With two world titles on the line and an ambitious heavyweight tournament on the horizon, Strikeforce needed to build some momentum with "Diaz vs. Cyborg" from its hometown of San Jose, California.

Consider it done. 

Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz closed the doors at the HP Pavilion in style with a stunning submission finish via armbar over hard-hitting Brazilian brawler Evangelista Santos in the closing moments of the second round.

The Chute Boxe Academy challenger gave the champion all he could handle through the first nine minutes of the fight. "Cyborg" brutalized the Cesar Gracie pupil with leg kicks and combinations that would put any normal human being on queer street. 

What, you thought Diaz was normal?

The kid from Stockton nearly took care of business in the opening frame when he appeared to have Santos gassed out and backpedaling. But the Brazilian came out refreshed and possessed to start the second.

However, Nick did what he does best by standing tough and continuing to walk forward and work his trademark boxing. He took every bit of punishment that "Cyborg" could dish out, and he just kept coming forward.

Santos scored with a takedown late in what appeared to be an attempt to secure the round on the judges scorecards. Diaz, a crafty jiu-jitsu black belt, quickly wrapped him up and locked in the fight ending armbar.

Were you watching, Fernando Vargas? How about you, Paul Daley?

Continue reading this post »

Click the banner above or right here for up-to-the-minute results and blow-by-blow coverage of Strikeforce: "Diaz vs. Cyborg."

Quick results of the preliminary fights will begin to flow around 8 p.m. ET and round-by-round coverage of the main card action on Showtime will get started at 10 p.m. ET!

If you’re going to leave comments and discuss the fights with all the other MMAmania.com readers be sure to do it on the main Strikeforce: "Diaz vs. Cyborg" results post and not this one. Comments in this thread are turned off.

Enjoy the show, Maniacs!

The official weigh-in event for Strikeforce: "Diaz vs. Cyborg" took place earlier today (Friday, Jan. 28, 2011) from the HP Pavilion Concourse in San Jose, California.

Each of the eight fighters set to compete on the Showtime portion of the card hit their respective weights without incident. However, Nate Coy and Jenna Castillo came in slightly heavy for their undercard bouts. They have both been given some additional time to shed the excess baggage. Coy was a quarter pound over for his welterweight battle against Nate Moore, while Castillo needs to lose a half pound to make the 121 pound limit for her fight with Charlene Gellner.

Leading the charge back to San Jose will be welterweight champion Nick Diaz, as he puts his 170-pound title on the line against surging Brazilian banger Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos in the night's featured main event.

Also throwing hands in "Shark City" is 185-pound champion Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza as he defends the middleweight strap against hard-hitting contender "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler. Former Heisman trophy winner Herschel Walker and decorated Brazilian jiu jitsu practitioner Roger Gracie will be in action as well in separate matches.

Complete Strikeforce: "Diaz vs. Cyborg" weigh in results after the jump:

Continue reading this post »

Two world titles will be on the line when Strikeforce: "Diaz vs. Cyborg" kicks off this Saturday night (Jan. 29, 2011) from the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California.

The four-fight main card will air live on the Showtime premium cable channel, beginning at 10 p.m. ET.

Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz will defend his 170-pound strap for the second time in the main event, taking on hard-hitting Brazilian knockout artist Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos (the husband to female 145-pound queen Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos).

In the co-featured fight of the night, Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza will put his middleweight gold up for grabs opposite "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler in a grappler vs. striker match up. In addition, former Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker will make his second career start as a professional mixed martial artist on the card.

That's not all. Not even close.

To help get you better prepared for the festivities, we've got some quick analysis and predictions for the main card, which will hopefully get your juices flowing.

Let's get cracking:

Continue reading this post »

An ambitious 2011 is officially underway for Strikeforce -- the thirteenth edition of the promotion's Challenger Series took place last night (Jan. 7, 2011) from the Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee.

And the San Jose boys are out of the gates strong.

"Woodley vs. Saffiedine" aired live on Showtime and featured a fight card that was jam-packed with rising talent. Former University of Missouri wrestling stud and undefeated welterweight prospect Tyron Woodley headlined the card opposite 24-year-old Team Quest member Tarec Saffiedine. There was a lot at stake for both men, with potential future title implications on the line.

The match up was a nice clash of styles on paper, with Saffiedine being the superior striker and Woodley having his wrestling pedigree to his advantage. It was pretty much assumed by most fans that the outcome would be decided by whichever fighter had more success keeping the fight in his own comfort zone.

They were right.

"T-Wood" did a great job turning the fight into a wrestling match. Most of the bout was contested in the clinch, and Woodley scored with several takedowns throughout the match, too. His control was the difference, and the end result was a unanimous decision nod in his favor.

It wasn't the most action-packed main event fight of all time, but it was still an interesting chess match between two of the promotion's top up and coming 170 pounders and another quality win for Woodley's resume as he makes his push toward title contention.

He's more than likely not ready for Nick Diaz just yet, but if he keeps scoring wins over guys like Saffiedine, he's going to find himself standing across the cage from the champ sooner rather than later.

Continue reading this post »

Strikeforce will kick off 2011 tonight (Jan. 7) from the Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee, with the thirteenth edition of its Challenger Series, "Woodley vs Saffiedine." The five fight main card will air live on the premium cable network beginning at 11 p.m. ET.

Reminder: The Showtime network is currently offering a FREE PREVIEW all weekend long (Jan. 7-10), so there's no excuse not to catch all of tonight's action.

Tyron "T-Wood" Woodley and Tarec "Sponge" Saffiedine are set to headline the card in a battle of top welterweight prospects. Former United States Olympians Daniel Cormier and Rhadi Ferguson will also be in action in separate matches.

In addition, fast rising star and former University of Tennessee linebacker Ovince St. Preux will look to push his winning streak to seven as he makes his third start in less than two months under the Strikeforce banner, taking on "Abongo" Humphrey.

MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of the event, beginning with the Showtime telecast at 11 p.m. ET.

Many of our readers check-in before, during and after the Showtime telecast to share their thoughts on the action. Therefore, feel free to leave a comment (or 10) before you leave and chat with all the other Maniacs during the show -- it always turns out to be a great discussion.

Keep in mind that we will also be the spot for the latest news, recaps and post-fight analysis after the show.

STRIKEFORCE CHALLENGERS 13 QUICK RESULTS:

Continue reading this post »

The Strikeforce Challenger Series will resume on Showtime this Friday night (Jan. 7) from the Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee, with "Woodley vs Saffiedine." The thirteenth edition of the series will air live on the premium cable network beginning at 11 p.m. ET.

Tyron "T-Wood" Woodley and Tarec "Sponge" Saffiedine are set to headline the card in a battle of top welterweight prospects. Former United States Olympians Daniel Cormier and Rhadi Ferguson will also be in action in separate matches.

In addition, fast rising star and former University of Tennessee linebacker Ovince St. Preux will look to push his winning streak to seven as he makes his third start in less than two months under the Strikeforce banner, taking on "Abongo" Humphrey.

To help get you better prepared for the festivities, I've given some quick analysis and predictions for those featured fights.

Check it out below.

Continue reading this post »

Strikeforce is set to pull the trigger on its latest Showtime fight card TONIGHT (Sat., Jan. 29, 2011) from the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California.

"Diaz vs. Cyborg" will feature a championship doubleheader with current welterweight title holder Nick Diaz defending his strap against hard-hitting Brazilian slugger Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos. Also putting his belt up for grabs is 185-pound kingpin Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza when he takes on the power-punching "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler.

Former NFL great and budding mixed martial artist Herschel Walker returns to action against Scott Carson, while grappling legend Roger Gracie squares off against South Africa's Trevor Prangley.

MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of the event, beginning with the Showtime telecast at 10 p.m. ET, as well as provide quick results of all the undercard action as it gets underway earlier in the evening.

Many of our readers check-in before, during and after the Showtime telecast to share their thoughts on the action. Therefore, feel free to leave a comment (or 10) before you leave and chat with all the other Maniacs during the show -- it always turns out to be a great discussion.

Keep in mind that we will also be the spot for the latest news, recaps and post-fight analysis after the show.

Without further delay, see below for the latest Strikeforce: "Diaz vs. Cybrorg" results. (Note: This will go from the bottom up; therefore, scroll toward the bottom for the latest detailed round-by-round action):

Continue reading this post »

The official weigh-in event for the Strikeforce Challengers 13 is now in the books. The last of the formalities before tonight's five-fight, Showtime-televised card took place yesterday evening in Nashville, Tennessee.

Each of the ten main card participants who will compete on the Showtime televised portion of the card hit their respective weights without incident.

The main event will feature a welterweight battle between undefeated wrestling stud Tyron "T-Wood" Woodley and Tarec "Sponge" Saffiedine. Former University of Tennessee linebacker Ovince St. Preux will also be in action, along with former United States Olympians Daniel Cormier and Rhadi Ferguson.

Check out the Challengers: "Woodley vs. Saffiedine" weigh-in results and video after the jump:

Continue reading this post »

Click the banner above or right here for up-to-the-minute results and blow-by-blow coverage of WEC 53: "Henderson vs. Pettis."

MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of WEC 53, beginning with the Versus telecast at 9 p.m. ET. We'll also deliver quick results of all the action from the preliminary card earlier in the evening.

If you're going to leave comments and discuss the fights with all the other MMAmania.com readers be sure to do it on the main WEC 53 results post and not this one. Comments in this thread are turned off.

Enjoy the show, Maniacs!

Continue reading this post »

The fifty-third and final event for the WEC before merging with the UFC is all set for this Thursday night (Dec. 16) at the Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, Arizona. WEC 53: "Henderson vs. Pettis" will air live on the Versus network beginning at 9 p.m. ET.

Remember: MMAmania.com will provide LIVE updates with blow-by-blow, round-by-round commentary of the main card action on fight night, which is slated to air at 9 p.m. ET.

The event will feature two of the promotion's world titles on the line for the last time as lightweight champion Benson Henderson defends his 155-pound strap against division number one contender Anthony Pettis, while 135-pound kingpin Dominick Cruz tries to quell the uprising of streaking bantamweight Scott Jorgensen.

A dynamite lightweight scrap between Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone and Chris "The Polish Hammer" Horodecki is also booked for the blockbuster card.

To help get you better prepared for the festivities, we've given some analysis and predictions for the main card bouts below.

Continue reading this post »

The official weigh-in event for WEC 53: "Henderson vs. Pettis" is set to go down on Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2010, from the Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

It is currently scheduled to air LIVE right here on MMAmania.com, as well as several other online destinations via streaming video. The first fighter is expected to tip the scale at 7 p.m. ET.

As usual, MMAmania.com will provide the latest coverage of the WEC 53 weigh-ins, as well as provide a detailed recap of the festivities as soon as they conclude.

WEC 53: "Henderson vs. Pettis," the promotion's final event before merging with the UFC, will feature lightweight champion Benson Henderson defending his 155-pound strap against division number one contender Anthony Pettis.

Also putting his gold up for grabs will be 135-pound kingpin Dominick Cruz, as he tries to quell the uprising of streaking bantamweight Scott Jorgensen.

Here is the current WEC 53 line up:

Continue reading this post »

Strikeforce: "Henderson vs. Babalu" has come to a close from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri, and former Pride FC welterweight and middleweight champion Dan Henderson finally has his first win since parting ways with the UFC in 2009.

It took him nearly a year and a half, but the wait was well worth it.

"Hendo" added another one to the highlight reel, putting Renato Sobral's name right there next to Michael Bisping's, Wanderlei Silva's and others who have fallen victim to Henderson's knockout power. "Hendo" hurt "Babalu" with one of his trademark power right hands early in the fight and didn't waste any time finishing off the Brazilian grappling specialist with a series of devastating ground strikes shortly after that.

Henderson finished Bisping in similar fashion in his last fight under the UFC banner, but he had yet to find success in Strikeforce before tonight. He faced off with Jake Shields for the title in his first fight for his new employers nearly eight months ago. He came up short in that five round contest as Shields out-worked and out-lasted him for the win.

But he made sure cardio wouldn't be a factor tonight.

He had that right hand cocked and loaded from the opening bell, and Sobral didn't do enough to avoid it, both on his feet and on the ground. The highlight reel footage didn't end there, though.

The co-main event also lived up to expectations.

Continue reading this post »

Click the banner above or right here for up-to-the-minute results and blow-by-blow coverage of Strikeforce: "Henderson vs. Babalu."

Quick results of the preliminary fights will begin to flow around 8 p.m. ET and round-by-round coverage of the main card action on Showtime will get started at 10 p.m. ET!

If you're going to leave comments and discuss the fights with all the other MMAmania.com readers be sure to do it on the main Strikeforce: "Henderson vs. Babalu" results post and not this one. Comments in this thread are turned off.

Enjoy the show, Maniacs!

Continue reading this post »

Despite a few late injuries to some main card fighters, the show will still go on for Strikeforce this Saturday night (Dec. 4) at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri. "Henderson vs. Babalu" will air live on Showtime beginning at 10 p.m. ET.

The event will feature a light heavyweight rematch between longtime veterans of the sport, Dan Henderson and Renato Sobral. "Hendo" defeated "Babalu" via majority decision under the RINGS banner way back in 2000 in the final of a star-studded tournament. It was the third fight of the night for both men.

Also on tap is a dynamite welterweight contest between sluggers Paul "Semtex" Daley and Scott "Hands of Steel" Smith. The fight will be Smith's 170-pound debut.

In addition, Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva, Ovince St. Preux, "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler, Matt "The Law" Lindland, Mike "Mak" Kyle and Benji "Razor" Radach will be in action.

To help get you better prepared for the festivities, I've given some analysis and predictions for the main card fights after the jump.

Continue reading this post »

The twelfth installment of the Strikeforce Challengers series on Showtime has come to a close from the Jackson Convention Complex in Jackson, Mississippi.

The night's main event fight featured world-renowned Brazilian jiu-jitsu player Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro, making just his fourth start since 2007 against talented American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) up-and-comer Justin "The Silverback" Wilcox in a battle of lightweights looking to make their case for a future fight on a more high profile Strikeforce show.

Consider Wilcox's case made.

"The Silverback" notched his fourth straight win for Strikeforce, dominating his Brazilian opponent en route to a one-sided unanimous decision victory. The impressive part was that he didn't have to shoot for one takedown during the entire 15 minutes, displaying an improved boxing game, constantly moving forward, picking Ribeiro apart with punches from the outside.

Ribeiro desperately tried for takedowns throughout the fight, but Wilcox's wrestling held up there as he easily stuffed every shot and scored with punches on the end of each sprawl. It was an impressive overall performance from Wilcox, and afterward he looked into the camera and basically called out Lyle Beerbohm, another one of Strikeforce's talented lightweight prospects who just recently out-pointed "Shaolin."

Don't be surprised to hear that fight announcement very soon. It makes way too much sense.

Continue reading this post »

The twelfth installment of Strikeforce's Challenger Series is set to air tonight (November 19) on Showtime from the Jackson Convention Complex in Jackson, Mississippi. The five-fight main card will air live on the premium cable channel beginning at 11 p.m. ET.

Lightweight AKA prospect, Justin Wilcox, and 24-fight MMA veteran and Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion, Vitor Ribeiro, will headline the card in a fantastic wrestler vs. jiu-jitsu match up.

Light heavyweight knockout artists Antwain Britt and Ovince St. Preux are also set to lock horns in the co-main event, while 2009 DREAM welterweight grand prix winner, Marius Zaromskis, looks for his first win under the Strikeforce banner, taking on the hard nosed Waachiim Spiritwolf.

MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of the event, beginning with the Showtime telecast at 11 p.m. ET.

Many of our readers check-in before, during and after the Showtime telecast to share their thoughts on the action. Therefore, feel free to leave a comment (or 10) before you leave and chat with all the other Maniacs during the show -- it always turns out to be a great discussion.

Keep in mind that we will also be the spot for the latest news, recaps and post-fight analysis after the show.

Continue reading this post »

The official weigh-in event for the Strikeforce Challengers 12 event is now in the books. The last of the formalities before tonight's fights took place yesterday evening in Jackson, Mississippi.

Each of the ten main card participants who will compete on the Showtime televised portion of the card hit their respective weights without incident.

The main event will feature a lightweight battle between Brazilian jiu jitsu world champion Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro and AKA product Justin "The Silverback" Wilcox. Heavy hitters Antwain Britt, Ovince St. Preux, Marius Zaromskis, and Waachiim Spiritwolf will also be in action.

Check out the Challengers: "Shaolin vs. Wilcox" weigh-in results after the jump:

Continue reading this post »

The Strikeforce Challenger Series will resume on Showtime this Friday night (Nov. 19) from the Jackson Convention Complex in Jackson, Mississippi, with "Shaolin vs. Wilcox," the twelfth event in the series. The main card will air live on the premium cable network beginning at 11 p.m. ET.

Lightweight AKA prospect, Justin Wilcox, and twenty-four fight MMA veteran and Brazilian jiu jitsu world champion, Vitor Ribeiro, will headline the card in a fantastic wrestler vs. jiu jitsu match-up.

Light heavyweight knockout artists Antwain Britt and Ovince St. Preux are also set to lock horns in the co-main event, while 2009 DREAM welterweight grand prix winner, Marius Zaromskis, looks for his first win under the Strikeforce banner, taking on the hard nosed Waachiim Spiritwolf.

To help get you better prepared for the festivities, I've given some quick analysis and predictions for those featured fights. Check it out below.

Continue reading this post »

WEC 52: "Faber vs. Mizugaki" has come to a close from "The Pearl" at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Urijah Faber's quest for gold in the bantamweight division is officially underway.

"The California Kid" made his debut in the 135 pound division in the night's main event, taking on former number one contender, Takeya Mizugaki. He came through with a great performance to the tune of a first round submission victory, putting the rest of the weight class on notice.

Urijah had a fight on his hands early on as Mizugaki's takedown defense was holding up early and he was landing some hard shots in the exchanges. But Faber exploded out of nowhere to take the Japanese fighter's back with about a minute to go in the round, and from there it was only a matter of time before he locked in the choke.

Mizugaki held on for as long as he could and refused to tap, but Faber worked his way under the chin and put the Japanese fighter to sleep with just ten seconds left in the opening round.

With another first round submission victory over current bantamweight title holder Dominick Cruz already on his resume, as well, it seems like a rematch with the champ is a definite possibility for a future UFC show. The bantamweight division is a crowded one, though, and Scott Jorgensen is next up for a title shot already.

It's up to the UFC now, but it's going to be fun watching this division unfold in the coming months.

Continue reading this post »

Click the banner above or right here for up-to-the-minute results and blow-by-blow coverage of WEC 52: "Faber vs. Mizugaki."

MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of WEC 52, beginning with the Versus telecast at 9 p.m. ET. We'll also deliver quick results of all the action from the preliminary card earlier in the evening.

If you're going to leave comments and discuss the fights with all the other MMAmania.com readers be sure to do it on the main WEC 52 results post and not this one. Comments in this thread are turned off.

Enjoy the show, Maniacs!

The official weigh-in event for WEC 52: "Faber vs. Mizugaki" has come to a close from the Key West Ballroom at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Undercard fighter Zack Micklewright was the only competitor on the eleven-fight card to miss weight. He came in at 158 pounds for his lightweight battle against Dustin Poirier. He has been given one hour to try and cut the excess baggage. Each of the other twenty-one fighters set for action tomorrow night (Nov. 11) hit their respective marks without incident.

WEC 52: "Faber vs. Mizugaki" will feature former featherweight champion Urijah Faber making his 135-pound debut against one of the division's toughest in Japanese striking sensation Takeya Mizugaki.

Late replacement and former bantamweight title contender Joseph Benavidez will be featured in the co main event, battling grappling ace Wagnney Fabiano.

Check out the complete WEC 52 weigh in results and video feed after the jump:

Continue reading this post »

World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) is all set for its upcoming Versus TV fight card from the "The Pearl" at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Thursday, November 11, 2010.

WEC 52: "Faber vs. Mizugaki" will feature former featherweight champion Urijah Faber making his 135-pound debut against "one of the division's toughest in Japanese striking sensation Takeya Mizugaki."

Late replacement and former bantamweight title contender Joseph Benavidez will be featured in the co main event, battling "grappling ace" Wagnney Fabiano.

Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of WEC 52 beginning with the Versus telecast at 9 p.m. ET on Thursday, Nov. 11. In addition, we will deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the under card action much earlier on fight night.

To help get you better prepared for the festivities, we've given some analysis and predictions for the five main card bouts set to hit the Versus airwaves on Thursday night.

Check it out.

Continue reading this post »

The official weigh-in event for WEC 52: "Faber vs. Mizugaki" is set to go down this Wednesday (Nov. 10) from the Key West Ballroom at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada.

It is currently scheduled to air LIVE right here on MMAmania.com, as well as several other online destinations via streaming video. The first fighter is expected to tip the scale at 4 p.m. PT.

As usual, MMAmania.com will provide the latest coverage of the WEC 52 weigh-ins, as well as provide a detailed recap of the festivities as soon as they conclude.

WEC 52: "Faber vs. Mizugaki" will feature former featherweight champion Urijah Faber making his 135-pound debut against  one of the division’s toughest in Japanese striking sensation Takeya Mizugaki.

Late replacement and former bantamweight title contender Joseph Benavidez will be featured in the co main event, battling grappling ace Wagnney Fabiano.

Here is the current WEC 52 fight card:

Continue reading this post »

World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) is all set to close the curtain with its final event before merging with the UFC TONIGHT (Dec. 16) at the Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of WEC 53: "Henderson vs. Pettis" below, beginning with the Versus telecast at 9 p.m. ET. We'll also deliver quick results of all the action from the preliminary card earlier in the evening.

WEC 53 will feature two of the promotion's world titles on the line for the last time as lightweight champion Benson Henderson defends his 155-pound strap against division number one contender Anthony Pettis, while 135-pound kingpin Dominick Cruz tries to quell the uprising of streaking bantamweight Scott Jorgensen.

A dynamite lightweight scrap between Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone and Chris "The Polish Hammer" Horodecki is also booked for the blockbuster card.

Many of our readers check-in before, during and after the event to share their thoughts on the action. Therefore, feel free to leave a comment (or 53) before you leave and chat with all the other Maniacs during the show -- it always turns out to be a great discussion.

Keep in mind that we will also be the spot for the latest news, recaps and post-fight analysis after "Henderson vs. Pettis."

Without further delay, see below for the latest WEC 53 results. (Note: This will go from the bottom up; therefore, scroll toward the bottom for the latest detailed round-by-round action!)

Continue reading this post »

Strikeforce is all set for tonight's (Dec. 4) mixed martial arts offering on Showtime from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri. "Henderson vs. Babalu" is set to air live on the premium cable channel at 10 p.m. ET.

The night's main event will feature a light heavyweight rematch between longtime veterans of the sport, Dan Henderson and Renato Sobral. "Hendo" defeated "Babalu" via majority decision under the RINGS banner way back in 2000.

Also strapping on the gloves will be Scott Smith, as "Hands of Steel" makes his welterweight debut against hard-hitting British banger Paul "Semtex" Daley.

MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of the event, beginning with the Showtime telecast at 10 p.m. ET, as well as provide quick results of all the undercard action as it gets underway earlier in the evening.

Many of our readers check-in before, during and after the Showtime telecast to share their thoughts on the action. Therefore, feel free to leave a comment (or 10) before you leave and chat with all the other Maniacs during the show -- it always turns out to be a great discussion.

Keep in mind that we will also be the spot for the latest news, recaps and post-fight analysis after the show.

STRIKEFORCE: "HENDERSON VS. BABALU" QUICK RESULTS:

Dan Henderson defeats Renato "Babalu" Sobral via knockout (strikes) at 1:53 of round one
Paul Daley defeats Scott Smith via knockout (strikes) at 2:09 of round one
Robbie Lawler defeats Matt Lindland via knockout (strikes) at 0:50 of round one
Antonio Silva defeats Mike Kyle via technical knockout (strikes) at 2:49 of round two
Ovince St. Preux defeats Benji Radach via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-25)
Fernando Bettega defeats Wayne Phillips via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Justin Lawrence defeats Max Martytniouk via technical (accidental illegal kick) unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Patrick Cummins defeats Terrell Brown via technical knockout (strikes) at 2:44 of round one
Cortez Coleman defeats Lucas Lopes via submission (guillotine choke) at 2:04 of round one
Matt Ricehouse defeats Tom Aaron via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Mike Glenn defeats Lee Brousseau via technical knockout (strikes) at 2:00 of round one
Booker DeRousse defeats Colton Cole via technical knockout (strikes) at 3:04 of round two
J.W. Wright defeats Josh Epps via submission (guillotine choke) at 1:29 of round one

STRIKEFORCE: "HENDERSON VS. BABALU" PLAY-BY-PLAY LIVE MAIN CARD COMMENTARY:

James here!

205 lbs.: Dan Henderson vs. Renato Sobral

Round one: Babalu circling right. He lands a right hand and then eats a hard one from Henderson. Henderson looks to be trying to set up that right hand. He blocks a high kick from Sobral. Now he takes a leg kick. Straight kick misses from Babalu. More kicks from the Brazilian. Henderson fires that right hand and misses. Now a left connects. Another lunging right hand from Henderson. This one lands and Babalu drops down and tries for a takedown. Henderson lands on top and unloads some ground strikes. Babalu has half guard. Henderson stands and drops three unanswered bombs to Babalu's face! He's out! Dan Henderson by knockout via ground and pound! Great finish. Three in a row.

Final result: Dan Henderson defeats Renato "Babalu" Sobral via knockout (strikes) at 1:53 of round one

-end-

170 lbs.: Paul Daley vs. Scott Smith

Round one: Punches right off the bat in the center of the cage. Daley fires a kick now. Smith times a nice straight left. Jabs from Smith. Hard leg kick from Daley. High kick now gets blocked. Jabs from Smith. Hard two punch combo from Daley floors Smith! He wants the finish, but Smith is back on his feet. He looks to be okay. He's still firing jabs. Daley stalking him. Nice left from Daley. Jabs from Daley now. Nice right hand lands for Daley. Another stiff left hand buckles Smith. He's still standing, but Daley is all over him. Another left hook on the button! Smith is out before he hits the mat. Holy shit! Back to back big time finishes.  This one might have been nicer than Lawler's.

Final result: Paul Daley defeats Scott Smith via knockout (strikes) at 2:09 of round one

-end-

185 lbs.: Robbie Lawler vs. Matt Lindland

Round one: Lindland takes the center. Lawler lands a right. Leg kick from Lindland. Exchange in the center. Lindland is standing in there. Nice left hand connects for Lawler. Another exchange with more kicks from Lindland. Lawler times a hard left hook. Now he connects with another stiff two punch combination. This time it sends Lindland to the canvas, and he's not getting up. He's out cold! Wow! Lawler was timing that the whole time and Lindland walked right into it. Beautiful finish from Lawler.

Final result: Robbie Lawler defeats Matt Lindland via knockout (punches) at 0:50 of round one 

-end-

265 lbs.: Antonio Silva vs. Mike Kyle

Round one: Kyle circling, showing his jab. Now he leans in for a right, and Bigfoot makes him pay with a nice counter punch. Now Kyle connects with a huge right hand of his own that floors Silva! Wow! He's landing big hammerfists now. Silva trying to defend, but Kyle is all over him. Silva somehow manages to get his guard back, but Kyle is still throwing bombs over the top of him. Big hammerfists from Kyle! Silva trying to hold on with half guard. Kyle is slowing down, but he still has a good position here, and he continues to land punches. Palm punches from Kyle now. Silva tries to sweep, but Kyle stuffs it and keeps the top position. More hammerfists from Kyle. Silva gets full guard and he closes it up. Kyle still punching away. Silva now firing back from the bottom. Kyle with some good body shots now. More hard shots to the body from Kyle. He's dominated this round. Another nice left hand just before the bell.

Round two: Silva shoots right away. Kyle side steps it. Now Silva lands with a big right hand. Jab from Kyle. Leg kick from Silva. Kyle circling. Now Silva grabs him and wrestles him to the mat. Kyle has half guard. Silva stands over him and fires some heavy punches. He takes side control. Now to north south. Big punches from Silva. He puts his knee on Kyle's belly. Kyle tries to escape back to his feet. Now Silva locks in an anaconda choke. It looks deep. Kyle somehow escapes! Very nice. Silva standing over him. He quickly takes full mount and unloads with big punches. The referee has seen enough and Bigfoot is the winner. Good fight.   

Final result: Antonio Silva defeats Mike Kyle via technical knockout (strikes) at 2:49 of round two

-end-

205 lbs.: Benji Radach vs. Ovince St. Preux

Round one: Gloves touch and we're underway with the first fight of the Showtime televised card. St. Preux keeping his distance. Radach circling left and right. Straight left then a low kick from St. Preux. Radach trying to close the distance and he does, pinning St. Preux against the fence. He scoops St. Pruex and dumps him on his back. St. Preux working hard to get back to his feet. He gets there. Radach still latched onto him against the fence. Knees from Radach. St. Preux gets separation and tees off with a combination. Radach makes him pay with a huge counter right hand. St. Preux eats it. Radach cirlces out. High kick from St. Preux. Radach shoots. St. Preux stuffs it and now he takes Radach's back. He's landing punches to the side of Radach's head. Now he's trying to flatten him out. He does it and unloads with several unanswered strikes to Radach's head. Radach is holding on and blocking the punches with his hands, but he's not doing much else. St. Preux still teeing off. St. Preux looking for the choke now. He can't get it. More punches from St. Preux. Now back to the choke. Now some big bombs from St. Preux. Radach has taken a ton of punishment, but the referee is letting it continue. The bell sounds. Big round for St. Preux.

Round two: St. Preux drops Radach right off the bat with punches. Radach turtles up and St. Preux takes his back and goes back to firing away with punches. He tries a choke. Radach defends. He ends up in the north south position momentarily before St. Preux takes his back again. More punches to Radach's head and body. Radach has no answer and he's not doing much. St. Preux isn't doing much right now either, and he may be tired at this point. He still has the dominant position, though, and Radach can't get out of it. Now the referee warns Radach to start doing something. St. Preux still landing punches to the body and head. Radach gets full guard now. St. Preux looking to pass against the fence. Both fighters look gassed. Radach gives up his back again and St. Preux goes back to work with punches. Radach works to a north south now. St. Preux powers back to his feet and lands on Radach's back again. More punches before the bell. Another clear round for St. Pruex.

Round three: Radach takes the center and lunges forward with punches. Into the clinch. Now Radach backs up and tees off with a combination. St. Preux covering up. Radach still firing. St. Preux connects with a counter that sends Radach to the floor! St. Preux takes his back right away. Here we go again. Punches from St. Preux. Radach continues to block them with his hands. St. Preux mixing in body strikes. The crowd raining down the boos now. The referee wants a stand up. High kick from St. Preux gets blocked. Nice four punch combination from Radach before a takedown try. St. Preux defending against the fence. Radach hanging on for the single. Another seperation from the referee. Radach with a big right and then another single attempt. St. Preux stuffs it again against the cage. Elbows from St. Preux. Another separation from the ref. Big punches from both men. Radach falls into another takedown attempt against the fence. Now he explodes and finally gets the takedown. St. Preux with full guard. Radach with some ground and pound before the final bell sounds. St. Preux is going to take this decision.

Final result: Ovince St. Preux defeats Benji Radach via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-25) 

-end-

Strikeforce Challengers 11: "Bowling vs. Voelker II" has come to a close from the Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif., and "Vicious" Bobby Voelker has his revenge.

The granite-chinned Voelker did all he could just to hang on during the first encounter between the two dynamic 170-pound prospects five months ago. He was bullied pretty badly in that fight, and although an accidental poke to the eye brought the fight to a premature end, there was no mistaking that Roger Bowling was the victor.

Tonight, there would be no mistake, either, only it would be Voelker doing the bullying.

Bowling came out with a similar strategy to what he used in the first fight, which was to land with one or two quick punches on his feet and then score with takedowns. But the 31-year-old, battle-tested Voelker was more than ready this time around, stuffing most of Bowling's shots and doing a much better job using his size to score from the outside on his feet.

Bowling's aggression carried him through the first round and probably even had him ahead on points, but round two was all Voelker. He tagged Bowling with big punches on his feet and finished the smaller fighter off with a devastating display of ground and pound that even Chael Sonnen would have to give props to.

It was a big win for Voelker and a bad night for Bowling, who suffered the first loss of his career. Even so, the score is now tied up one apiece.

Another Strikeforce trilogy?

Continue reading this post »