Last Thursday, Keith Jardine was chilling at home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, possibly finding the best torrents available to catch last week’s episode of Workaholics, when he spotted some dude pull up to his mailbox.
Jardine then got into his Ford Bronco and decided to take matters into his own hands. The Dean of Mean chased down the mail-thief, slammed his truck right in front of Davenport, pulled him out of his car and held him until police arrived.
“I reached back like I was going to hit him and right then he yielded to everything,” said Jardine, who sounds like he’d be a truly awful cellmate. Jardine added that Davenport played dumb at first, saying he was picking up the mail for a friend. Take it away, The Rock.
Maybe it was just a coincidence that this idiot was dressed like an MMA fan. Whatever the case may be, the semi-retired Jardine picked up his first win in almost three years. Gotta love a happy ending.
Last Thursday, Keith Jardine was chilling at home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, possibly finding the best torrents available to catch last week’s episode of Workaholics, when he spotted some dude pull up to his mailbox.
Jardine then got into his Ford Bronco and decided to take matters into his own hands. The Dean of Mean chased down the mail-thief, slammed his truck right in front of Davenport, pulled him out of his car and held him until police arrived.
“I reached back like I was going to hit him and right then he yielded to everything,” said Jardine, who sounds like he’d be a truly awful cellmate. Jardine added that Davenport played dumb at first, saying he was picking up the mail for a friend. Take it away, The Rock.
Maybe it was just a coincidence that this idiot was dressed like an MMA fan. Whatever the case may be, the semi-retired Jardine picked up his first win in almost three years. Gotta love a happy ending.
Former UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans made it perfectly clear in his interview with ESPN.com that he is not interested in fighting teammates.
“I won’t fight Vitor [Belfort]. I won’t fight Thiago Silva. I won’t fight Cezar “Mutante” Ferreir…
Former UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans made it perfectly clear in his interview with ESPN.com that he is not interested in fighting teammates.
“I won’t fight Vitor [Belfort]. I won’t fight Thiago Silva. I won’t fight Cezar “Mutante” Ferreira. I won’t fight anybody who I train with,” Evans said, adding “I made that mistake before, and I won’t do that again. I lost a lot of relationships because I did that before.”
Evans’ “mistake” was in his decision to fight current light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones. The two had been teammates at Team Jackson before Evans left for Blackzilians in Florida.
Evans had previously stated he would never fight teammates when both he and friend Keith Jardine were fighting in the same weight class. Back then the two seemed to have a strong understanding of never taking such a bout. When asked if his friendship with Evans would prevent him from fighting for the title, Jardine simply stated “Absolutely.”
Evans can even be seen in his Fox Sports interview in 2009 (at mark 2:00-2:18) simply shaking his head and refusing the idea of potentially fighting Jardine for the title, despite Dana White‘s adamant assurance the fight would happen if necessary. It was as simple for Evans four years ago, and it appears he has turned back to his old ways on how he views friends fighting.
The comment from Evans comes on the heels of the ongoing struggles between the UFC and top middleweight contender Vitor Belfort. The wife and manager of Belfort, stated last week that Vitor will not take a middleweight fight outside a title shot, but will accept any bout at any higher weight class.
I come to you with a bit of mixed news this afternoon, Potato Nation. In a recent interview with MMAFightCorner, UFC/Strikeforce veteran Keith Jardine announced that he would be stepping away from the sport for an undisclosed period to address several lingering injuries, stating the following:
A lot of people have been pushing me to retire, I’ve been a shell of myself these last couple years. I’ve been saying I’m definitely on the shelf, I’m semi-retired, I’m definitely on the shelf right now.
…my approach right now is I’m trying to get myself healthy. And then once I feel like I’m ready to go out and to perform at a level I want to and shock the world, I want to do it. I got to do it again. I don’t care if I win or lose, but I just want to go out there and perform and be Keith Jardine which I haven’t been in the last couple of years. When I dropped to middleweight it was a disaster, it was stupid. It made everything worse.
As we all know, Jardine is considered by many to be one of the nicest guys in the sport, despite the fact that he looks like the kind of person who has an unfinished basement stockpiled with barrels of lime and a human-sized cage that he claims is for his pet Dodo. So first and foremost, we’d like to congratulate him for at least addressing the fact that he has not been performing to the best of his abilities in recent years. On the other hand, Jardine was never a world beater to begin with (his longest UFC win streak stands at 2), and perhaps his struggles as of late are a sign that the game has passed him by more than anything else.
I come to you with a bit of mixed news this afternoon, Potato Nation. In a recent interview with MMAFightCorner, UFC/Strikeforce veteran Keith Jardine announced that he would be stepping away from the sport for an undisclosed period to address several lingering injuries, stating the following:
A lot of people have been pushing me to retire, I’ve been a shell of myself these last couple years. I’ve been saying I’m definitely on the shelf, I’m semi-retired, I’m definitely on the shelf right now.
…my approach right now is I’m trying to get myself healthy. And then once I feel like I’m ready to go out and to perform at a level I want to and shock the world, I want to do it. I got to do it again. I don’t care if I win or lose, but I just want to go out there and perform and be Keith Jardine which I haven’t been in the last couple of years. When I dropped to middleweight it was a disaster, it was stupid. It made everything worse.
As we all know, Jardine is considered by many to be one of the nicest guys in the sport, despite the fact that he looks like the kind of person who has an unfinished basement stockpiled with barrels of lime and a human-sized cage that he claims is for his pet Dodo. So first and foremost, we’d like to congratulate him for at least addressing the fact that he has not been performing to the best of his abilities in recent years. On the other hand, Jardine was never a world beater to begin with (his longest UFC win streak stands at 2), and perhaps his struggles as of late are a sign that the game has passed him by more than anything else.
Granted, we’re not really sure why Jardine would announce that he was “semi-retired” if he is already planning his comeback. Tito Ortiz gave us six months of silence, so perhaps this announcement is Jardine’s way of slowly coming to that same realization. We’re not saying “The Dean of Mean” can’t “shock the world” like he did against Chuck Liddell at UFC 76, but just take a look at Jardine’s record with us for a second:
In the past three years, his greatest victory by far was a tie with Gegard Mousasi. Throw in a handful of KO losses, a bust in his Shark Fights debut against Trevor Prangley, and a pair of wins over a couple journeymen, and it does not paint a pretty picture for the likelihood of a Jardine comeback. Just don’t tell that to Jardine’s mom, or she will straight up drop your ass.
But unfortunately for Jardine, there’s no surgery out there that allows one to take a better punch, and Jardine simply cannot take as good of one as he used to — a realization that ironically helped Chuck Liddell accept the terms of his own retirement following UFC 115.
Would we like to see Jardine mount an epic career comeback? Surely, but there’s just something about the hope in his words that breaks our hearts a little. Because hope is a dangerous thing. Some say it can drive a man insane. For every Randy Couture, there are at least a few Matt Lindlands that make you die a little more inside when you see them step into the ring. And to be honest, Jardine is the kind of guy we’d rather see go quietly into that good night than suffer any more abuse.
While we all debate whether Jardine’s recent statements should inspire or depress us in the comments section, let’s first take a look at the Keith Jardine of old. We’ve thrown the video of Jardine’s very first UFC appearance — a heavyweight contest at the TUF 2 Finale that pitted Keith against a drunken diabetic named “Meat Truck” who had just escaped from a nearby prison before stumbling into the Hard Rock — below, so check it out before you render your verdict on “The Dean of Mean.”
FYI: The infamous conversation about Keith “The Dean of Mean” Johnson starts around the 5:50 mark.
It’s a shame that Strikeforce is getting the Bamboo Lounge treatment, but after the entertaining main card that those of us who watched were treated to, at least the promotion is fading into obscurity with dignity.
Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Luke Rockhold earned a convincing unanimous decision over the formidable Tim Kennedy. He came forward with an aggressive striking attack throughout the fight, managing to stuff numerous takedown attempts as well. Granted, Kennedy never seemed like he was in danger of being knocked out or submitted, but that’s far more of a testament to how game Kennedy is than it is a criticism of Luke Rockhold.
“And now there’s a tree in the woods involved? Geez, throw me some more curveballs, Dana!”
It’s a shame that Strikeforce is getting the Bamboo Lounge treatment, but after the entertaining main card that those of us who watched were treated to, at least the promotion is fading into obscurity with dignity.
Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Luke Rockhold earned a convincing unanimous decision over the formidable Tim Kennedy. He came forward with an aggressive striking attack throughout the fight, managing to stuff numerous takedown attempts as well. Granted, Kennedy never seemed like he was in danger of being knocked out or submitted, but that’s far more of a testament to how game Kennedy is than it is a criticism of Luke Rockhold.
For the twenty-seven year old, the Strikeforce championship has to feel far more like a curse than an achievement. He’s arguably a top-ten middleweight, but can’t book a fight against a big enough name to prove this. He’s defeated virtually everyone that Strikeforce can offer him, yet still has to stick around to be used as a measuring stick for guys like Roger Gracie and Lorenz Larkin (more on that later). In the post-event press conference, Rockhold called for a rematch with Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, because hey, what else can he rally for? All of the top non-Zuffa middleweights are going to be offered UFC contracts without even discussing the possibility of sending them to Scott Coker. And frankly, when the UFC is in the position to offer a top non-Zuffa middleweight a laughably bad contract, that speaks volumes about the “future plans” for Strikeforce.
On a slightly less depressing note, Nate Marquardt answered almost all of the questions that we had about him after his year-long absence from the sport in his welterweight title fight against up-and-comer Tyron Woodley. How did he look without using TRT? Pretty damn good, if you managed to catch the fight. Is he still a dynamic striker? Was he able to keep his power while dropping to welterweight? Did his cardio hold up by the end of the fight? Could he still be a top-tier fighter in a new weight class after all of the time away from competition? Yes to all of the above – just ask Tyron Woodley’s face after eating those elbows and uppercuts.
Of course, the only question that remains unanswered is can Nate “The Great” do the same thing against the UFC’s welterweights. To which, we can do nothing but speculate for the time being.
As for Roger Gracie and Lorenz Larkin, I say make them fight each other before putting them up against Luke Rockhold. Both fighters looked impressive last night, but I’m not convinced that either guy is ready for a title shot yet.
This is especially true in Roger Gracie’s case; his fight was far more of a wake-up call for Keith Jardine that he should retire than a breakout performance for Roger. This isn’t meant to disrespect either fighter, but when you manage to land only three strikes in the first round – and five total power strikes, according to the Strikeforce announcing crew – against a Gracie on your way to a unanimous decision loss, it’s time to call it a career. “The Dean of Mean” is the same fighter that had been figured out years ago, except now he’s in the twilight of his career. A prospect that’s ready for the big leagues can beat an opponent like Keith Jardine, and that’s exactly what Gracie did…
…Wait, didn’t I write the exact same thing last time Jardine got in the cage? Yeah, I did. You looked good in your middleweight debut, Roger Gracie, but failure was literally never an option against Jardine. I’ll need to see one more convincing victory before I clamor for a title shot.
Likewise, Lorenz Larkin was always small and doughy at light-heavyweight. When he decided to drop to middleweight, we all assumed it would be a good idea. Sure enough, Larkin looked convincing in his middleweight debut against Robbie Lawler. While the aging veteran managed to rock Larkin early on, Lorenz Larkin kept his composure and out-struck him for the remainder of the fight, earning the unanimous decision victory. But again, I’d like to see one more test for Larkin before Strikeforce offers him a title shot. Lawler always shows up ready to scrap, but let’s be honest with ourselves – he’s also in the final stages of his career and has lost three of his last four outings.
For the time being, I say let Rockhold have his rematch against Jacare and let Larkin fight Gracie. It may not be the best option, but it’s probably the easiest option. And the easiest option for Strikeforce is just business as usual.
Luke Rockhold vs. Tim Kennedy In the headlining fight of the night, Luke Rockhold defended his middleweight title with a unanimous 49-46 decision victory over challenger Tim Kennedy. Rockhold controlled the majority of the fight.
Luke Rockhold vs. Tim Kennedy
In the headlining fight of the night, Luke Rockhold defended his middleweight title with a unanimous 49-46 decision victory over challenger Tim Kennedy. Rockhold controlled the majority of the fight and did enough to win even if his performance wasn’t overwhelming. Kennedy was game but simply didn’t have the skills to threaten Rockhold. He struggled with the size and reach disadvantage throughout the fight and was never able to impose his gameplan.
The first round was one that could have been scored for Kennedy on the strength of one of his few takedowns. He managed to stay on top of Rockhold and maintain control but was unable to do any significant damage. Rockhold controlled most of the rest of the round pushing Kennedy against the cage and landing a few right hands. The second round saw Rockhold begin to take control of the fight. He stuffed Kennedy’s takedowns and scored one of his own. He took Kennedy’s back briefly and worked for a choke but never got close to finishing. Again, he landed several right hands and generally controlled the pace of the fight. The third round was Kennedy’s best as he gained his most dominant position by climbing to Rockhold’s back after a takedown. Again, this round could have been scored for Kennedy and was probably the one the judges gave him. The fourth round saw the most significant moment of the fight with Rockhold landing another right hand but this time landing clean enough to drop Kennedy. He attacked for the finish but Kennedy survived. The fifth round saw little action, which is a bit disappointing considering that an optimistic view could have had the fight at two rounds each. But neither fighter seemed to feel a sense of urgency and Rockhold deserved the round based mostly on cage control.
Neither fighter was overly impressive in the fight but Rockhold earned the decision and the right to retain his belt. As is the case in most divisions, Strikeforce doesn’t have much to offer in terms of competition at middleweight so we’ll have to wait and see who’s next for Rockhold. Kennedy has established himself as a quality fighter but has now lost twice in title fights and seems unlikely to ever hold the belt. A match with Lorenz Larkin would seem to make sense after his victory over Robbie Lawler earlier in the night.
Nate Marquardt vs. Tyron Woodley
Nate Marquardt made the most of his first fight in Strikeforce scoring an impressive knockout over Tyron Woodley. The fight also marked his first appearance at 170 lbs and the weight cut didn’t seem to impact his performance at all. At this weight, he’s going to be tough to deal with and shouldn’t have much competition in Strikeforce. Hopefully, he can put together one or two more performances like this and get a second chance in the UFC.
The fight started with Marquardt and Woodley both landing big right hands. Woodley’s landed on the temple and staggered Marquardt. But Marquardt was able to defend, recover and take over the fight from there. The key going in to this fight was whether or not Woodley would be able to take Marquardt down and we found out quickly that he was not able to do so. Marquardt stuffed every takedown attempt easily and the only way Woodley was ever able to get the fight to the mat was by scoring knockdowns with his punches. But Marquardt was the one landing the majority of the strikes and continuously battered Woodley with right hands. By the end of the first round, Woodley was barely able to stand and seemed to not be fully aware of where he was when the round ended. Woodley came out tentative and still hurt in the second round. Marquardt took advantage and continued to batter him with strikes. Woodley seemed to wilt as the round continued and Marquardt was in full control of the fight by the end of the round. But Woodley wasn’t done yet and showed his heart by exploding on Marquardt to open the third round. He dropped Marquardt with a flurry of punches and tried to finish but couldn’t land anything clean enough to end the fight. Marquardt recovered and was back in control of the fight by the end of the round. He then came out in the fourth wasting no time and looking to end the fight. He landed several big combinations before eventually backing Woodley against the cage and landing an impressive elbow and punch combination to score the knockout. Woodley was never going to win the fight unless he could consistently earn top position and once Marquardt established the pattern of the fight as a striking match, the outcome was inevitable.
Marquardt is clearly the best welterweight in Strikeforce and should hold the belt for as long as he wants. No one currently in the division is a threat to him. Realistically, he should be in the UFC but based on all the drama surrounding his release, who knows if that will ever happen. For Woodley, this will either be the fight that establishes his ceiling or the fight that motivates him to work harder than he ever has before. If his gutsy performance to start the third round is any indication, he will come back stronger from this loss. He has the wrestling base and athleticism to be a title contender but he simply does not have the experience to compete with someone like Marquardt. As his striking becomes more fluid and he can mix it with his wrestling, he still has the potential to become a championship caliber mixed martial artist.
Roger Gracie vs. Keith Jardine
The second fight of the night was a bit of a head scratcher. Roger Gracie completely dominated the first two rounds. But he was only able to dominate because Jardine showed an egregious lack of discipline. To start each of the first two rounds, Jardine rushed Gracie putting himself off balance and allowing Gracie to score easy takedowns. From there, Gracie completely dominated the ground game as would be expected. He repeatedly made his way into dominant positions and used them to slice Jardine’s face with elbows. He also spent a significant amount of time in the second round on Jardine’s back and was probably only prevented from locking up a rear naked choke because of all the blood pouring out of Jardine’s head making it difficult to hold on to any submissions. The fight was clearly over after the second round unless Jardine could pull off a finish. In the third round, Jardine executed the exact gameplan he should have used in the first two rounds. Instead of rushing in recklessly, he stayed on the outside and despite all the punishment he had already taken, was able to win the round. Two of the judges gave that round to Gracie but I can only assume their scoring was basically a carry over from the first two rounds. Had Jardine employed that strategy for all three rounds, he probably would have won the fight because Gracie showed nothing to indicate that he could have scored a takedown without Jardine so anxiously throwing himself off balance. Regardless, Gracie earns the victory and will likely get a tougher fight in his next appearance. Unfortunately for those who want so desperately to see a Gracie climb the MMA ranks again, he showed little improvement in his wrestling and striking. His shots lacked explosion. His chin was high and waiting to be hit. Better and smarter fighters than Jardine will exploit those weaknesses. Jardine continues to slide down the rankings and has now lost both of his fights at 185 lbs. Strikeforce’s relatively weak middleweight roster will likely ensure that he gets more fights but at this point, he can no longer be considered a serious threat.
Robbie Lawler vs. Lorenz Larkin
In the opening fight of the main card, Lorenz Larkin outstruck Robbie Lawler on his way to a decision victory. The fight went exactly the way most people thought it would. Both fighters came to the cage looking to strike. Lawler landed a solid right hand to Larkin’s temple early in the opening round but was not able to take advantage and finish the fight. After than, Larkin controlled the fight and Lawler seemed to fade as the fight continued. Larkin showed the more diverse striking game as expected and Lawler was never able to land the type of power shot that could have earned him the victory. Larkin showed no ill effects from his first cut to 185 lbs. However, he still needs to develop the rest of his game if he hopes to be a serious contender. Lawler remains essentially a gatekeeper in the middleweight decision and should continue to provide interesting matchups for Strikeforce because of his willingness to stand.
Saturday night, Strikeforce featured a fight card with two title shots, and still, many didn’t know about it.Nonetheless, it was a great card with many highly contested close fights, including the crowning of a new welterweight champion.Let’s take a lo…
Saturday night, Strikeforce featured a fight card with two title shots, and still, many didn’t know about it.
Nonetheless, it was a great card with many highly contested close fights, including the crowning of a new welterweight champion.
Let’s take a look back at the most memorable moments of Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Kennedy.
Former UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans made it perfectly clear in his interview with ESPN.com that he is 
