And it was here, in this blighted place, that Strikeforce learned to live again… (Props: FoxSports.com)
The fact that a Strikeforce aftermath is being broken down into two separate posts is probably confusing most of our longtime readers, considering we’ve had so little to say about the organization leading up to last night’s Strikeforce card. Ever since Zuffa’s acquisition of the organization, our post-event recaps have focused on Strikeforce’s lack of a direction, now-meaningless titles and ever-diminishing roster. The organization clearly wasn’t going anywhere (i.e. going under), yet it also, well, wasn’t going anywhere (i.e. it wasn’t planning future growth). Yet last night, for the first time in a while, Strikeforce looked like an organization that could consistently provide MMA fans with intriguing, relevant matchups.
After all of the hype that Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate managed to create for last night’s bout, the ending could not have possibly gone better for Strikeforce. Exciting fight? Check. Dramatic finish? Check. And most importantly, Sarah Kaufman’s victory over Alexis Davis on the undercard established a clear challenger for the new champion who actually stands a chance at beating the champion. The biggest problem with Strikeforce’s title fights as of late has been the fact that the champions are simply too much better than anyone that Strikeforce can match them up with (Rockhold vs. Jardine, anyone?). While Rousey continued to look phenomenal in her short MMA career last night, former champion Sarah Kaufman provides another intriguing matchup for her. Back to back championship fights in a Strikeforce weight class that will pit the champion against a formidable opponent who is coming off of a victory: Now that’s encouraging.
And it was here, in this blighted place, that Strikeforce learned to live again… (Props: FoxSports.com)
The fact that a Strikeforce aftermath is being broken down into two separate posts is probably confusing most of our longtime readers, considering we’ve had so little to say about the organization leading up to last night’s Strikeforce card. Ever since Zuffa’s acquisition of the organization, our post-event recaps have focused on Strikeforce’s lack of a direction, now-meaningless titles and ever-diminishing roster. The organization clearly wasn’t going anywhere (i.e. going under), yet it also, well, wasn’t going anywhere (i.e. it wasn’t planning future growth). Yet last night, for the first time in a while, Strikeforce looked like an organization that could consistently provide MMA fans with intriguing, relevant matchups.
After all of the hype that Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate managed to create for last night’s bout, the ending could not have possibly gone better for Strikeforce. Exciting fight? Check. Dramatic finish? Check. And most importantly, Sarah Kaufman’s victory over Alexis Davis on the undercard established a clear challenger for the new champion who actually stands a chance at beating the champion. The biggest problem with Strikeforce’s title fights as of late has been the fact that the champions are simply too much better than anyone that Strikeforce can match them up with (Rockhold vs. Jardine, anyone?). While Rousey continued to look phenomenal in her short MMA career last night, former champion Sarah Kaufman provides another intriguing matchup for her. Back to back championship fights in a Strikeforce weight class that will pit the champion against a formidable opponent who is coming off of a victory: Now that’s encouraging.
For that matter, the victories from both Kazuo Misaki and Jacare Souza are significant for reasons other than a potential UFC call-up. After surprising Paul Daley with a diverse striking attack and surviving a nasty elbow from “Semtex”, Misaki pulled off the upset and won by split decision (don’t ask me what fight that third judge was watching). Even though Misaki doesn’t quite look ready for the UFC, Strikeforce actually has another competent challenger ready for him in Nate Marquardt, who holds two victories over Misaki in Pancrase. Pitting the two against each other makes sense, and should earn the winner a call-up to the majors. Likewise, Jacare displayed a much improved striking attack in his victory over Bristol Marunde. Given that his willingness to stand and trade punches with opponents essentially cost him his first fight against Luke Rockhold, it would be interesting to see how he matches up with the middleweight champion this time around. The bottom line here is that rather than shrugging our shoulders and asking “Okay, now what?”, there are logical matchups awaiting both fighters. It’s refreshing, to say the least.
This isn’t to say that there aren’t any reasons to keep being concerned for Strikeforce, as the event certainly produced some low points. After all of the talk about meaningful championship fights existing for Strikeforce, it’s sort of anti-climatic to bring up that Gilbert Melendez is going to fight Josh Thomson again, especially after his yawn-inducing fight against KJ Noons. Dana White’s recent announcement that he has essentially washed his hands of Strikeforce definitely doesn’t help matters either. And let’s not even start on how a major organization could allow a pedophile with white supremacist tattoos on television.
But after listening to Josh Barnett and Daniel Cormier hype up their clash on May 19th- no matter how insignificant the heavyweight tournament may be at this point- I genuinely feel excited about an upcoming Strikeforce card. I am genuinely curious about future Strikeforce title fights, even if the men’s belts have become meaningless. It’s been a while since I’ve been optimistic about Strikeforce- that’s got to be worth something.
Last night’s Strikeforce card was a memorable one — even though there were a couple aspects of the show that we’d love to forget. Now that the dust has settled, let’s take a look back at Tate vs. Rousey’s thrilling highlights and awful lowlights…
The Good
– First and foremost, this gif from the weigh ins. Oh, Ronda. [*flexes butt seductively*]
– Ronda Rousey‘s title-winning performance against Miesha Tate. We finally learned what Rousey’s “Plan B” is when she’s unable to armbar you within the first minute — unsurprisingly, it’s another armbar. Rousey kept her head when Miesha stormed out at her in the beginning of the fight, calmly extracted herself from bad positions on the ground, and didn’t get discouraged when her first nasty armbar attempt failed to break Miesha’s elbow. Instead, she relied on the judo expertise that has carried her to a title shot in less than a year of professional MMA competition, and got the inevitable snap/tap at 4:27 of round 1. During her post-fight interview, Rousey proved that her heat-seeking personality doesn’t turn off just because the match is over. (Yes, she holds grudges, and yes, she still thinks Tate sucks.) A meeting with former champ Sarah Kaufman is next, but I can’t be the only one looking ahead to a possible 135-pound superfight against Cris Cyborg.
– Ronaldo Souza‘s striking. In the past, Jacare’s occasional tendency to keep fights standing has struck me as a frustrating betrayal of his bread-and-butter. (See also: Demian Maia.) But against Bristol Marunde, Souza’s striking looked just as dangerous as his grappling; his ferocious overhand rights and unconventional kicks brought to mind other Brazilian bangers like Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante and Edson Barboza. Jacare is still evolving as a fighter, and Luke Rockhold should watch his back.
Last night’s Strikeforce card was a memorable one — even though there were a couple aspects of the show that we’d love to forget. Now that the dust has settled, let’s take a look back at Tate vs. Rousey’s thrilling highlights and awful lowlights…
The Good
– First and foremost, this gif from the weigh ins. Oh, Ronda. [*flexes butt seductively*]
– Ronda Rousey‘s title-winning performance against Miesha Tate. We finally learned what Rousey’s “Plan B” is when she’s unable to armbar you within the first minute — unsurprisingly, it’s another armbar. Rousey kept her head when Miesha stormed out at her in the beginning of the fight, calmly extracted herself from bad positions on the ground, and didn’t get discouraged when her first nasty armbar attempt failed to break Miesha’s elbow. Instead, she relied on the judo expertise that has carried her to a title shot in less than a year of professional MMA competition, and got the inevitable snap/tap at 4:27 of round 1. During her post-fight interview, Rousey proved that her heat-seeking personality doesn’t turn off just because the match is over. (Yes, she holds grudges, and yes, she still thinks Tate sucks.) A meeting with former champ Sarah Kaufman is next, but I can’t be the only one looking ahead to a possible 135-pound superfight against Cris Cyborg.
– Ronaldo Souza‘s striking. In the past, Jacare’s occasional tendency to keep fights standing has struck me as a frustrating betrayal of his bread-and-butter. (See also: Demian Maia.) But against Bristol Marunde, Souza’s striking looked just as dangerous as his grappling; his ferocious overhand rights and unconventional kicks brought to mind other Brazilian bangers like Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante and Edson Barboza. Jacare is still evolving as a fighter, and Luke Rockhold should watch his back.
– The Sarah Kaufman vs. Alexis Davis fight on the prelims. If you were able to catch it on Showtime Extreme, consider yourself lucky. Kaufman/Davis was the kind of three-round brawl that you don’t often see in women’s MMA, and it went a long way in securing Kaufman as the rightful next-in-line for a bantamweight title shot. Kaufman will surely be a big underdog against Rousey, but her sprawl-and-brawl style is the perfect skillset for a fight against the champ.
The Bad – Scott Smith‘s physique. Judging by his soft midsection, Smith didn’t take preparations for his return to middleweight seriously enough, and it showed in his performance, where he was manhandled and out-grappled by relative newcomer Lumumba Sayers. The fight was over before Smith had a chance to make one of his miraculous comebacks. With four losses in a row, Smith’s time on the big stage might be over.
– The referee in Tate vs. Rousey not stopping the fight until about eight seconds after Tate’s arm had grown a new elbow. Tate showed her warrior heart by not tapping until the pain was overwhelming; the ref showed his ignorance by not stopping the fight until that moment.
– Josh Thomson‘s safety-first performance against KJ Noons, and his graceless analysis of it: “It was shit…My conditioning was shit, so my fight was shit.” Cool story, bro. Thomson made a big show of his anti-Obama t-shirt after the fight, but at least you have to give him credit for not being a creep about his political opinions, unlike some people we know.
The Ugly
– Kazuo Misaki’s face after his decision win over Paul Daley. After suffering a Marvin Eastman-caliber head gash in the third round, he also ended up with a Ryan McGillivray-style broken nose.
– The Nazi pedophile on the undercard. In an attempt to add more local flavor to the prelims, Strikeforce booked Ohio native Brandon Saling to fight Roger Bowling. Not-so-fun fact: Saling previously did time in prison on a “gross sexual imposition” charge for raping a 12-year-old girl. And he didn’t generate any sympathy last night when he stepped into the cage rocking white supremacist tattoos, including an ’88′ on his shoulder which is Neo Nazi code for “Heil Hitler.” To make a long story short, he’s a shit-stain on the underwear of humanity, and Strikeforce screwed up royally by not doing a basic background check before booking him on their televised prelim broadcast. This is not who we need representing us, guys.
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.
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….
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….
(“Hey Ryan. My wife saw a poster for your fight in the women’s bathroom at Macy’s. Cool, right”)
Ryan Couture is gearing up for the toughest fight of his career. When he meets Conor Heun in the cage on Saturday night, he’s almost assured a grueling brawl. Speaking this week with the son of UFC Hall-of-Famer Randy Couture, who is blazing his own trail in MMA as one of the sport’s top prospects, the veteran-like confidence and focus he displayed was immediately evident. The grounded 29-year-old says he is not taking anything for granted in this fight, and that he has prepared himself to go the distance with a very formidable opponent.
Check out what the 3-1 well-rounded Strikeforce prospect had to say after the jump.
(“Hey Ryan. My wife saw a poster for your fight in the women’s bathroom at Macy’s. Cool, right”)
Ryan Couture is gearing up for the toughest fight of his career. When he meets Conor Heun in the cage on Saturday night, he’s almost assured a grueling brawl. Speaking this week with the son of UFC Hall-of-Famer Randy Couture, who is blazing his own trail in MMA as one of the sport’s top prospects, the veteran-like confidence and focus he displayed was immediately evident. The grounded 29-year-old says he is not taking anything for granted in this fight, and that he has prepared himself to go the distance with a very formidable opponent.
Here’s what the well-rounded Strikeforce prospect had to say:
On Heun’s emotional investment in the fight:
“I know Conor’s a real intense guy, and he brings that intensity into the cage, so we knew we were in for a fight when we signed this one. Everybody’s different, but I know for me, personally, if I was fighting on that much emotion and aggression, it wouldn’t play out well for me, but it seems to have worked well for him. Obviously, he’s had a lot of success in his career, and it seems that’s the head space he needs to get into to perform his best. It’s working for him, so I wouldn’t criticize it.”
On the underestimation of his submission skills:
“People put a lot of weight on belt level, and the fact that he’s a high ranking guy under Eddie [Bravo], who’s so well respected. I have a lot of respect for that system, as well. Having fought Sean Bollinger — another one of Eddie’s black belts — as an amateur, I know those guys are no joke. I’ve got to be ready for that, but I train hard, and I’m very confident in my ground game. I think we match up well. From what I’ve been hearing, his plan is to try and drag me into a brawl and keep the fight standing, so it’ll be interesting to see how this thing plays out. I know I’m going to be exhausted at the end of that 15 minutes, but I’m planning to come out of it with my hand raised.”
On his fight expectations:
“I would always prefer to finish it quick. It minimizes the chance of me getting injured and having any kind of a layoff. It’s just nice to get in there and get it over with, but my expectation, just knowing how tough and durable and scrappy Conor is, is that we’re going to have to go the distance in this fight, and I’m ready for that, too. It’s almost more satisfying when you go deep into the fight and are able to come out and win the fight that way, even though physically, it’s really demanding, but there’s a certain sense of satisfaction that comes along with that. Given my choice between the two, I’d rather get the quick finish.”
On the respect he has for Heun:
“I’ve got nothing but respect for Conor. I’ve watched him fight for the last couple years, and always been impressed with that mentality and heart that he brings to the cage, and he seems to be a nice guy, although he can be a little out there sometimes. He’s into some different things than I am, but he seems to be a pretty likable guy, and I got no problem grabbing a beer with him after we finish beating each other up.”
On Strikeforce’s promotion of undercards:
“I think it would have maybe been wise to spend a little more time and effort on promoting some of the undercard fights, just because it’s such a stacked card. I think this card is just being known as this big women’s fight, but there are a lot of really good match-ups on the undercard. I think they could’ve gotten some mileage out of pushing the Thomson and Noons fight. That’s going to be a great fight. Even on the prelims, Pat Healy and Caros Fodor, and my fight, as well, are all compelling match ups that would draw some interest. I definitely wouldn’t criticize the way it’s been marketed. I think they did a really good job promoting that particular fight, but I think they had a lot more interesting match ups on the card that they could’ve used as well, to draw even more eyes to it. Sean Shelby did such a great job putting together this card, that it’s kind of a bummer to not see the whole card, top to bottom, get as much attention as that one fight.”
Ryan Couture vs. Conor Heun goes down this Saturday, March 3, in Ohio, and will be broadcast on Showtime Extreme. The match-up has all the markings of Fight of the Night, and should set the pace leading into the rest of the stacked card. Hopefully it meets expectations and brings the undercards more buzz in the not-to-distant future like they deserve.
(HAVE I EVER TOLD YOU ABOUT THE TIME I ACCIDENTALLY DRANK TOM ERIKSON’S SWEAT? I HAVE? WELL F*CK YOU THEN!!)
In December, our dear friend Gary Goodridge released an autobiography called Gatekeeper. Co-written by CagePotato contributor Mark Dorsey, the book is an honest and eye-opening account of Goodridge’s hard-knock upbringing, his early career triumphs in arm-wrestling and MMA, his career decline, and everything in between. It’s a must-read for any hardcore fight fan, and we’ve got two copies to give away, signed by Big Daddy himself.
To earn one, you’ll have to dominate our latest test of fight-picking skill. This weekend gives us two notable MMA events: UFC on FX 2: Alves vs. Kampmann on Friday and Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey on Saturday. Submit your predictions for both main events in the comments section below, including the winner’s name, the method of victory, and the time/round of stoppage, if any. Your entry should be in this format:
(HAVE I EVER TOLD YOU ABOUT THE TIME I ACCIDENTALLY DRANK TOM ERIKSON’S SWEAT? I HAVE? WELL F*CK YOU THEN!!)
In December, our dear friend Gary Goodridge released an autobiography called Gatekeeper. Co-written by CagePotato contributor Mark Dorsey, the book is an honest and eye-opening account of Goodridge’s hard-knock upbringing, his early career triumphs in arm-wrestling and MMA, his career decline, and everything in between. It’s a must-read for any hardcore fight fan, and we’ve got two copies to give away, signed by Big Daddy himself.
To earn one, you’ll have to dominate our latest test of fight-picking skill. This weekend gives us two notable MMA events: UFC on FX 2: Alves vs. Kampmann on Friday and Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey on Saturday. Submit your predictions for both main events in the comments section below, including the winner’s name, the method of victory, and the time/round of stoppage, if any. Your entry should be in this format:
– Martin Kampmann def. Thiago Alves via split-decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
– Miesha Tate def. Ronda Rousey via TKO, 3:08 of round 2
Please include the judges’ scores if you think a fight will end in a decision, in case we need them for a tie-breaker. (Keep in mind that Alves vs. Kampmann is a three-rounder, and Tate vs. Rousey is scheduled for five.) The two most accurate predictions win a copy of the book. Entries must be in by tomorrow at 9 p.m. ET, and we’ll announce the winner on Monday; one entry per person, please. Any other questions, let us know. Good luck!
(Photo courtesy of Showtime. Full gallery is after the jump.)
This Saturday, Miesha Tate puts her Strikeforce bantamweight title on the line against sassy armbar-savant Ronda Rousey, in the first major MMA event to be headlined by two women since Carano vs. Cyborg. Will Tate’s experience and wrestling win the day, or will “Rowdy Ronda” continue her phenomenal rise? Check out these stunning promo photos from our buddies at Showtime and let us know what you think in the comments section. And don’t forget to come back to CagePotato.com on Saturday night starting at 10 p.m. ET to join our liveblog of the Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey main card broadcast on Showtime!
This Saturday, Miesha Tate puts her Strikeforce bantamweight title on the line against sassy armbar-savant Ronda Rousey, in the first major MMA event to be headlined by two women since Carano vs. Cyborg. Will Tate’s experience and wrestling win the day, or will “Rowdy Ronda” continue her phenomenal rise? Check out these stunning promo photos from our buddies at Showtime and let us know what you think in the comments section. And don’t forget to come back to CagePotato.com on Saturday night starting at 10 p.m. ET to join our liveblog of the Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey main card broadcast on Showtime!
