Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal Results **Spoiler**

Main card (Showtime)

Lightweight Championship bout: Gilbert Melendez vs. Jorge MasvidalMelendez defeated Masvidal via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 49-46) to retain the Strikeforce Lightweight Championship.

Women's Featherweight Championship bout: Cristiane Santos (c) vs. Hiroko Yamanaka
Santos defeated Yamanaka via TKO (punches) at 0:16 of round 1.

Light Heavyweight bout: Gegard Mousasi vs. Ovince St. Preux
Mousasi defeated St. Preux via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).

Lightweight bout: KJ Noons vs. Evangelista
Noons defeated Evangelista via unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 29–28).

Preliminary card
Lightweight bout: Caros Fodor vs. Justin Wilcox
Fodor defeated Wilcox via KO (punches) at 0:13 of round 1.

Catchweight (181 lbs) bout: Jerron Peoples vs. Roger Bowling
Bowling defeated Peoples via KO (punches) at 0:42 of round 1.

Heavyweight bout: Devin Cole vs. Gabriel Salinas-Jones
Cole defeated Salinas-Jones via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27).

Middleweight bout: Fernando Gonzalez vs. Eddie Mendez
Mendez defeated Gonzalez via split decision (30–27, 28–29, 29–28).

Welterweight bout: Herman Terrado vs. Chris Brown
Terrado defeated Brown via submission (armbar) at 4:05 of round 3.

Strikeforce Results: KJ Noons Beats Billy Evangelista by Unanimous Decision

In an entertaining scrap to start Saturday night's Strikeforce card on Showtime, KJ Noons took a unanimous decision victory over Billy Evangelista.

All three judges scored it 29-28 for Noons, who improved his record to 11-4 and said in the cage after the fight that he had wanted to put together an exciting fight for his hometown fans in San Diego.

"Billy is a terrific fighter," Noons said afterward. "That was a war. We put on a show."

Both guys got takedowns early in the first round, but both times they were on the ground only briefly without either man doing any damage. Later in the round the strikes started coming at a faster pace, and it was a fairly even exchange.

Noons started getting more creative with his striking early in the second round, throwing spinning strikes and wild punches, but Evangelista brushed that off and landed a nice counter strike that opened a cut on Noons' nose. The second round was fought entirely standing up and consisted of nearly non-stop exchanges of punches, and it was another tough round to call.

The third was the best round of the fight, with both men trying to finish it. For Noons that meant landing a hard head kick, while Evangelista sunk in a D'Arce choke and briefly looked like he had it in deep before Noons got out. In the final minute both men looked exhausted and the crowd cheered the ending of a good battle.

Gegard Mousasi Has Too Much for Ovince St. Preux

Ovince St. Preux is an athletic former football player who has promise as an MMA fighter, but he's not on the level of Gegard Mousasi.

That's what we learned at Saturday night's Strikeforce event, as Mousasi handled St. Preux for the better part of 15 minutes to win a one-sided unanimous decision. All three judges scored it 29-28 for Mousasi, and it easily could have been more like 30-26.

St. Preux showed that he's a tough customer who can take punishment, and Mousasi showed that he still has some work to do in his takedown defense, and that he too often allows his opponents get on top of him in dominant position. But make no mistake: Mousasi is the better fighter.

"I was sick before this fight, which took a lot of my conditioning away, but I think I did enough to win," Mousasi said.

The first four round was all Mousasi: He battered St. Preux standing up and then schooled him on the ground, nearly submitting him with a kimura and finally pounding away in a crucifix position until St. Preux was saved by the bell. It was a 10-8 round for Mousasi on my card.

At the start of the second round St. Preux shot for a takedown, and Mousasi did a nice job of reversing it with a trip and ending up on top. Mousasi was clearly in control, but midway through the round the referee made a surprising decision to stand them up. After a brief exchange standing it was St. Preux who got on top in side control on the ground, but he didn't do anything with it before Mousasi shrugged him off and stood back up. The second round was much closer, but it was another round for Mousasi.

Early in the third round St. Preux briefly had an opportunity to do something, getting on top in side control and then transitioning to full mount and attempting some ground and pound. But Mousasi blocked most of OSP's punches and soon got himself out of trouble. Mousasi played it safe for the rest of the round, knowing he had won. The way Mousasi cruised at the end allowed St. Preux to take the round, but Mousasi clearly won the fight.

Cris Cyborg Blows Out Hiroko Yamanaka to Defend Strikeforce Title

Returning to the cage after a year and a half away, Cris Cyborg absolutely destroyed Hiroko Yamanaka on Saturday night, needing just 16 seconds to win by technical knockout.

Cyborg exploded out of the gate and connected two quick hard right hands to knock Yamanaka down. Yamanaka got up but Cyborg exploded on her again, knocking her down against the cage. Cyborg began to pounce on the ground, but before she could do anything there the referee stepped in and stopped the fight.

"I'm very happy," Cyborg said afterward. "I trained hard for a year and a half. This is amazing. I love fighting, I love training, I want to fight more."

The win improves Cyborg's professional MMA record to 11-1 and shows once again that she's simply the toughest woman in the world. She's Strikeforce's women's featherweight champion, and the only question about her is whether Strikeforce will be able to find any opponents who can test her. After the fight Cyborg was asked about potentially fighting Ronda Rousey, which could be an option, although Rousey probably isn't ready for Cyborg.

Yamanaka came into the fight with a 12-1 record and a reputation as one of the best female fighters on the planet, but she's no Cyborg. There's no one like Cyborg.

Gilbert Melendez Tops Jorge Masvidal, Retains Strikeforce Lightweight Belt

Gilbert Melendez won't get a chance to demonstrate that he's the best lightweight in the world any time soon. But he demonstrated once again on Saturday night that he's the best lightweight in Strikeforce.

In the main event of Saturday night's fight card in San Diego, Melendez had a fairly easy time beating Jorge Masvidal, winning 50-45 on two judges' scorecards and 49-46 on the third.

The fight came just days after Zuffa, the parent company of Strikeforce and the UFC, confirmed that it will keep the Strikeforce and UFC brands separate, and that Melendez will stay in Strikeforce. That had to come as a disappointment to Melendez, who had said he wanted to fight the best of the best in the UFC, but nothing he did on Saturday night will have fans clamoring to see him fight the UFC champ. This was a workmanlike victory, but not a dominant performance.

After the fight Melendez said he hopes Zuffa will give him some better opponents to face.

"I'm proud to be a part of Strikeforce, and Showtime's amazing," Melendez said. "But you know what? They need to bring some guys over here to challenge me."

In the first round Melendez landed quick combinations of punches while Masvidal did a lot of showboating and challenging but not a lot of actual fighting. Masvidal did knock Melendez down briefly with a leg kick, but the first round clearly belonged to Melendez, who threw more punches, and landed more punches, with more power.

In the second round Melendez continued to batter Masvidal with punches, and Masvidal didn't do much in response other than try to jab Melendez away. Melendez wasn't spectacular in the second round, but he was solid, and he built up a 20-18 lead.

As the third round wore on Melendez began to look tired, and some of Masvidal's jabs were starting to get through. Masvidal had been less active in the first two rounds, and that allowed him to stay fresher into the third, and it appeared that the tide in the fight was beginning to turn.

If Masvidal was building up any momentum in the third round, however, he didn't do much to capitalize in the fourth. That round was basically a boxing match, and Melendez landed more punches -- although both fighters had slowed down, and by the end of the fourth round the fans were booing.

By the fifth both fighters were exhausted and the pace had slowed, and Masvidal surprisingly didn't seem to think he needed to press the action and finish the fight. Melendez did enough to win the round and win the fight, even if it wasn't a great performance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=YRgdWiuGJFY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=UU7tdFNggH_jwjJTDWqYelmA&v=KPAKL2hfW0c& feature=player_detailpage

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvzCD4Q21AE&feature=player_profilepage

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9Rh1GyXtFw&feature=player_profilepage

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efiEbAii0P0&feature=player_profilepage

tnx!

Zuffa Should Consider Sending BJ Penn to Strikeforce to Face Gilbert Melendez

If Dana White won't bring Gilbert Melendez to the UFC, he should bring the UFC to Melendez. Or at least, someone for him to fight. After beating Jorge Masvidal at last night's Strikeforce event in San Diego, what more is there for him to do? Who else is there for him to beat? What matchup are fans clamoring to see? The answers are nothing, no one and none.

Melendez is a top five fighter with nothing left to prove in the division as it stands right now. He's beaten Masvidal, Shinya Aoki and Josh Thomson, three of the best lightweights outside of the UFC, but there's no signed fighter in the division who has truly earned the right to face one of the best. Sure there are fighters like KJ Noons and Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante with some name value, but both of those guys have won exactly one fight in a row.

Solution: Bring someone over from the UFC to fight him. It doesn't have to be the champion. Bring one of the many quality guys over to challenge him. I have just the guy. He's a big name, he can bring attention to the promotion, and he offers the instant credibility that only a former UFC champion can provide. Bring over BJ Penn to fight Melendez.

Right now, Penn is on a break from fighting. He's home in Hilo, Hawaii spending time with his family after his hard-fought loss to Nick Diaz in October. But Penn does plan to fight again, and he even said that he'd be willing to rematch Diaz.

That's not going to happen, as Diaz has moved on to preparing for a big interim UFC welterweight title fight with Carlos Condit. So we need to find something that excites Penn, something that motivates him. Regardless of the skeptics who still refuse to believe that Melendez is for real, Penn knows the truth, that Melendez is for real and has a set of skills that would provide a challenge. Because of that, a bout with Melendez might interest him. As an added bonus, Melendez comes from the same Team Cesar Gracie as Diaz, making the marketing of the fight simple. BJ Penn comes looking for revenge against Diaz's teammate.

Penn loves fighting for belts, and as long as Frankie Edgar is the lightweight champ, Penn is stuck. He isn't going to get another shot against Edgar after losing to him twice. The same holds true for his chances of getting a welterweight title fight. He's already lost to Georges St-Pierre twice and Diaz once, so his chances of earning his way back for another title bout anytime soon are slim. So where does that leave him? He's in a legend-at-large role, looking for interesting matchups wherever they might appear. And is there really anything in the UFC that is so much more interesting than Penn-Melendez?

Let's face it, Penn would be one of the biggest stars ever to fight in the Strikeforce hexagon, with only Dan Henderson and Fedor Emelianenko able to rival his popularity. He's a former two-division champ in the UFC, every MMA fan knows him, and his presence would certainly bring attention to the promotion. Just as importantly, it would illustrate that Zuffa is serious about Strikeforce.

Just last week, White promised that Strikeforce wouldn't be a B-league, or a feeder system for the UFC. They would go after top talent, he said. They would find a way to make Strikeforce's best fighters happy, he said. That would mean leaving Melendez where he is, and bringing talent to him. This match would prove that White meant what he said.

The biggest hurdle in this plan would be making it worth Penn's while. Because Strikeforce is on Showtime and not pay-per-view, the pay scale is different, and White would have to dig into his his pocket to make him whole.

That investment would be worth it for Zuffa, to show that they are truly committed to Strikeforce as its own promotion. It's one thing for White to say it on a conference call, it's another entirely for him to send over a UFC legend. That's a statement. That's a promise kept.

BJ Penn would be just the fighter to satisfy White's promise, fan interest and Melendez's ambitions. Melendez doesn't just need a legitimate challenge, he deserves one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFCJLwCHHT4&feature=player_profilepage

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&list=UU7tdFNggH_jw jJTDWqYelmA&v=3Y42klHNsKw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y_SeSrOaB4

Mousasi gaat in de USA trainen.

Ik moet inderdaad toegeven dat ik fout zat. Zag Mousasi niet van hem winnen. Dacht dat het worstelen hem weer de das om zou doen. Echter heeft hij dit goed opgepakt en het slim toegepast. Probleem met veel vechters is dat wanneer ze eenmaal hun worstelskills gaan bijscherpen dat ze dan te veel erop gaan focussen en dat het geen geheel wordt van hun game. Al het andere komt dan niet meer uit de verf.

Ben ook wel benieuwd waar hij niet meer gaat trainen. Denk dat hij wel wel lekker simpel moet houden. In amerika met een voedingsdeskundige aan de slag gaan doet je niet per definitie goed naar mijn mening. Die gasten houden daar hele andere ideeen op weightcutten na. Vind wel dat hij wat meer power kan gebruiken. als hij iets zwaarder zou stoten had hij zo iemand als OSP mogenlijk al eerder weg kunnen zetten.

Jorge Masvidal Injured Hand Before Loss, Suffered Ligament Damage During It

Strikeforce lightweight Jorge Masvidal will be sidelined for as long as six weeks due to hand injuries sustained both before and during his recent title fight loss to Gilbert Melendez, his manager Tina Vidal-Smith told MMA Fighting.

The Florida-based fighter, who dropped a unanimous decision in the main event of last Saturday's Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal card, suffered a severe contusion to his right hand about 10 days before the fight, and then damaged it further, incurring a ligament injury during the fight's first round, Vidal-Smith said.

On Monday, he had his hand set in a cast and a hand specialist advised him to spend the next 4-6 weeks on the shelf in order to heal the damage.

"He is hoping to work his way back up to fight Gilbert Melendez again when he is 100 percent, but stresses that Gilbert won the fight fair and square and extends his utmost respect to the current champion," Vidal-Smith said.

The 27-year-old Masvidal fell to 22-7 with the loss.

In his post-fight press conference comments, Masvidal made no reference to the problems but his performance suggested something could have been wrong. According to FightMetric, Masvidal was only out-struck 122-100 overall, but there was a stark difference in power punches.

Melendez threw 182 power strikes to the head, more than triple the number thrown by Masvidal, who fired off just 53. Normally an orthodox fighter, Masvidal was reliant on his lead left jab, as that particular punch counted for 183 of his 262 overall thrown strikes. He also switched to a southpaw stance several times but was unable to do enough to earn the judges' decision.

Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal Recap

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=I4gkHv3YHQU

PAYOUTS:

Quote:

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Gilbert Melendez: $150,000 (no win bonus)
Jorge Masvidal: $23,000
Melendez defeated Masvidal via unanimous decision

Cristiane Santos: $66,000 ($33,000 to show, $33,000 to win)
Hiroko Yamanaka: $8,000
Santos defeated Yamanaka via knockout in round one

Gegard Mousasi: $150,000 (no win bonus)
Ovince St. Preux: $17,000
Mousasi defeated St. Preux via unanimous decision

KJ Noons: $ 65,000 ($35,000 to show, $30,000 to win)
Billy Evangelista: $20,000
Noons defeated Evangelista via unanimous decision

Caros Fodor: $20,000 ($10,000 to show, $10,000 to win)
Justin Wilcox: $12,000
Fodor defeated Wilcox via knockout in round one

Roger Bowling: $14,000 ($7,000 to show, $7,000 to win)
Jerron Peoples: $2,000
Bowling defeated Peoples via knockout in round one

Devin Cole: $12,000 ($6,000 to show, $6,000 to win)
Gabriel Salinas: $3,000
Cole defeated Salinas-Jones via unanimous decision

Eddie Mendez: $6,000 ($3,000 to show, $3,000 to win)
Fernando Gonzalez: $3,000
Mendez defeated Gonzalez via split decision

Herman Terrado: $6,000 ($3,000 to show, $3,000 to win)
Chris Brown: $3,000
Terrado defeated Brown via submission (armbar) in round three

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http://www.mmamania.com/2011/12/20/2...rd-Mousasi-mma