I get it; we’re all a little burned out right now. With two UFC events over the last six days and a Strikeforce event scheduled for tomorrow night in Portland, you might be thinking, well, maybe I can sit this one out and come back strong for Rousey vs. Kaufman. Over-saturation must be the culprit, because there’s no other explanation for why a card with two title fights — featuring the always-thrilling Luke Rockhold and the return of Nate Marquardt — should be completely ignored by fans and media alike. You want to talk about lack of heat? Wikipedia hasn’t even bothered to create a page for this event. That is cold, brother.
Unfortunately, the fighters have to compete whether you guys care or not. And they know you don’t care. And that really sucks for them. Strikeforce held a press conference yesterday to promote the Rockhold vs. Kennedy card, in which the headliners answered questions from “two reporters in four rows of chairs,” according to this thoroughly depressing account by Steven Marrocco of MMA Junkie.
“I just came from Vegas, where they had 2,000 people at the weigh-in,” said Tyron Woodley, who will be fighting Marquardt for the vacant Strikeforce welterweight title. “I think it’s a disrespect to Strikeforce. It should be advertised a little bit more.” Marrocco points out that the UFC 148 weigh-in attendance was closer to 8,000 if you want to split hairs.
Tim Kennedy, as you can imagine, was even less courteous in his assessment:
I get it; we’re all a little burned out right now. With two UFC events over the last six days and a Strikeforce event scheduled for tomorrow night in Portland, you might be thinking, well, maybe I can sit this one out and come back strong for Rousey vs. Kaufman. Over-saturation must be the culprit, because there’s no other explanation for why a card with two title fights — featuring the always-thrilling Luke Rockhold and the return of Nate Marquardt — should be completely ignored by fans and media alike. You want to talk about lack of heat? Wikipedia hasn’t even bothered to create a page for this event. That is cold, brother.
Unfortunately, the fighters have to compete whether you guys care or not. And they know you don’t care. And that really sucks for them. Strikeforce held a press conference yesterday to promote the Rockhold vs. Kennedy card, in which the headliners answered questions from “two reporters in four rows of chairs,” according to this thoroughly depressing account by Steven Marrocco of MMA Junkie.
“I just came from Vegas, where they had 2,000 people at the weigh-in,” said Tyron Woodley, who will be fighting Marquardt for the vacant Strikeforce welterweight title. “I think it’s a disrespect to Strikeforce. It should be advertised a little bit more.” Marrocco points out that the UFC 148 weigh-in attendance was closer to 8,000 if you want to split hairs.
Tim Kennedy, as you can imagine, was even less courteous in his assessment:
“Take a picture. There’s not a single goddamn reporter here. There’s four of you guys. This is two title fights for Strikeforce. It’s crystal clear that nobody gives a [expletive]. They don’t. I knock Rockhold out on Saturday night? Changes nothing for me. Nothing in, like, what media publications are going to cover me, who talks about me, sponsors I’m going to get. Do you know how much money I didn’t make in sponsors for this fight because nobody cares about Strikeforce? It’s insane.
“I’m fighting one of the best fighters on the planet. Not top 10 — like top five. I’m very confident that both Luke and I would clean house all the way to the top one or two guys in the UFC that could finally give us a fight, and nobody cares. It doesn’t make any sense. Just the ignorance of the sport and the athletes, there’s no way we can change that unless you let us fight other guys outside of the organization, and that’s just not going to happen.”
No, it’s not, at least for the foreseeable future. The current contract between Zuffa and Showtime to broadcast Strikeforce events runs through 2014, which means that at least some of Strikeforce’s fighters will be forced to toil away on this promotional ghost-ship indefinitely. For fighters like Kennedy and Rockhold — who are dying for more exposure and the chance to prove that they rank among the best middleweights in the world — it must feel like a prison sentence. Sure, there’s always the possibility down the road that the UFC will poach the guys who continue to win, but Strikeforce isn’t exactly a priority for Dana White these days.
If it matters, we’ll be liveblogging Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Kennedy tomorrow night starting at 10 p.m. ET. Come by and say what’s up. It’s literally the least you could do.
Luke Rockhold vs. Tim Kennedy Headlining the Strikeforce card on Saturday night is a middleweight title fight between champion Luke Rockhold and challenger Tim Kennedy. Rockhold has earned eight straight victories after suffering his only.
Luke Rockhold vs. Tim Kennedy
Headlining the Strikeforce card on Saturday night is a middleweight title fight between champion Luke Rockhold and challenger Tim Kennedy. Rockhold has earned eight straight victories after suffering his only loss in his second career fight. His last two victories have been his most impressive coming against Ronaldo Souza and Keith Jardine. Kennedy has put together back to back victories over Melvin Manhoef and Robbie Lawler after losing a championship fight against Souza.
Rockhold comes in with momentum after dominating Jardine and finishing him via TKO in the first round. But his victory before that against Souza to win the belt was even more impressive. Souza is one of the better fighters in the middleweight division and Rockhold managed to keep the fight mostly on the feet and battered him from there. He has shown an increasingly diversified striking game combined with a defensive wrestling and scrambling ability that allow him to take advantage of his strengths in the standup. He will look to do just that against Kennedy who prefers to take fighters down and work for submission. Kennedy is a good striker but Rockhold should have the advantage and as long as he can keep the fight standing, he should be able to earn the victory. Kennedy will be tough to finish but if he does it, that would be another impressive statement. More likely is a unanimous decision after five rounds of high level striking.
Kennedy’s biggest asset to this point in his career has been his grappling. He has found the most success by taking his opponents down and working for submissions. He has also shown some excellent ground and pound. If he wants to use those skills, he has a tough task as Rockhold has shown excellent takedown defense and Kennedy isn’t a great wrestler. He will need to mix in his takedowns with his striking and time his shots as counters to Rockhold’s striking to have the best chance of success. He will also need to work hard to keep Rockhold down as he has shown an excellent ability to get back to his feet once on he hits the ground. If Kennedy can get Rockhold down and keep him there, he can win this fight. But that will be difficult to do and he will need to keep Rockhold guessing and off balance in order to do it.
Rockhold is the big favorite at -310 with Kennedy at +255. This fight sets up in Rockhold’s favor as he should be able to defends against Kennedy’s takedowns and keep the fight standing. If that happens, Rockhold should have the advantage and strike his way to a victory. But if Kennedy can somehow find a way to get the fight to the mat and control Rockhold , he could pull of the upset.
Nate Marquardt vs. Tyron Woodley
The first title fight of the night will feature former UFC contender Nate Marquardt and undefeated prospect Tyron Woodley competing for the vacant Strikeforce welterweight belt. Marquardt comes to Strikeforce after alternating wins and losses in his last five UFC appearances. He earned a decision victory over Dan Miller at UFC 128 in his last fight after losing to Yushin Okami in a title contender elimination fight. Woodley has been impressive in his undefeated Strikeforce run earning victories over Jordan Mein and Paul Daley in his last two fights bringing his record to ten wins and no losses.
Marquardt has long been one of the better fighters in the middleweight division but has been unable to climb to the top of division. Because of that, he has decided to not only drop to welterweight but has also made the jump from the UFC to Strikeforce where he can fight for a title immediately. Marquardt basically had no choice but to be a big fish in the small Strikeforce pond after the UFC released him. He has lost a bit of credibility in the past year with his testosterone replacement therapy saga but this fight is an opportunity to get his career back on the right track. He brings a well-rounded skill set to the cage with the ability to finish from any position. Against an excellent wrestler like Woodley, expect him to try to keep the fight standing. The key to this fight will be his defensive wrestling. If he can fend off Woodley’s takedowns, he should have the advantage in the striking game. But if he finds himself on his back, he’ll be in trouble. The other key will be how his body handles the weight cut. If this fight goes five rounds, his body will be tested. Any time a fighter makes a change in weight class the first fight is always a bit of a challenge and five rounds will only make the challenge even more difficult.
Woodley’s win streak to start his career is now at ten fights and he will look to make it eleven by earning the first title of his MMA career. He is not as well-rounded as his opponent and will rely almost entirely on his wrestling to earn the victory. He needs to be able to get Marquardt down and control him on the ground. At this point in his career, he doesn’t have the striking to compete on the feet. He has the power to land a haymaker but not the technique to consistently outstrike Marquardt. Because of that, he needs to focus on getting the fight to the ground and grinding his way to victory. The more he can force Marquardt to wrestle the better his chances of wearing him out and testing the weight cut become. His chances also improve as the fight goes longer for the same reasons. If Woodley wants to win, he has to make the fight slow and ugly. And luckily for him, that’s exactly his style.
Marquardt is the slight favorite in this fight at -130 with Woodley coming in at +110. That seems about right as Marquardt has a significant advantage in experience and Woodley has never faced anyone of his caliber before. If Marquardt’s defensive wrestling is good enough to keep the fight standing, he should be able to earn the victory. But if Woodley can be successful with his takedowns and maintain top position, he’ll grind his way to a decision.
Robbie Lawler vs. Lorenz Larkin
Strikeforce is showing a little love to the fans by giving us a guaranteed slugfest and more than likely a KO or TKO finish with a middleweight fight between Lorenz Larkin and Robbie Lawler. Both fighters prefer to stand and both have the power to finish. Larkin is the more technical fighter and uses a more well-rounded striking attack incorporating a variety of kicks into his game. Lawler prefers to box and mix in some powerful knees when the opportunity arises. However, Lawler may have the slight advantage in power and explosiveness.
The analysis for this fight is pretty straightforward. These guys are going to stand and bang and eventually one of them is probably going to fall. None of the major sites have a line on this fight but if they did, it would have to be close. Either fighter is capable of landing the strike that ends the fight at any moment. I could stretch this out longer to try to sound smarter but this fight is what is so enjoy it for as long as it lasts. I know I will.
Roger Gracie vs. Keith Jardine
To open a big night for Strikeforce that features two title fights, Roger Gracie will face Keith Jardine in the light heavyweight division. Gracie carries the banner for the first family of MMA into this fight against Jardine who carries the banner for ugly fighting styles. These two fighters are polar opposites in their approaches with Gracie coming from a storied Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu background and employing a traditional style that led him to great success on the grappling circuit while Jardine seems to come into every fight looking to make it an ugly brawl to create openings for his powerful punches.
Gracie’s striking has improved in recent fights but he is still a grappler first. He will be looking to get the fight to the mat as quickly as possible and avoid engaging Jardine on the feet. The question will be whether or not he has the wrestling to succeed in taking down Jardine. If he can, the fight will likely be over quickly after that. Jardine will be looking to ugly up the fight as much as possible and use his unorthodox striking to keep Gracie off balance. While Gracie has shown a willingness to strike, he still doesn’t seem to respond well to getting hit and if Jardine can land one of his looping punches, he could get an opportunity to finish his opponent. But he needs to be careful because if he stuns Gracie and follows him to the ground to try for a finish, he could find himself in a submission.
The bookmakers have Gracie as a solid favorite at -260 with Jardine at +180. I’m not sure why Gracie is such a big favorite given that the fight will start on the feet and Jardine has a significant advantage in that area. I’m also not convinced that Gracie will be able to drag Jardine to the mat before eating a few shots. Both fighters have a clear path to victory here and the winner will be determined by who executes his gameplan more efficiently. If Gracie gets the fight to the ground, he should be able to wrap it up quickly. But if Jardine can keep the fight standing, he has the power to finish Gracie.
Eight months after being fired by the UFC for elevated testosterone levels before a scheduled match with Rick Story, Nate Marquardt is back under the Zuffa umbrella. The former UFC middleweight contender has signed with Strikeforce, where he is expected to make his long-delayed welterweight debut later this year. UFC president Dana White confirmed the news on last night’s edition of UFC Tonight on FUEL.
MMA Junkie adds that Marquardt’s first opponent in Strikeforce could be undefeated (though occasionally boring) 170-pound contender Tyron Woodley, who holds victories over Jordan Mein, Paul Daley, and Andre Galvao; verbal agreements are reportedly in place for the matchup. With the Strikeforce welterweight title still vacant, a Marquardt vs. Woodley match could have great significance to the promotion. Could this be Nate’s first step back to the Octagon? Or does Woodley pull a Chael and out-wrestle Marquardt for three rounds?
(Snot rocket, five points.)
Eight months after being fired by the UFC for elevated testosterone levels before a scheduled match with Rick Story, Nate Marquardt is back under the Zuffa umbrella. The former UFC middleweight contender has signed with Strikeforce, where he is expected to make his long-delayed welterweight debut later this year. UFC president Dana White confirmed the news on last night’s edition of UFC Tonight on FUEL.
MMA Junkie adds that Marquardt’s first opponent in Strikeforce could be undefeated (though occasionally boring) 170-pound contender Tyron Woodley, who holds victories over Jordan Mein, Paul Daley, and Andre Galvao; verbal agreements are reportedly in place for the matchup. With the Strikeforce welterweight title still vacant, a Marquardt vs. Woodley match could have great significance to the promotion. Could this be Nate’s first step back to the Octagon? Or does Woodley pull a Chael and out-wrestle Marquardt for three rounds?
Before signing with Strikeforce, Marquardt spent a fruitless six months signed to BAMMA, where his debut was postponed twice, leading Marquardt to part ways with the company in January. His last fight was a unanimous decision victory over Dan Miller at UFC 128 last March.
Filed under: StrikeforceHope you enjoyed your free preview weekend of Showtime in all its MMA-tastic glory. Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine went down more or less exactly as expected on Saturday night, with every favorite notching a victory and every…
Hope you enjoyed your free preview weekend of Showtime in all its MMA-tastic glory. Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine went down more or less exactly as expected on Saturday night, with every favorite notching a victory and every underdog taking a beating that was almost perfectly in line with how long their odds of success were.
With the event over and the Showtime preview curtain drawn closed, it’s time once again to sort through the action in search of the biggest winners, losers, and everything in between.
Biggest Winner: Luke Rockhold
He took a tough situation and made it look easy. Granted, a win over Keith Jardine doesn’t mean what it did five years ago, but you can’t complain about a first-round knockout. Rockhold was calm when he needed to be and ruthlessly aggressive when he saw his opening. He looked like a champion, in other words. His appeal for the UFC to send him some challengers was also a pretty savvy move. Zuffa won’t bring him over to the big show? Then let the big show come to him. Framing it that way lets the fans know that he wants bigger challenges just as badly as they want to see him challenged, but without alienating his employers in the process. For now, Strikeforce could match him against either Tim Kennedy or Robbie Lawler without eliciting too many groans, but if Rockhold keeps winning that talent pool is going to become a puddle very quickly.
Biggest Loser: Adlan Amagov
It looks bad enough when you wind up and hit a guy with a very illegal knee early in the first round. It looks even worse when that same guy comes right back at you with a very legal knee that floors you en route to a quick finish. Amagov seemed to be doing well against Lawler in the opening seconds, but that flagrant foul halted his momentum and only made Lawler mad. Then Amagov found out for himself what it’s like to be on the business end of a Lawler blitz. Strikeforce seemed hot on the young Russian coming into this bout, and that enthusiasm was not entirely unfounded. But this loss shows that he’s still in need of a little more seasoning — and maybe a primer on the unified rules — before he’s ready for the big fights.
Most Predictable: Keith Jardine
Again, you can’t blame Jardine for stepping up and taking his shot when Strikeforce offered — what’s he supposed to say, ‘Thanks, but I don’t deserve it’? — but the rest of us saw this coming. Jardine’s toughness has never been a question, but his skills have eroded with age. So has his chin. As nice a guy as Jardine is, we’ve got to be honest and admit that he’d done nothing to justify a title shot. Yes, he’s had a full, interesting career. And sure, anything can happen in a fight. At least, theoretically. At the same time, just because a given outcome is not impossible that does not make it likely. ‘Anything can happen’ is what you tell yourself when you’re about to do something that you know is a bad idea. It’s a way of reassuring yourself that while failure may be likely, it’s not guaranteed. That’s fine for some pursuits, like buying a lottery ticket. But maybe it’s not the right way to go about booking title fights.
Most Impressive in Defeat: Tyler Stinson
When the fight stayed standing, he had Tarec Saffiedine looking worried and confused. It was just when it hit the mat that Stinson seemed woefully out of his element. If he had better takedown defense or even just more of a sense of urgency about getting off his back, maybe this one would have gone a different way. Instead, he came off looking like a decent prospect with some obvious holes in his game. That’s not the worst thing that can happen. Saffiedine is a good fighter who’s struggled less with bigger names, so Stinson can take some minor solace in that. He can also get back in the gym and improve his wrestling, and then maybe the next time he gets a shot like this he’ll earn more than just a moral victory.
Least Impressive in Victory: Tyron Woodley
If you’ve been waiting for Woodley to develop into something more than just a wrestler with perfunctory ground-and-pound, your wait continues. He had little trouble taking Jordan Mein down and keeping him there, but once on top he seemed to put it in cruise control. Woodley’s ground attack appears designed solely to avoid stand-ups and submissions. Anything else — say, I don’t know, damaging his opponent in search of a finish — is a bonus. There were very few bonuses to be had against Mein, and so Woodley contented himself with staying on top and out of harm’s way. That’s smart, in a way, and it resulted in a decision victory. But as far as career advancement goes, it’s maybe not the best strategy. Woodley is 10-0 in his three years as a pro, which means he ought to be able to do a little more than just wrestle at this point. This fight was a great opportunity for him to show off a more well-rounded game, or at least a little more aggression once he had the fight where he wanted it. He took the cautious approach instead, and fans surely took note.
Most Passionately Compassionate: Mo Lawal
After knocking out Lorenz Larkin with a torrent of rapid-fire right hands, Lawal’s biggest concern seemed to be the lack of concern displayed by referee Kim Winslow. He seemed disgusted with how long she allowed the beating to continue and could even be heard on the broadcast chiding her for it as they stood awaiting the official announcement. Winslow claimed she wanted to give Larkin the chance to show he was still in it, but this was after he’d already been knocked out of it and then briefly back in again. Apparently Lawal doesn’t like being forced to hurt his fellow man more than is absolutely necessary, which is strange, considering his stated goal of ending “Feijao” Cavalcante’s career in a rematch. Let’s hope Winslow isn’t the ref for that one.
Strangest Sight: Mauro Ranallo interviewing Dana White
A year ago it would have been difficult to imagine a Strikeforce broadcast punctuated by a cageside interview with the UFC president. And now there he is, standing alongside the voice of MMA on Showtime, doing an interview that is noticeably less enthusiastic than the screaming pre-fight pitches he’s used to doing with Joe Rogan. In fairness, this time White didn’t have a pay-per-view to sell, but neither did he look terribly happy about his camera time. I guess some things you do because you want to, and other things you do because you have to. For White, all things Strikeforce seem to fall into the latter category.
In a disturbing instance of foreshadowing, Scott Coker waits way too long to intervene. Props: Five Ounces of Pain
We’ll be honest: It’s getting pretty hard to write Strikeforce aftermath articles anymore. With a Strikeforce event, you already know that the favorite is going to win. You already know that the champions have run out of legitimate challengers. Every aftermath piece we’ve written for a Strikeforce event since the UFC’s acquisition of the organization demonstrates this. Essentially, the organization is going through the motions, yet we have to find a way to write something original about it.
Heading into Rockhold vs. Jardine, it was pretty clear that the organization was giving Jardine a title shot out of convenience. He was healthy, available and had a name that fans recognized. Because Strikeforce isn’t planning on growing as an organization, those qualifications were enough to earn him a title shot against Middleweight Champion Luke Rockhold, despite never having competed at middleweight before. The fight didn’t come off as a legitimate title fight- it came off as a litmus test for Rockhold.
Keith Jardine gave us the same performance that we’ve come to expect from him. His awkward movement and looping punches seemed to confuse Rockhold at first, but once Luke Rockhold managed to figure out Jardine’s style he controlled the fight. While looking like a guy who hadn’t weighed 185 pounds since the ninth grade didn’t help Keith Jardine’s cause, it’s hard to imagine that a less fatigued Dean of Mean would have done significantly better. Luke Rockhold is the younger, more diverse fighter. Jardine 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 Rockhold did.
In a disturbing instance of foreshadowing, Scott Coker waits way too long to intervene. Props: Five Ounces of Pain
We’ll be honest: It’s getting pretty hard to write Strikeforce aftermath articles anymore. With a Strikeforce event, you already know that the favorite is going to win. You already know that the champions have run out of legitimate challengers. Every aftermath piece we’ve written for a Strikeforce event since the UFC’s acquisition of the organization demonstrates this. Essentially, the organization is going through the motions, yet we have to find a way to write something original about it.
Heading into Rockhold vs. Jardine, it was pretty clear that the organization was giving Jardine a title shot out of convenience. He was healthy, available and had a name that fans recognized. Because Strikeforce isn’t planning on growing as an organization, those qualifications were enough to earn him a title shot against Middleweight Champion Luke Rockhold, despite never having competed at middleweight before. The fight didn’t come off as a legitimate title fight- it came off as a litmus test for Rockhold.
Keith Jardine gave us the same performance that we’ve come to expect from him. His awkward movement and looping punches seemed to confuse Rockhold at first, but once Luke Rockhold managed to figure out Jardine’s style he controlled the fight. While looking like a guy who hadn’t weighed 185 pounds since the ninth grade didn’t help Keith Jardine’s cause, it’s hard to imagine that a less fatigued Dean of Mean would have done significantly better. Luke Rockhold is the younger, more diverse fighter. Jardine 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 Rockhold did.
Still, don’t expect Luke Rockhold’s next fight to be in the UFC. The UFC’s middleweight division already has challengers waiting for Anderson Silva- they don’t need to rush him out of the minors just yet. Besides, Strikeforce still has a legitimate challenger for Rockhold in the form of Tim Kennedy. If he can get past an opponent of Kennedy’s caliber, then expect him to earn a call up.
It was good to watch Robbie Lawler get back in the win column last night, as expected. After eating an illegal knee from Amagov, Lawler responded with a devastating flying knee of his own. While Lawler may not be getting a call up any time soon, he is always an exciting fighter to watch. On the other end of the spectrum, King Mo’s brutal knockout over Lorenz Larkin may have earned him a call up. Aside from a rematch with Rafael Cavalcante, there aren’t any compelling fights left for King Mo in Strikeforce. He’s demonstrated that he’s capable of surviving in the big leagues. Plus, his ongoing beef with Rampage Jackson makes for a compelling matchup.
Also of note, exactly one year after their first meeting, Tyron Woodley and Tarec Saffiedine more than likely set themselves up for a rematch against each other. Both men outworked their opponents en route to a split decision victory. While Woodley arguably should have won by unanimous decision, Saffiedine fought a much closer bout with Tyler Stinson, being caught early but managing to take control in the second and third rounds. Time will tell if this rematch will be for the vacant Strikeforce Welterweight title as well.
Main Bouts (on Showtime):
-Luke Rockhold def. Keith Jardine by TKO (strikes) at 4:26, R1
-Robbie Lawler def. Adlan Amagov by TKO (knee and strikes) at 1:48, R1
-Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal def. Lorenz Larkin by TKO (strikes) at 1:32, R2
-Tyron Woodley def. Jordan Mein by split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
-Tarec Saffiedine def. Tyler Stinson by split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
Preliminary Bouts (on Sho Extreme): -Nah-Shon Burrell def. James Terry by split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
-Gian Villante def. Trevor Smith by TKO (punches) at 1:05, R1
-Ricky Legere def. Chris Spang by unanimous decision (29-28 on all cards)
-Estevan Payan def. Alonzo Martinez by unanimous decision (30-27 on all cards)
I fully expect tonight’s liveblog turnout to be more of an “intimate” affair, but that doesn’t mean we won’t do our best to give you a good show. Round-by-round results from the “Rockhold vs. Jardine” main card broadcast will be piling up after the jump starting at 10 p.m. ET, courtesy of CagePotato liveblog up-and-comer Steve Silverman. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comments section. Thanks for coming, guys.
(Worst. Charity bachelor auction. Ever. / Photo via Strikeforce)
I fully expect tonight’s liveblog turnout to be more of an “intimate” affair, but that doesn’t mean we won’t do our best to give you a good show. Round-by-round results from the “Rockhold vs. Jardine” main card broadcast will be piling up after the jump starting at 10 p.m. ET, courtesy of CagePotato liveblog up-and-comer Steve Silverman. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comments section. Thanks for coming, guys.
Our main event tonight is Luke Rockhold vs. Keith Jardine for the middleweight championship. We’ll start our coverage with Tyler Stinson vs. Tarec Saffiedine coming up right around the top of the hour.
Stinson has a 23-7 record while Saffiedine is 11-3 as these two welterweights hope to move up the ladder tonight. Let’s hope these guys go after it and don’t dance for three rounds. Good action and aggressiveness is a must. Round 1 upcoming.
Is there anyone who’s more of a jive-ass than Showtime announcer Mauro Ranallo? What a mope….
Stinson vs. Saffiedine
Round 1: Stinson with the hippy samurai hair do…Looks like he’d rather be in the club. Saffiedine is much more conventional looking and is a solid wrestler. …. Stinson with a straight left early. Stinson more aggressive early, Saffiedine wants to counter…Saffiedine pretty quick with his kicks. Good combination by Saffiedine. Good right roundhouse by Saffiedine followed by a straight right kick. Stinson connects with an elbow and almost puts Saffiedine down. Saffiedine cut around the right eye and it looks serious. Good left by Stinson and he’s looking for the nockout. Stinson is n charge. He’s getting hit hard. Stinson takes charge with a big finish.
Round 2: Stinson looking for power shots at the start of the round. He sees the blood and he wants to finish the round. Saffiedine is very defensive and looks to protect himself. Right kick by Stinson. Good 1-2 by Saffiedine and he registers a takedown with a solid shoulder drive to the midsection. Saffiedine trying to ground and pound and he is delivering shots — mostly to the ribs. Saffiedine is not doing a lot of damage but he has changed the momentum right now. Saffiedine trying to dig elbows to Stinson’s face and Stinson is bleeding. Big round for Saffiedine.
Round 3: Stinson hit below the belt to start off the round and is given time to recover. It was a right foot to the nuts. …
Saffiedine with another takedown. Very aggressive and wants to take control. More rib shots by Saffiedine. Maintains control and he is putting the pressure on Stinson. Elbows from Saffiedine are causing problems. Stinson can’t get up at this point. Stinson just ducks a big shot to the head. Blood all over Stinson’s body, some of it is from Saffiedine’s head cuts. Fighters standup in the final minute and it’s a bloodbath. Knee by Saffiedine hurts Stinson. Stinson coming on with combinations. Saffiedine out of gas at the horn. It looks like Saffiediene will hold on.
The decision goes to: Saffiedine…it’s a 2-1 split decision….
Next bout Tyron Woodley vs. Jordan Mein…another 3-rounder….
Woodley brings a 9-0 overall record into this bout, while Mein is 23-7.
Round 1: Woodley opens with a left roundhouse kick. Mein trying to measure Woodley against the cage. Woodley grabs hold and trying to get the takedown. Mein is avoiding the takedwon by using his length to gain leverage. Referee breaks them up and back to striking. Mein with and uppercut and Woodley takes him down. Woodley delivering punches. Mein tries to scramble away but Woodley is too quick and balanced to let him get away. Woodley looks comfortable on top but he has to start striking. Big elbow by Woodley but no follow up. Mein gets up. Knee from Woodley in final seconds. Not a lot of action, but it is Woodley’s round.
Round 2: Woodley is stronger and more powerful and he is looking confident at the start of the round. He gets in a solid right hand punch. Woodley takes down Mein once again. Solid right elbow by Woodley. Mein looks frustrated because he really can’t attack. Mein tries to throw elbows and they are landing to top of Woodley’s head. Mein trying to throw elbows and he is starting to be more effective. Woodley in control but he is not doing much damage. Woodley tapping Mein’s ribs. Mein tries guillotine but Woodley gets out of it. Even round even though Woodley was on top.
Round 3: Woodley ducks under a knee and registers another takedown. Mein uses the cage and pushes the match into the center of the cage. Left hook from the bottom by Mein and more left hand punches and elbows. Woodly finally throws a right hand and then a right elbow. Mein is resting even though his corner is imploring him to stay busy with two minutes to go. The fans want actin and they are booing. While Woodley is not throwing a lot, he doe maintain control. Ref stand them up and they start grappling. Woodley has his arms locked around the midsection. Not enough action. Woodley is the stronger man. He is in control as the fight ends. Poor fight but you have to give it to Woodley.
Decision: Woodley wins split decision. It should have been unanimous.
Next fight: King Mo Lawal (8-1) vs. Lorenz Larkin (12-0)
Larkin is a big striker but he will have his hands filled with the superior wrestling of King Mo…
Round 1: King Mo grabs Larkin’s leg and throws him down. King Mo trying to ground and pound. Very powerful and balanced. Larkin tries to scramble out but King Mo maintains control. Big right hands and elbows by King Mo. Larkin trying to sit out and he does deliver a right elbow. King Mo with some lefts in addition to the rights. Square shot to Larkin’s nose. Rib shots delivered by King Mo. He is punishing Larkin. Referee stands them up for no reason since King Mo was in control. Larking misses with wild left. Neither fighter does much in last 30 seconds. Give the round to King Mo.
Round 2: King Mo starts with an overhand right and grabs right leg. He takes Larkin down. King Mo delivering rights to body and head. He has power and is punishing Larkin. Larkin in huge trouble. He finishes King Mo with a sensational series of rights and Larkin is left defenseless.
King Mo wins big.
His hard right-hand punches were making a loud thump everytime he made contact with Larkin’s head. It could have been stopped 10 seconds earlier. Larkin could have been hurt badly.
Lawler is 18-8 while Amagov brings a 9-1-1 record into this fight.
Lawler is a big-time striker and he wants to reverse trend that has seen him lose 3 of 4. Amagov is a rough customer, a strong wrestler and a big hitter.
Round 1: Lawler charge but Amagov goes for the takedown. Amagov going for the guillotine and then delivers an illegal knee since Lawler was grounded. Lawler is getting a chance to recover. Amagov will lose a point for that illegal blow. Lawler finds his opening, delivers a knee and unloads on Amagov and stops him. The fight is over.
Lawler wins big!!!
Lawler needed just one flying knee to stun his opponent and then deliver hard punches. Great killer instinct. Referee had no choice but to stop fight because Amagov went limp.
The fight is stopped at 1:48 of the first round and goes into the books as a TKO for Lawler.
The feature bout between middleweight champion Luke Rockhold and challenger Keith Jardine is next. This is a 5-round bout. Jardine wants to turn this into a brawl, while Rockhold wants to use all his skills to defend his title.
Rockhold is 28 and brings an 8-1 record into the fight, while the veteran Jardine is 37 and has a 17-9-2 record.
Jardine does not respect Rockhold, calling him a “pretty fighter.” Rockhold has a lot of skills and seems quite confident.
Round 1: Rockhold with a solid left r0undhous kick to start. Jardine cut 19 pounds prior to the start of the fight to make weight. They are wrestling at the side of the cage and Rockhold delivering a few kicks. Right elbow from Rockhold. Jardine hit with a spinning back kick. Rockhold with a combination, Jardine with a left hand. Jardine looks slow and ponderous with roundhouse punches. Right hand by Rockhold drops Jardine, but he gets up right away. Another right by Rochkhold and Jardine goes down. He then launches a series of punches and Jardine can’t defend himself. Rockhold wins big.
Jardine could not compete. He was not quick enough with his hands and he could not defend himself. Rockhold showed he can be a devastating finisher.
Jardine looked tired and slow throughout. He was out of his element tonight.
The official time is 4:21 and Rockhold retains his middleweight title.
Rockhold was very confident going in and he used his speed and skills to get an edge. He overpowered his opponent tonight and he appears to be getting better every time he fights.
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