but every possibility to return to action seemed to fall through for her until she finally re-signed with her current promotion in August 2011.
Still just 26 years old, Santos will attempt to shake off the ring rust while defending her belt. She sees the layoff as no issue, choosing to emphasize the improvements she was able to make while honing her craft in the gym.
“I feel like I’ve gotten better at jiu-jitsu, I’ve been staying competitive in that aspect,” she said. “I’ve been working on boxing, striking. I feel I’m better and more well-rounded as a fighter than I was before.”
If that’s true, now fighters in two weight classes will have to contend with her unique blend of athleticism, power and technique.
Filed under: StrikeforceThe final Strikeforce fight card of 2011 features Gilbert Melendez vs. Jorge Masvidal and Cris Cyborg vs. Hiroko Yamanaka, two championship bouts on Dec. 17 at the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego.
The final Strikeforce fight card of 2011 features Gilbert Melendez vs. Jorge Masvidal and Cris Cyborg vs. Hiroko Yamanaka, two championship bouts on Dec. 17 at the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego.
Melendez, who is on a five-fight win streak, will look to defend his Strikeforce lightweight title for the third time. Masvidal is 2-0 this year and defeated K.J. Noons via unanimous decision in June to earn this title shot.
Cyborg, who is making her return after having her Strikeforce contract renewed in August, last fought back in June 2010. She’ll defend her 145-pound belt against Yamanaka, a fighter who’s made her name through the Smackgirl and JEWELS promotions in Japan.
“Before entering into MMA, Yamanaka was a dominatrix and worked in a SM club for four and a half years. She used the name Chiaki in catfights when she was working there. She didn’t have sports experience and started to train in MMA because she thought that it would help her in providing a better service to her clients.”
Me-ow! Now riding an eight-fight win streak, Yamanaka was the final Smackgirl Open Weight Champion, and is ranked #2 on MMARising’s 145-pound women’s list. Watch her in action after the jump…
(Serious question: How much would you pay this woman to kick you in the balls? / Photo via Sherdog)
“Before entering into MMA, Yamanaka was a dominatrix and worked in a SM club for four and a half years. She used the name Chiaki in catfights when she was working there. She didn’t have sports experience and started to train in MMA because she thought that it would help her in providing a better service to her clients.”
Me-ow! Now riding an eight-fight win streak, Yamanaka was the final Smackgirl Open Weight Champion, and is ranked #2 on MMARising’s 145-pound women’s list. Watch her in action after the jump…
(Hiroko Yamanaka vs. Hitomi Akano @ Jewels 7th Ring, 3/19/10)
This is the Strikeforce live blog for Cris Cyborg vs. Hiroko Yamanaka, a women’s 145-pound championship bout on tonight’s Strikeforce on Showtime event from the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego.
Will 
After a seemingly interminable, 18-month trip to the sidelines during the prime of her career, 
The final 