HeavyMMA and UFC Launch Fight Day Live

LAS VEGAS – HeavyMMA.com is proud to announce that we have partnered with the UFC to launch Fight Day Live, a new 90-minute pre-fight show that will debut this Saturday prior to UFC 126 at 4:30pm ET/1:30pm PT.
Fight Day Live will serve as the mixed martial arts version of ESPN’s College Gameday show. Before every major North American event, we’ll be coming to you live on location from the fights. Fight Day is hosted by industry stalwart Dave Farra and HeavyMMA’s own Megan Olivi. Dave and Megan will bring you the latest news, fight breakdowns, exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes looks at some of your favorite UFC fighters.
For the first episode, Dave and Megan will be joined by “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz and “The California Kid” Urijah Faber. They’ll also be joined by an expert panel to break down all the UFC 126 fights: Ariel Helwani from MMAFighting.com and Seth Kelly, the editor of UFC Magazine. In addition, you’ll see Vitor Belfort as he trains for his main event championship bout against Anderson Silva, and Mike Pyle will show you the places you absolutely have to visit when you travel to Las Vegas.
The show will be available here on HeavyMMA.com as well as FoxSports.com, BleacherReport.com, MixedMartialArts.com, LiveStream.com, TheChive.com, Bullz-Eye.com and GlobalGrind.com. MixedMartialArts.com will serve as the mobile provider for the show, and users of The Underground iPhone app will be able to watch the show live on their iPhones.
We’ve been working for months towards this day, and Saturday is going to be a cool event. The Fight Day set will be located directly by the Mandalay Bay arena entrance, and fans will have the opportunity to win cool prizes and interact with the show. If you’re in Las Vegas and are planning to attend the event, come see us at the Fight Day set. We’d love to hang out with you.
The press release for the show is below:
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HEAVYMMA and UFC Launch Fight Day Live!

HeavyMMA to launch live streaming Internet pre-show for UFC® 126: SILVA vs. BELFORT
New York, NY— January 31, 2010: Heavy (www.heavy.com), the original online men’s brand has announced that HeavyMMA, the company’s Mixed Martial Arts division, will launch a live pre-show for UFC® 126: SILVA vs. BELFORT streamed to the Internet on Saturday, Feb. 5. The pre-show will take place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas just hours before UFC® middleweight champion Anderson Silva defends his crown against number one contender Vitor Belfort.
“HeavyMMA has built a strong following through original programming, a unique editorial voice and real-time news,” Matt Brown, Editor-In-Chief of HeavyMMA, said. “We are elevating our ever-expanding coverage of the UFC with an exciting live format, bringing the fastest growing sport in the world to an even larger audience. At launch, Fight Day will have an audience reach of 37 million unique visitors in North America and I couldn’t be more excited.”
Fight Day will be hosted by industry stalwart Dave Farra and HeavyMMA newcomer Megan Olivi. The show will include wide ranging interviews, analysis and industry coverage. Fight Day will be streamed online through a technology partnership with Live Stream, and will be available on the mobile web through Mixed Martial Arts’ MMA Underground App available at www.mixedmartialarts.com.
Fight Day will be shown live on Saturday February 5th at 4:30 p.m. ET/ 1:30 p.m. PT on www.heavy.com, www.foxsports.com, www.mixedmartialarts.com, www.livestream.com, www.bleacherreport.com, www.bullz-eye.com, www.globalgrind.com and www.theCHIVE.com .
UFC® 126: SILVA vs. BELFORT, which is presented by Bud Light, will be available live on Pay-Per-View on Feb. 5 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Avail-TVN, BellTV, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.99 US/$49.99 CAN for Standard Definition and $54.99 US/$59.99 CAN for High Definition. UFC 126 will also be available on Pay-Per-View in Spanish in the United States.
Heavy and HeavyMMA
Established in 1999, Heavy is the original premium digital men’s entertainment company. Heavy owns and operates Heavy.com, HeavyMMA and the Heavy Media Network (HMN), reaching more than 50MM* unique visitors worldwide. Highly targeted towards men 18 – 34, Heavy creates and syndicates original programming, aggregated premium content and custom marketing programs for Fortune 500 Brand Advertisers. Heavy is established internationally with markets in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States.
HeavyMMA is an industry leading editorial and programming group within Heavy with a focus on the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (“MMA”). Led by Matt Brown, HeavyMMA was established in 2009 and has quickly built a strong following among hardcore and casual fans alike with a mix of original lifestyle entertainment programming and in-depth news coverage, with a high level of journalistic integrity.
*ComScore/Media Metrix, December 2010
Ultimate Fighting Championship® – www.ufc.com
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., UFC® produces over 12 UFC live Pay-Per-View events annually and 30 live arena events around the world. UFC programming is distributed in the United States on Viacom, Inc.’s Spike TV and on Comcast, Inc.’s VERSUS network. UFC content is distributed commercially through Joe Hand Promotions in the U.S. and Canadastar in Canada. Globally, UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries and territories, reaching 354 million homes worldwide, in 19 different languages. Ancillary businesses now include UFC.com with over 5 million unique visitors per month, the best-selling UFC “Undisputed” videogame franchise distributed by THQ, UFC Gym™, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo™ festivals, branded apparel, trading cards, articulated action figures and other media including best-selling DVDs and a U.S. bimonthly magazine.
Ultimate Fighting Championship®, Ultimate Fighting®, UFC®, The Ultimate Fighter®, Submission®, As Real As It Gets®, Zuffa®, The Octagon™ and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks, registered service marks, trademarks, trade dress and/or service marks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC and licensed to its affiliated entities and other licensees in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other marks referenced herein may be the property of Zuffa, LLC, its affiliates or other respective owners.
About Livestream
Livestream’s mission is to build a next-generation live cable operator: one that is global, social, user friendly, reaches all devices and is accessible to anyone interested in broadcasting an interactive live video experience – for free. Event organizers, content owners, celebrities and artists around the world use Livestream’s social broadcasting tools to engage and grow their audiences on the web, mobile devices, and connected TVs. More than one billion video minutes are streamed each month to a growing community of 20 million monthly viewers. Notable content partners include Facebook, The New York Times, ABC News, CBS News, and the Associated Press. Livestream offers a unique commitment to protecting the rights of its producers through a ‘Zero Tolerance on Piracy’ policy.
About Mixed Martial Arts LLC
Mixed Martial Arts LLC owns and operates mixedmartialarts.com, an industry-leading online destination for mixed martial arts content including news, training videos and event listings since 1998, and is the home of the famous Underground Forum frequented by high profile athletes and personalities.
Mixed Martial Arts LLC is also commissioned by the Association of Boxing Commissions to operate the only official, and world’s largest database, of event and fighter information for both professional and amateur mixed martial arts.

Josh Koscheck out for five more months

Vitor Belfort: I Am Second

“We have words for if you’ve lost your husband, you’re a widow; if you’ve lost your parent, you’re an orphan; but if you lost your child, they don’t have a name for that. That’s so painful that they don’t have a name for that."

“I think there is two ways to get to God, through love or through pain. Mine was through pain."

“I can see now that through that tribulation, I’m a new man. I’m a strong man. I’ve matured. I’m not perfect. I still struggle with many things, but it’s a process. I’m in the middle of the process and every day I try and prove myself so I can fight through that process, which never ends.”

Strikeforce champ "Jacare" Souza ready for anyone, except "Mayhem" Miller

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Strikeforce middleweight champion Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza (14-2 MMA, 4-0 SF) says he's not one to pick fights when it comes to the next challenge ahead.

But there's one challenge in which he has no interest, and that's a third meeting with Jason "Mayhem" Miller.

Following the first successful defense of his 185-pound crown this past Saturday against Robbie Lawler (20-7 MMA, 2-3 SF), Souza scoffed at the prospect of again meeting Miller, who's expected to face the man he beat to win the title, Tim Kennedy.

Souza and Lawler served as the co-main draw of "Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Cyborg," which took place at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., and aired live on Showtime. There were 9,059 fans in attendance, according to Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker.

Miller vs. Kennedy is targeted for the as-yet-unofficial "Strikeforce: Columbus," and many observers have speculated that it might carry title implications.

But upon hearing Miller's name, Souza's demeanor changed.

"You kidding me? I beat this guy two times, man," Souza, who won his belt this past August, said. "No more."

Prior to the suggestion, the Brazilian champ was all smiles. He had just defeated a dangerous, heavy-handed striker in Lawler, and no less after surviving a hairy first round in which he got badly rocked by punches.

"I said, 'Man, now I really have to beat him,'" Souza said through a translator. "We still have five rounds."

According to CompuStrike stats, Souza landed 48 strikes to Lawler's 23 and pitched a virtual shutout when in the ground striking department. Lawler managed a minor victory in arm strikes landed – nine to Souza's two.

For the most part, though, it was all Souza. Lawler couldn't seem to get going after initially hurting the champ.

Prior to the fight, Souza said the key to victory was finding the right moment for the takedown. He had little difficulty doing so and took the action down on four out of six attempts, according to CompuStrike. While dominating Lawler on the mat during the second, his corner told him to set up his submission game with strikes. So he grabbed a knee and then fired backward punches at Lawler for more points.

Lawler quickly found himself on his back again in the third and went into survival mode when he attempted to stand and found Souza drawn to his back like a magnet. Souza shortly thereafter sunk in a choke, and it was all over at the third round's two-minute mark.

"I love my work – it's my job," he said at the post-fight press conference before deferring to the translator.

Souza said he logged time with Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante prior to the fight in addition to UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and UFC heavyweight contender Junior Dos Santos.

"Every fight that I fight, I feel that I'm getting better," he said. "All the time that I put in the gym with my great team is unbelievable, and I feel every day that I'm getting better in my takedowns and on the feet, and even in my jiujitsu."

The question, now, is what's next for the champion if there are conditions on the opponents who vie for his belt. Coker declined comment on Souza's statement, but added an announcement on a second title defense will be forthcoming.

"He's one of the martial artists that continues to evolve his skill," Coker said of the decorated submission grappler turned MMA champ. "His wrestling is improving, (and) his standup is improving. He's not just waiting on his jiu-jitsu to hold him into a fight. Now, he's a complete fighter, and I look forward to the 'Jacare' of six months (or) a year from now."

Miller, meanwhile, has twice fought Souza under the DREAM banner. Their first fight ended in a unanimous decision for Souza, and a subsequent rematch ended in controversy when Miller threw an illegal upkick that cut Souza and rendered him unable to continue. The two have sporadically sparred in the press since.

For now, though, Souza would rather forget that.

Champion Marloes Coenen vs. Miesha Tate set for "Strikeforce: Columbus"

A 135-pound women's title fight between welterweight champion Marloes Coenen (18-4 MMA, 2-1 SF) and top contender Miesha Tate (11-2 MMA, 4-1 SF) is set for March's "Strikeforce: Columbus" event.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) mentioned the likelihood of the fight on Sunday, and Tate recently posted a Twitter message confirming the booking.

The March 5 event takes place at Nationwide Arena as part of Strikeforce's Ohio debut. The night's main card, including a headliner between light-heavyweight champion Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante and Dan Henderson, airs on Showtime.

Coenen vs. Tate is expected to serve as the night's co-headliner.

Coenen is coming off two title fights under the Strikeforce banner. Although she suffered a TKO loss to women's middleweight champ Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos in January 2010, Coenen returned in October, dropped a weight class, and delivered then-women's welterweight champ Sarah Kaufman her first career loss. The third-round submission victory earned the Dutch fighter the belt and her sixth win in her past eight fights.

Tate, meanwhile, earned her title shot by winning Strikeforce's single-night four-woman tournament in August. After a decision victory over Maiju Kujala in the opening round, she bested Hitomi Akano on points in the finale. She's now 10-1 over her past 11 fights, and the lone loss came to Kaufman at Strikeforce Challengers 1 in 2009.

"Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Cyborg" salaries: Nick Diaz leads $463,500 fighter payroll

Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz ($150,000) and fellow defending champion Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza ($85,000) were the top earners at this past weekend's "Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Cyborg" event.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today requested and received the list of salaries from the California State Athletic Commission.

The event took place at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., and aired on Showtime. The total disclosed payroll for the event was $463,500.

Diaz defeated Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos ($20,000) in the night's headliner, and middleweight champ Souza stopped Lawler  ($65,000) in the co-headliner.

Perhaps the most notable figure was the salary attached to former NFL great Herschel Walker. Despite his heavy promotion of the card and the interest he drew for his second pro fight, he earned a flat rate of $5,000. However, additional compensation likely came in other forms for the 48-year-old fighter.

The full payouts include:

Champ Nick Diaz: $150,000 (no win bonus)
def. Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos: $20,000

Champ Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza: $85,000 ($15,000 win bonus)
def. Robbie Lawler : $65,000

Herschel Walker: $5,000 (no win bonus)
def. Scott Carson: $5,000

Roger Gracie: $75,000 (no win bonus)
def. Trevor Prangley: $30,000

Nate Moore: $4,000 ($2,000 win bonus)
def. Nathan Coy: $3,000

Isaiah Hill: $3,000 ($1,500 win bonus)
def. Bobby Stack: $1,500

Ron Keslar: $3,000 ($1,500 win bonus)
def. Eric Lawson: $1,500

Germaine de Randamie: $3,000 ($1,000 win bonus)
def. Stephanie Webber: $1,000

James Terry: $3,000 ($1,500 win bonus)
def. Lucas Gamaza: $1,500

Jenna Castillo: $3,000 ($1,500 win bonus)
def. Charlene Gellner: $1,000

Now, the usual disclaimer: The figures do not include deductions for items such as insurance, licenses and taxes. Additionally, the figures do not include money paid by sponsors, which can oftentimes be a substantial portion of a fighter's income.

The figures also do not include the results from the night's three amateur bouts. (Amateur fighters are not compensated.)

In other words, these are simply base salaries reported to the commission and do not represent the total amounts earned by each fighter.

Josh Koscheck Sidelined for Six Months from UFC After Surgery

Josh Koscheck will be sidelined at least six months from UFC action as he recovers from surgery that repaired a broken orbital suffered in his Dec. 11 loss to welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre at UFC 124, Koscheck recently told MMAjunkie:

“Georges beat me fair and square that night. He’s a better fighter, but I think that the first punch of the fight was when I broke my eye. So I thought that it was definitely bad luck on my behalf. That’s life. He threw the punch, and it was a good punch. I definitely think the fight would have been a lot different if that wasn’t the case.
“I’ll continue to grind and build my way up to being the No. 1 contender and put myself back in the position. Right now, that’s so far away for me. I still have five months of recovery.”

Nick Diaz says he’s not impressed with Paul Daley as a martial artist, predicts he’d choke him out

Strikeforce welterweight champion, Nick Diaz has revealed that he’s not impressed by UK heavy hitter, Paul “Semtex” Daley as an overall martial artist and predicts if the two ever meet inside the cage he’ll end up winning via submission on the ground.
Speaking after Saturday’s win, Diaz said:

“I see me putting punches on him, and maybe him taking me down, too, and getting caught in a choke. He could run from me, and I could run him down, take him down, and beat him on the ground. I don’t know. I could see that fight going a lot of different ways.”

“I’m not really impressed with Paul Daley as a mixed martial artist. I’m sure he knows what’s going to happen if he steps in there to fight me. All [anyone] can really do is try to down-talk me and minimize what I’ve done in the past and what I might do to them.”

Daley could be next up for Diaz if he can get past DEEP welterweight champion, Yuya Shirai on the BAMMA 5 card late next month in Manchester, England, a fight many are predicting will go his way via early knockout. Stay tuned to MMABay for more on this and more as we get it.

Shane Carwin’s camp in talks with Fedor Emelianenko over possibly training together

Former UFC interim heavyweight champion, Shane Carwin has revealed that his camp is currently in talks with formerly ranked number one fighter in the world, Fedor Emelianenko over possibly training together down the line, adding it would be an honour to train with the Russian legend.
Speaking via The Fight Fix, Carwin said:

“There has been a little contact between our agents and stuff. I was the one that opened up the invitation first, because it would be an honour to train with a legend like Fedor. I think the world of him – he is a family man and a man of god, he has great values and beyond that he is just a great fighter. Hopefully we can get it done.”

On his own comeback to the octagon, Carwin commented:

“I was originally slated to fight Roy Nelson on May 28th in Las Vegas, they kinda switched that up and moved me to [the] Vancouver [card]. I don’t have an opponent yet – that I know of; they (the UFC) probably know, but I don’t!

“I want one of the top guys so I can get back to a title shot. I’d like to get a shot at Cain [Velasquez, champion] and then Brock [Lesnar, ex-champion] can come in and challenge me.”

Carwin looks set to return to action when the promotion visits Vancouver, Canada for a second time this coming June, although his opponent as yet is currently unknown. Stay tuned to MMABay for more build-up to the man mountains return to action as we get it.

Gladiator Challenge: Irvin vs Crisman a no-contest

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the regional circuit...
Former UFC veteran James Irvin returned to action over the weekend, battling the hapless Mike Crisman in the main event of Gladiator Challenge: "Young Guns 4" at the Elko Indian Colony Gym in Elko, Nevada.
"The Sandman," who came into the Jan. 29 bout with a 1-4 record over his last five fights, was unable to get back into the win column after special guest referee Ken Shamrock ruled the bout a no-contest (NC).
From Irvin:

"I beat the brakes off this fool...he was sleeping on the ground. Ken Shamrock says I illegally kneed him, so it was a no-contest! I KO'd this guy and walked away before Shamrock even got there, and two minutes later, he says it's a no-contest. It's cool. I don't have a scratch on me, and I'm fighting again in three weeks. That was the luckiest night of that dude's life. [GC Promoter] Tedd Williams says I can rematch [Crisman] in May. Perfect rematch."

Crisman recently snapped a seven-fight losing streak to bring his record to 9-19 and will likely face Irvin again in May to settle their score.
Sorry fight fans, but no word yet from Gladiator Challenge on Shammy's participation in the planned rematch.

UFC 126 undercard preview and predictions for 'Silva vs Belfort'

Before headliners Anderson Silva, Vitor Belfort, Rich Franklin, Forrest Griffin, Jon Jones and Ryan Bader step into the cage at UFC 126 this Saturday night (Feb. 5), a star-studded preliminary card will jump-start the "Silva vs. Belfort" pay-per-view (PPV) at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of UFC 126, beginning with the PPV telecast at 10 p.m. ET on Saturday, Feb. 5, 2011. In addition, we will deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the under card action much earlier on fight night.
The undercard will feature six bouts, including three-time WEC headliner Donald Cerrone's UFC debut against Paul Kelly, as well as the Octagon debut of Japanese legend "Kid" Yamamoto as he faces rising star Demetrious Johnson in a bantamweight contest.
This is the beginning of a week-long set of previews here at MMAmania.com. Please note that because of the importance and bearing the preliminary bout between Chad Mendes and Michihiro Omigawa has on the featherweight division, that fight will be getting full preview treatment while the welterweight fight between Jake Ellenberger and Carlos Eduardo Rocha will be examined in this post.
Remember that two of the preliminary bouts -- Cerrone vs. Kelly and Mendes vs. Omigawa -- will air live on Spike TV at 9 p.m. ET prior to the UFC 126 pay-per-view broadcast, which begins at 10 p.m. ET.
Here we go:

Mike Pierce (11-3) vs. Kenny Robertson (10-0)
The fighters: A four-fight UFC veteran, Pierce heads into Saturday's bout against the debuting Robertson in the opening fight of UFC 126: "Silva vs. Belfort." Pierce, known for his grinding style, is coming off a third-round submission win over the now-departed Amilcar Alves at UFC 118 back in August. A wrestler, Pierce's best career wins have come against Paul Bradley and Brock Larson. His two career defeats have come at the hands of UFC veteran Mark Munoz and Strikeforce veteran Nathan Coy.
Robertson, a veteran of Bellator, is undefeated in 10 career fights and has seven submission wins to his credit including a tapout of former UFC veteran John Kolosci in his lone Bellator contest. Two of his submission wins were via strikes and of the five regular submissions, he's used three different techniques. Against Igor Almeida in April 2010, Robertson spent much of the fight on top. In the second round, he hit Almeida with a big low blow while both were kicking. After the restart, Robertson cut Almeida open over the eye, but Almeida hung in there and tagged Robertson with some good shots. The finish was extremely odd. Robertson hit Almeida with what appeared to be a very non-descript shot but Almeida just turned and walked off and referee Mario Yamasaki stopped the fight.
What's at stake: Pierce needs an impressive performance here. He's spent his UFC time in the prelims because he doesn't have the most exciting style. If he ever wants to escape his Jon Fitch-tenure in prelim hell, he needs to put on a good performance here. Time will tell if Robertson will be able to avoid the dreaded "Octagon jitters," but having experience in a larger promotion like Bellator should help.
Pick: I like Pierce here. His style is so tough for welterweights at this level to go up against. Robertson isn't the type of striker that is going to make Pierce pay on the feet and that presents a problem. Robertson has fought some decent competition in his rise to the UFC but has not faced someone the level of Pierce, who has never been finished in his career. Pierce wins this by decision.
Kyle Kingsbury (9-2) vs. Ricardo Romero (11-1)

The fighters: A contestant on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 8, Kingsbury has yet to face a top-flight opponent in the UFC, losing to Tom Lawlor on the show's finale but following that up with decision wins over Razak Al-Hassan and Jared Hamman. Kingsbury, though, has been riddled with inactivity, fighting just once in 2008, 2009 and 2010. This will be his closest time between fights since 2007.

Romero, a veteran of the Northeast scene, had a rocky start in his UFC debut against Seth Petruzelli at UFC 116. He was rocked by Petruzelli on multiple occasions but Petruzelli gassed, allowing Romero to come back and submit him in the second round. Romero's only career loss came via disqualification and he has finished 10 of his 11 opponents, including the last three by submission.

What's at stake: Although he has not defeated anyone of note, Romero has the chance to compete in the deep light-heavyweight division given some time because of the skill-set he possesses. A win and he continues his ascent. For Kingsbury, a win here would be the biggest of his career and prove he belongs in the UFC.

Pick: For one, Romero needs to avoid gassing as badly as he did against Petruzelli to be successful in the UFC. A gas tank like that will not get him past a certain level. Kingsbury could be hanging by a thread with a loss here as most preliminary bout losers are these days. Kingsbury just doesn't do much for me. He certainly can take advantage of a winded Romero, but I see Romero submitting him in the first round.

Demetrious Johnson (7-1) vs. Norifumi Yamamoto (18-3)

The fighters: A long-time veteran of the Japanese scene, "Kid" Yamamoto will make his continental U.S. debut against rising star Johnson in a bantamweight bout. Yamamoto holds 13 of his 18 career wins by (T)KO and was one of the most dynamic and feared lighter-weight fighters in the world before arm and knee injuries took a toll on his body. Holding wins over the likes of Jeff Curran, Caol Uno, Genki Sudo, Bibiano Fernandes and Rani Yahya, Yamamoto returned from injury to face MMA neophyte Joe Warren in the 2009 DREAM featherweight tournament. Warren shocked the MMA world by eating Yamamoto's best shots and taking down the wrestler en route to winning a split decision. In his next fight, Yamamoto fell to then-SRC featherweight champion Masanori Kanehara. He rebounded with a quick knockout win against an overmatched Federico Lopez at DREAM.14 in May.

Johnson, nicknamed "Mighty Mouse," will be making his UFC debut following the WEC merger. After dropping a decision to veteran Brad Pickett at WEC 48, he rebounded with two straight wins, besting Nick Pace by decision at WEC 51 and then Damacio Page by guillotine choke at WEC 52. He is a solid fighter but untested against anybody with the type of power Yamamoto has. This is a big test for the 24-year old Johnson.

What's at stake: "Kid" has so much to prove in this fight. One of Japan's biggest homegrown stars, he comes into his UFC debut in a preliminary fight. For years, fans clamored for a fight between Yamamoto and Urijah Faber. For that to happen, he needs to win and keep winning. Will we see the "old Kid Yamamoto" here or just old "Kid" Yamamoto? A win here could skyrocket Johnson's standing in the division in a lot of people's minds. 

Pick: If Yamamoto's lost his speed, he's going to have a real tough time keeping up with Johnson, who is known for how slippery-quick he is. This is such a tough fight to call because we don't know how much Yamamoto has left and we don't know where Johnson stands against a fighter like Yamamoto. I think Yamamoto is going to get off to a hot start and Johnson will have to battle some adversity, but he'll persevere through and, as Yamamoto slows down, take over the fight and win a very close decision.

Gabe Ruediger (17-6) vs. Paul Taylor (10-6-1)

The fighters: After flaming out in epic, unforgettable fashion on TUF 5, Ruediger was exiled from the UFC for three years. He got a last-minute call as an injury replacement to face hometown kid and fellow TUF 5 castmate Joe Lauzon at UFC 118 back in August. What transpired that night was one of the most vicious and thorough beatdowns in UFC history. Lauzon was all over Ruediger from the opening bell, thoroughly dismantling and owning him before submitting him with an armbar at the 2:01 mark of the first round, snapping Ruediger's six-fight win streak. After such an embarrassing performance where he never even got off the blocks, it's surprising Ruediger gets another chance, but the UFC has proven time and again if you take a late fight, you'll likely be brought back regardless.

This will mark Taylor's ninth time inside the Octagon but only second in the U.S. A long-time staple of the UFC's shows in the U.K., this will be Taylor's second straight fight in America. He comes in riding a two-fight losing streak, dropping decisions to John Hathaway (UFC 105) and Sam Stout (UFC 121). After a hot UFC start, Taylor has cooled, but has been involved in three bouts that have earned "Fight of the Night" honors.

What's at stake: This is definitely a "loser leaves town" fight. It's hard to fathom Taylor having nine UFC fights after this but alas, he will. Ruediger needs something here after being blown out of the water by Lauzon. For Taylor, a 3-6 record is not the type of record one can keep his job with. Both of these men should be fighting for their lives here.

Pick: This is your classic "striker vs. grappler" fight. Taylor has solid kickboxing while Ruediger is solid on the canvas. When the chips are down, Ruediger tends to disappoint. This would be a perfect time to turn that trend around, but, as the old timers (and apparently me) say, a leopard doesn't change its spots. Taylor by decision.

Paul Kelly (11-3) vs. Donald Cerrone (13-3)

The fighters: After having two impressive wins in three outings in 2010, Kelly will look to get his 2011 off to a good start here against Cerrone. Kelly last fought at UFC 123, stopping T.J. O'Brien with elbows in the second round. He also put in another good performance at UFC 112 in April, submitting Matt Veach with a guillotine choke. In between, he dropped a decision to Jacob Volkmann. Those two stoppage wins in 2010 were the first of Kelly's UFC career. Is it a sign of things to come or of the competition?

Cerrone, who seemingly fought on every-other WEC show, makes his UFC debut as an injury replacement. A two-time WEC lightweight title contender, Cerrone failed on both occasions, losing a technical decision to Jamie Varner and then was submitted by Ben Henderson. After his loss to Henderson, Cerrone came back with two straight wins. The first came by decision in a heated grudge match against Jamie Varner at WEC 51 and the second by triangle choke against Chris Horodecki at WEC 53 in December. Cerrone brings a solid submission game to the table and his striking has improved. His wrestling, though, could use improvement, but was visibly improved against Varner.

What's at stake: Cerrone was loved by WEC brass and will pretty much take any fight. He's the first real test to see if the WEC lightweights can hang in the UFC and this is a perfect test. Kelly needs to make a move to prove he isn't just a middling lightweight. A win over Cerrone would undoubtedly be the biggest of his career.

Pick: As stated, this is a perfect test to see where Cerrone stands and it's a perfect fight for him to make his UFC debut with. After some furious striking by both men, Kelly will take Cerrone down, but while there, Cerrone will tap him out. Cerrone takes this one by submission in the second round.

Jake Ellenberger (22-5) vs. Carlos Eduardo Rocha (9-0)

The fighters: Ellenberger, a wrestler with powerful striking, comes into this main-card bout riding a two-fight win streak, stopping both Mike Pyle and John Howard by TKO. Against Howard, Ellenberger just pounded on Howard's face until the swelling was so bad that the bout was waved off. Ellenberger made a big impression in his UFC debut in a losing effort against Carlos Condit. He hurt the former WEC welterweight champion and had him reeling and almost stopped early before letting him off the hook and losing a split decision. Although he's only accumulated three fights in the UFC, Ellenberger was tested prior to his days in the Octagon, facing the likes of Jay Hieron, Delson Heleno, Pat Healy and Rick Story before his UFC debut.

Rocha is a slick Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist whose only seen one of his nine career fights enter the second round. Of those nine wins, eight have come by submission, including a first-round kneebar submission of Kris McCray at UFC 122 in November. It will be interesting to see how he performs on the big stage in Las Vegas against someone as experienced and powerful as Ellenberger.

What's at stake: Ellenberger has some steam behind him following back-to-back stoppage wins. Nothing gets you noticed more in the UFC than those and beating an undefeated fighter certainly would be another big notch on his belt. Rocha needs to prove he can pull out some of his submission magic against a fighter like Ellenberger.

Pick: Rocha is slick, no doubt, and this is a good chance for me to look like a fool, but I see Ellenberger using his wrestling to keep this fight on the feet, where he'll batter Rocha, tiring him out and either gaining a late stoppage or a decision win. Of course, Rocha could submit him quickly, too. I like style fights like this a lot. I'm looking forward to seeing these two compete.

Josh Koscheck is 'losing his mind' not training or fighting (Video)

Stoned cold: Cesar Gracie isn't high on Melvin Guillard's 'homo-erotic fantasies'

And the grappling guru makes it pretty queer that he's not a fan of "The Young Assassin" in his recent interview with Ariel Helwani:

"Melvin's one of the better boxers in there, I enjoyed his fight with Nathan (Diaz) but I heard he said something like 'go back to Brazil' and I was like 'Well who's gonna teach guys to keep choking you out if I go back to Brazil?' ... I heard he was talking about some kind of homo-erotic fantasies he had with me, I don't know, go keep painting your hair it's like 'dude, what are you talking about? You want to have sex with a man?' You got problems man. You want me to go back to Brazil? Go back to Columbia and get some more coke or whatever."

And this thing has officially gotten ugly. Cesar Gracie recently said 'Greg Jackson is not one of the world's better coaches,' something Melvin Guillard (a reformed Jackson pupil) took exception to, even calling for Gracie's permanent return to his native Brazil. Now Gracie fires back at Guillard, calling into question his past troubles with drug abuse and choice of hair color. Is the man behind the training of Jake Shields and Nick and Nate Diaz crossing the line? Or did Melvin pick a fight with the wrong camp? Anyone for a Team Jackson vs. Team Gracie pay-per-view showdown?

Frank Mir "woman of the year" ???

Frank "The Fantabulous" Mir?
The former heavyweight champ joined his wife Jennifer at the Nevada Ballet Theatre's 27th Annual Black and White Ball to honor Priscilla Presley as NBT's "Woman of the Year." The evening's modern ballet was said to be, "breathtakingly beautiful."

2nd win for Escudero TUF8 winner

The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Season 8 winner Efrain Escudero (15-2) won his second straight fight since his UFC release by submitting Jeremy Larsen at Rage in the Cage 148 last Saturday night (Jan. 29) at the Wild Horse Pass Casino in Chandler, Arizona.

Marcus Davis: Strikeforce is missing out on exciting fights by not signing me

Props: Tapology
Quoteworthy:

"Nothing is official yet, but we’ve had a few offers. I have actually gotten a lot of U.K. and European offers. I was hoping to hear from Strikeforce, but I know they’ve started that whole thing where they’re not taking UFC fighters coming off of losses. I completely understand. It’s all business and I don’t take any of this stuff personally. As far as Strikeforce is concerned, I can understand why they would want to continue that policy from a business standpoint. With me, the one thing that they miss out on—and it’s my major selling point to anyone—is that my fights tend to be exciting."

38-year-old former boxer and "Ultimate Fighter" Marcus Davis fields offers from regional and International promotions after receiving his UFC pink slip earlier this year. "The Irish Hand Grenade,"  who is 1-4 over his last five fights, was knocked out by Jeremy Stephens in his lightweight debut back at UFC 125: Resolution" on Jan. 1 but isn't ready to hang up the gloves just yet. Can the former welterweight get back on his horse and make some noise on the independent circuit? And is Scott Coker's decision not to sign him good for business? Or bad for the fans? Both? Let's hear your take on where you'd like to see Davis fight next (if at all).

Wreck MMA 'Strong and Proud' Results:

Tough couple of days for "Diesel" fans.
After missing weight for his main event fight against Jordan Mein at Wreck MMA: "Strong and Proud" last Friday night (Jan. 28), UFC and Strikeforce veteran Joe Riggs was pounded out in the second round by "Young Guns" at the Casino de Lac-Leamy in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada.
Riggs falls to 34-12 with the technical knockout loss while Mein improves to 19-7.
And much to the chagrin of MMA enthusiasts, former UFC running man Kalib Starnes secured his second straight win by submitting Matt MacGrath in the second round via rear naked choke.
The former Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 3 contestant is now 4-2 (12-5-1 overall) since his UFC release back in 2008.
Complete Wreck MMA: "Strong and Proud" results after the jump.

Jordan Mein vs. Joe ‘Diesel' Riggs: Mein defeats Riggs via TKO (GNO) @ 4:30 of Rd2

Mark ‘Boots' Holst vs. Markhaile ‘Showtime' Wedderburn: Holst submits Wedderburn via Rear Naked Choke @ 4:56 of Rd2

Matt MacGrath vs. Kalib Starnes: Starnes submits MacGrath via Rear Naked Choke @ 3:14 of Rd2

Dimitri Waardenburg vs. Remi ‘Bam Bam' Morvan: Waardenburg defeats Morvan via Unanimous Decision

Mike Reilly vs. Robin Black: Reilly submits Black via Arm Bar @ :57 of Rd1

Jesse ‘The Ghost' Gross vs. Pablo Santos: Gross defeats Santos via TKO(GNP) @ 3:12 of Rd1

Alka "The Spartan" Matewa vs. Jesse ‘The Body Snatcher' Ronson: Ronson submits Matewa via Arm Bar @ 4:51 of Rd1

Amer Hussein vs. Mustafa ‘Mufasa' Khalil: Khalil defeats Hussein via KO (Hook) @ 2:25 of Rd2

Mike Sledzion vs. Jeffrey Laughren: Sledzion submits Laughren via Guillotine Choke @ :55 of Rd1

Jeff Harrison vs Jamie McLean: Harrison submits McLean via Rear Naked Choke @ 3:43 of Rd1

Kyle Vivian vs Tyler Hardcastle: Hardcastle submits Vivian via Triangle Choke @ 1:55 of Rd2

Marc Lefebvre vs. Christopher St. Jean: Lefebvre defeats St. Jean via Majority Decision

Strikeforce: 'Mayhem' Miller out, Luke Rockhold in against Tim Kennedy in Columbus

Sorry homies, but it looks like someone was scared to move forward with our previously reported rubber match between Tim Kennedy and Jason Miller for the upcoming Strikeforce card on March 5 in Columbus.
Sources close to one of the fight camps alerted MMAmania.com to the change in plans earlier today.
Stepping in for "Mayhem" will be middleweight prospect Luke Rockhold, who's been torching the "Challengers" scene for the past two years and racking up six straight wins.
But can the 7-1 prospect handle the experience of Kennedy when they collide at the Nationwide Arena?

Kennedy suffered a disappointing unanimous decision loss to Ronaldo Souza when they tangled back at the "Houston" event in August 2010, one that saw "Jacare" claim the vacant 185-pound strap and send the super-soldier to his first loss in over three years.
A win over a top-prospect like Rockhold could make the argument that he deserves another crack at the title considering Kennedy's first dance with the grappling guru was hardly a blowout.
But does this mean "Mayhem" is reconsidering a drop in weight to fight Nick Diaz?
Time will tell.
Strikeforce recently announced its March 5 event at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, which is expected to feature a main event title fight between light heavyweight challenger Dan Henderson and division champion Rafael Cavalcante.

Sean Sherk wants to keep fighting top contenders in the UFC's 'deep' lightweight division (Video)

"The Muscle Shark" says he's sure the UFC can come up with an interesting opponent for him that will please the fans. How about you Maniacs give it a go. Who should he fight next?

Season 2 Finalist Patricio 'Pitbull' Freire Returns for Bellator Season 4 Featherweight Tournament

CHICAGO, Ill. (January 31st, 2011) - After suffering the first loss of his professional career in the Bellator Season 2 Featherweight Tournament Finals against World's #2 ranked Featherweight and Bellator World Champion Joe Warren following a string of thirteen professional victories, Patricio "Pitbull" Freire is ready to step back into the cage on his quest to earn a rematch with Warren later this year. Beginning in March, Freire will join already confirmed participants Wilson Reis, Daniel Straus, Georgi "Insane" Karakhanyan, Zac George, Kenny Foster, and Eric Larkin in the Bellator Season 4 Featherweight Tournament, airing LIVE on MTV2.
"Patricio Pitbull is a great fighter. He was seconds away from beating one of the top two Featherweights on earth and that loss was his only defeat as a professional. I know that his sole focus is winning this tournament and earning the opportunity to avenge his loss to our Champion Joe Warren. He's going to be fun to watch fight this season," said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney."
Residing and training out of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, MMA played a key role in Freire's childhood, as the dynamic featherweight began his formal training at just 14-years-old alongside his brother Patricky "Pitbull" Freire - together the pair are commonly known in the MMA world as "The Pitbull Brothers."
After becoming a 2-time International Kickboxing Champion, a Brazilian Cup Jiu-Jitsu Champion, and a black belt in Jiu-Jitsu, "Pitbull" made his way into the cage. Currently training daily with the likes of fellow world class Brazilians Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Anderson Silva, and Junior dos Santos, Freire is constantly surrounded by many of the best in the sport and plans to use that experience to his benefit in the upcoming Bellator Season 4 Featherweight Tournament.

3 wins away from 100

Randy who?
52-year-old UFC hall of famer Dan Severn won the Elite 1 MMA heavyweight championship after choking out Scott Fraser at the Casino New Brunswick on Jan. 29 in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada.
"The Beast" (97-16-7) is three wins away from 100 -- and possibly a feeding tube.

UFC 126 – Mike Pierce warns Kenny Robertson: “It is either my way or no way. That’s just how it has to be”

UFC welterweight grinder, Mike Pierce has been giving his thoughts on his upcoming fight with octagon newcomer, Kenny Robertson next weekend at UFC 126 in Las Vegas, Nevada, explaining the Illinois native doesn’t have a clue what he’s let himself in for by signing up to fight him.
Speaking via UFC.com, Pierce said:

“They love giving me rookies. It makes no difference for me. I get to go out there and fight somebody and make good money and show my skills.”

“If he has watched any video on me then I’m sure he has a little bit of an idea, but once that door closes in the Octagon he will not be ready for what he just got himself into. I don’t think people know how big of a 170 pounder I am. I am stepping into that Octagon most times at 190 pounds. After doing a body fat test not too long ago, I weighed in at 189 pounds and I was only 8.9% body fat, which leaves me at 172ish pounds of lean muscle mass.”

“I watch video on these guys, but when it comes down to it, they are fighting me. I don’t care what previous records or belts they have had or what gym he trains out of or how many knockouts he has, when it comes down to it he is just one man against me. They’re going to do what I want them to do; it is either my way or no way. That’s how it has to be.”

Pierce has enjoyed relative success since joining the ranks of the UFC, defeating Brock Larson, Julio Paulino and Amilcar Alves over the fifteen months. His sole defeat came at the hands of former title contender, Jon Fitch late last year. Stay tuned to MMABay for more build-up to this one as we get it.

Strikeforce: 'Diaz vs Cyborg' video highlights from San Jose on Jan. 29

Scott Coker confirms Strikeforce is eying a show in Japan this year (video)

Strikeforce CEO, Scott Coker discusses multiple things coming up in the promotions future, including a possible show down the road in Japan where the heavyweight grand prix will likely feature.

Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante vs. Dan Henderson made official for March 5th in Columbus, Ohio

A light heavyweight title bout between current champion, Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante and former PRIDE champion, Dan Henderson has been made official for the Strikeforce event on March 5^th in Columbus, Ohio.
The news was revealed to the press last night in San Jose, California, with this bout set to serve as the main event of the evening.
Cavalcante hasn’t been seen since he defeated Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal for the title via third round TKO in August of last year. Prior to the win he’d defeated Aaron Rose and Antwain Britt, also inside the distance.
As for Henderson, he got back to winning ways after the disappointment of losing to Jake Shields in a middleweight title fight when he defeated former 205 pound champion, Renato “Babalu” Sobral in December.

Diaz vs Cyborg FULL FIGHT

Nick Diaz vs. Evangelista Santos.Strikeforce
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Nick Diaz "Taking Me down is a mistake"

Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Nick Diaz says it’s a mistake to take him down.

Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza talks about taking care of business against Robbie Lawler (video)

Brazilian submission machine, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza talks about defending his Strikeforce middleweight crown last night against Robbie Lawler in San Jose, California last night, submitting the heavy hitter in the third round.

Roger Gracie talks about his latest submission win inside the Strikeforce cage (video)

Strikeforce light heavyweight submission machine, Roger Gracie talks about his impressive first round win over Trevor Prangley last night in San Jose, California, a win that takes him to 4-0 overall in his career.

Strikeforce 'Diaz vs Cyborg' results, recap and post-event discussion

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?

Company middleweight title holder Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza was also successful in defending his strap, but not before the challenger, "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler, nearly took his head off.
"Jacare," not exactly known for his boxing game, managed to recover from the early onslaught and that marked the end of the Brazilian taking chances exchanging punches with the powerful striker.
It also marked the beginning of jiu-jitsu 101 and class was officially in session.
Lawler spent the majority of the second round on his back, visibly frustrated at his lack of ability to get back to his feet.  The third stanza came and once again, he couldn't stop the champ from repeatedly putting him right back on his ass.
That's not to say the H.I.T. Squad member wasn't a game opponent. He avoided multiple submissions including a couple of oh-so-slick armbar attempts and a standing guillotine.
Eventually though, the truth will always win out and his "Ruthless" attack just wasn't enough.
Now that he has successfully defended his title, "Jacare" is firmly entrenched as the Strikeforce middleweight champion. He says he's ready for any challenger the promotion puts in front of him and he wants to get back to work as soon as possible.
Got anyone in mind?
Former Heisman Trophy winner and current American Kickboxing Academy trainee Herschel Walker scored his second career mixed martial arts victory with a first round drubbing of Scott Carson in a battle of aging athletes.
The 48 year old Walker dominated the 40 year old Carson from the opening bell, securing a takedown and then pounding his way to a quick victory in just over three minutes of work.
Say what you want about the football great making the transition to MMA at such an advanced age, but he's a ferocious competitor and I certainly wouldn't want to run into him in a dark alley. He came out and did exactly what he needed to do to win. Not only that he made it entertaining.
Scott Carson may not represent the greatest competition in the world, but anything can (and often does) happen in MMA. A win is a win, and Herschel Walker, if you can believe it, is now 2-0.
To hell with a return to the gridiron, how about one more trip to the cage?
Roger Gracie continued to live up to the reputation that comes with such having such a famous last name by notching his fourth win via submission in just as many pro fights.
South African wrestling champion Trevor Prangley did all he could to avoid going to the mat with the decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace, but Gracie barely broke a sweat dragging the veteran down and quickly finishing him off.
Gracie has now defeated Kevin Randleman, Yuki Kondo, Ron Waterman, and the aforementioned Prangley in his four pro fights -- all credible victories. He says he wants to be focus exclusively on  MMA from here on out.
The Strikeforce light heavyweight division has officially been put on notice.
With a pedigree like no other and a ground game that's nearly impossible to match, he has all the tools to be the next great champion in the sport. Here's to hoping he dedicates himself to making a run at it.
In undercard action, welterweight up and comer Nate Moore defeated Nathan Coy via knockout with a stunning combination of punches just seconds into the second round of their bout to improve his overall record to 7-2.
That's all from "Shark City."
Next up for the promotion is "Fedor vs. Silva" on Feb. 12 from the IZOD Center in E. Rutherford, New Jersey, which will feature the start of the highly anticipated 2011 heavyweight grand prix tournament. The event is set to air live on Showtime.
Half of the eight-man first round will be decided on the card with Fedor Emelianenko battling Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva and Andrei "The Pitbull" Arlovski locking horns with Sergei Kharitonov. An alternate bout between Lavarr "Big" Johnson and Shane Del Rosario will also take place on the main card.
We'll have all the coverage you can handle for that event right here on MMAmania.com so stay tuned.
Until then, sound off with your thoughts on all the action from "Diaz vs. Cyborg."

Which personality did Herschel Walker use against Scott Carson? (Video)

The "competitive" one, according to the former NFL great. He also gives his prediction for who he thinks is going to win the Super Bowl. He makes the correct pick, by the way.

Nick Diaz pulls off sudden second round submission win to retain his welterweight title

Strikeforce welterweight champion, Nick Diaz tonight retained his title inside the Strikeforce cage, defeating heavy hitting Brazilian, Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos in the second round with a slick arm bar that came out of nowhere to end the fight in an instance.
Santos misses with a high kick to begin. Hard low kick lands from Santos, and another. Santos is taking out the legs of the champion with kick after kick. Diaz gets busy with his hands and pins Santos up against the fence. Both men separate and begin to throw down with wild punches but it’s Santos who lands another hard low kick. Santos is starting to land with punches now as Diaz comes forward throwing the jab. Santos with more low kicks as the two exchange with the hands. Another hard kick from Santos, and another, and another! Santos lands a series of punches but Diaz just taunts him.  Diaz begins to find the target as he pins Santos up against the fence and unloads. Santos survives but looks to be gasses already. The two exchange in the middle of the cage but it’s Diaz now getting off with his strikes. The round ends with Diaz on top. MMABay scores the round 10-9 Diaz.
Santos misses with a couple of high kicks to begin before he lands with a low kick. Santos moves forward but Diaz lands a series of punches. Santos answers with a series of leg kicks which seem to hurt Diaz. Both men are getting off with their punches but Diaz is definitely landing more often. Santos lands a series of dangerous elbows before scoring with a low kick. Diaz connects with punches but Santos answers with an uppercut. The pair exchange up against the fence again with Santos this time landing a nice overhand right and a knee. Low kick from Santos lands hard as do kicks to the legs. Spinning low kick from Santos before he scores with a takedown. Diaz spins for an armbar and has it, forcing the referee to step in before he snaps the arm. Stunning finish.

Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza survives early blitz from Lawler to pull off third round submission win in the cage

Strikeforce middleweight champion, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza proved why he’s considered one of the best submission fighters in the game today, defeating heavy hitting veteran, Robbie Lawler in the third round with a rear-naked choke in San Jose, California.
Lots of movement from Lawler as Souza takes the center of the cage. Body kick misses from Souza. Flying knee misses from Lawler before Souza pushes him up against the fence and gains the takedown. Souza moves quickly to side control with plenty of time remaining in the round. Souza has a hold of an arm and uses it to keep control on the ground. Lawler manages to get back to his knees and then his feet and separates. Souza with a nice right but Lawler lands a knee. Lawler follows up with another and pours it on, scoring with a right hand which drops Souza to the canvas. Lawler follows Souza to the ground and he’s soon tied up. Souza seems to have weathered the storm well but he didn’t like the power. The referee stands the pair up with seconds remaining and Lawler lands a nice kick. Souza goes for the takedown and can’t get it so he pushes his opponent up against the fence. Souza gains a takedown of sorts as time runs out.
Slower start to the second round from both men before Lawler throws a kick. Souza shoots in and pins Lawler up against the fence, scooting him to the canvas. Souza mounts but Lawler is sat up against the fence. Lawler recovers half guard as Souza puts him firmly on his back. Effective ground and pound from Souza before he looks for an arm triangle. Souza lets go of it and moves to side control where he looks to go to work. More punches land from Souza and momentarily looks to move to the mount. He doesn’t get it and moves back to side control before posturing up and throwing down. Souza secures a nice armbar but Lawler somehow escapes. Souza takes his back and attacks with another armbar but once again he can’t get it. Lawler lands on top but there’s little he can do before the bell. MMABay scores the round 10-9 Souza.
Souza stalks to begin the third and ties Lawler up in the Muay Thai clinch and delivers a series of knees. The Brazilian goes for a single leg up against the cage before delivering more knees from the clinch. Souza gains the takedown and goes to work with punches and knees. Lawler looks to get back to his feet but gives up his back where Souza attacks with a rear-naked choke. The Brazilian squeezes and eventually forces Lawler to tap out.

Herschel Walker dominates Scott Carson on the way to a first round TKO win in San Jose, California

Former NFL great, Herschel Walker proved a point tonight with a dominant performance over Scott Carson on the main card of the Strikeforce card in San Jose, California, winning the fight via first round TKO and perhaps prolonging his MMA career in the process.
Walker stalks Carson from the beginning and drops him with a flurry. Carson catches Walker with an upkick but it only seems to anger the former NFL star as he looks to pour it on. Carson attempts a leg lock but Walker escapes and takes his back. A few punches later Carson gets back to his feet but is soon dumped back to the canvas. Carson attempts a keylock but Walker is relentless with his punches and begins to land knees to the body. Walker continues to pound away on Carson, looking for the finish but Carson is turtle up and covering up the best he can. Carson spins out and winds up on his back. Walker bides his time and waits for Carson to get back to his feet before delivering a flurry of punches which slump Carson back to the canvas. More punches land before the referee steps in.

Roger Gracie impressively despatches Trevor Prangley in the very first round via submission

Strikeforce light heavyweight star on the rise and number one Jiu-Jitsu fighter in the world, Roger Gracie used his grappling skills to his advantage tonight when he faced Trevor Prangley in San Jose, California, submitting the veteran in the very first round with a rear-naked choke.
Cautious start by both men as Gracie uses his jab to keep Prangley at bay. Right hand over the top slides past Gracie’s jaw from Prangley. Gracie is using a lot of low kicks thus far. Prangley moves in but Gracie ties him up in the clinch and ties him up against the fence where he lands a couple of knees. Prangley gets free but Gracie soon ties him up again and trips his opponent to the ground. Prangley looks to use the cage to get back to his feet but winds up giving his back. Gracie moves to the mount position but Prangley uses the cage to try and escape but only gives up his back once again. Gracie attacks with a rear-naked choke and finally forces the veteran to tap via submission.

Kenny Florian in the process of dropping to 145 pounds to take on Jose Aldo down the road

It appears former two-time lightweight title contender, Kenny Florian is in the process of dropping to 145 pounds in search of a title fight against ultra-talented Brazilian, Jose Aldo down the road despite talking smack about Melvin Guillard in recent weeks.
This via the Bleacher Report:

The rumor really picked up Friday afternoon when fellow UFC lightweight Melvin Guillard was a guest on Heath Herring and Jay Pagliaro’s “The Show” radio show.

Words have been exchanged between Florian and Guillard over the past month or two which obviously led to speculation that the two may be stepping into the cage soon.

When asked about a potential fight with Florian, Guillard said that he had talked to UFC President Dana White earlier in the day and that White had informed him that Florian was in the process of, “dropping to 145.”

Florian was all for welcoming Aldo to the 145 pound ranks at the end of 2010, offering to square off with the Brazilian while he was still the WEC champion and looking for a legit challenge. Will “Ken Flo” be able to drop the extra ten pounds after competing at 185 pounds on “The Ultimate Fighter” reality show back in the day?

Strikeforce results, updates and play-by-play

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):

STRIKEFORCE: "DIAZ VS. CYBORG" QUICK RESULTS:

Nick Diaz defeats Evangelista Santos via submission (armbar) at 4:50 of round two
Ronaldo Souza defeats Robbie Lawler via submission (rear naked choke) at 2:00 of round three
Herschel Walker defeats Scott Carson via technical knockout (strikes) at 3:13 of round one
Roger Gracie defeats Trevor Prangley via submission (rear naked choke) at 4:19 of round one
Nate Moore defeats Nate Coy via knockout (strikes) at 0:25 of round two
Germaine de Randamie defeats Stephanie Webber via knockout (knee) at 4:25 of round one
Isaiah Hill defeats Bobby Stack via submission (triangle choke) at 1:02 of round one
Ron Keslar defeats Eric Lawson via submission (armbar) at 1:57 of round one
James Terry defeats Lucas Gamaza via technical knockout (strikes) at 3:26 of round one
Jenna Castillo defeats Charlene Gellner via technical knockout (strikes) at 3:57 of round two
Anthony Dariano defeats Alan Perez via unanimous decision
Ricky Jackson defeats Niko Jackson via unanimous decision
Armin Safiari defeats Sam Bracamonte via unanimous decision

STRIKEFORCE: "DIAZ VS. CYBORG" PLAY-BY-PLAY LIVE MAIN CARD COMMENTARY (PPV):
James here.
Strikeforce Weterweight Champion Nick Diaz vs. Evangelista Santos (170-pound limit)
Round one: Main event time! Here we go! Diaz avoids a spinning kick and then another. Diaz is talking to Cyborg. He tries a leg kick now. Cyborg with another spinning kick attempt that misses. Now he connects with a couple hard inside leg kicks. Diaz coming forward talking and he initiates a clinch. Cyborg with his back to the cage here. Knees from Diaz. They separate and Diaz comes forward again right away looking for another clinch. Cyborg with some big punches and he continues to tee off with leg kicks. Cyborg bullying Diaz here. Diaz still coming forward with those straight punches. Another kick and then a big counter punch from the challenger. Cyborg lands twice with big right hands. Diaz getting outclassed on his feet here. Another kick from Cyborg. Another. Those are brutal. Another one almost takes Diaz's feet out from under him. Big combination from Cyborg. Diaz standing in there and he's still talking. Straight punches from Diaz and Cyborg is reeling into the fence. Into the clinch momentarily. Diaz still coming forward with punches. Cyborg eating punch after punch here. His arms are low and Diaz is connecting with everything. Cyborg looks tired. He tries desperately to land a couple of power shots, but Diaz continues to walk forward. He's a machine! The round ends with Diaz landing another stiff right hand. Great round!
Round two: Cyborg with kicks right away. Diaz coming forward still and now he eats some big counter punches from the Brazilian. More kicks from the challenger. Cyborg to the body with a big punch. Diaz's ability to withstand punishment is insane. Cyborg has landed with some huge strikes and he just keeps coming forward. Standing elbows from the challenger. Another cracking leg kick from Cyborg. More straight punches from Diaz. Diaz's legs are getting lit up with kicks, but he just keeps coming forward with straight punches. Big uppercut from Cyborg. Clinch and knee from Diaz. Momentary clinch with a knee from Cyborg. Thai clinch and knees from Cyborg. Diaz still firing with punches, but Cyborg is beating him up this round. Cyborg connects with that spinning kick now. Cyborg shoots quickly and scores a takedown. Diaz wraps him up right away and secures an armbar. Cyborg looks surprised, but he's caught. He has no choice but to tap. Just wow! What a great fight and finish. Cyborg put a beating on Nick Diaz right there like I've never seen before. Anybody else would have been snoring a long time ago. But Diaz did what he does and he took every bit of that punishment and then capitalized on the opening to finish when it presented itself. Absolutely great fight and performance from both men.
Final result: Nick Diaz defeats Evangelista Santos via submission (armbar) at 4:50 of round two

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Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Ronaldo Souza vs. Robbie Lawler (185-pound limit)
Round one: Jacare takes the center. Lawler circling left. A bit of a feeling out process here. Jacare shows a high kick but misses. Lawler unloads with a knee and a right hand. Souza capitalizes and gets a clinch then takedown. He immediately takes side control. Punches from Jacare from the top. This is not at all where Lawler wants to be. Jacare moves to a north-south and then takes side control on Lawler's left side. Lawler defending punches well. He's back to his feet, but Jacare is setting up the guillotine. Lawler escapes and they separate. Big exchange here. Both guys land. Lawler eats a right hand and then unloads another big knee. Lawler chasing Jacare and Jacare looks wobbly. The Brazilian falls to the mat and Lawler jumps on top of him. Jacare looks to be recovered here after eating some big shots from the challenger. Jacare with some small punches from the bottom and now the referee calls for a standup. Lawler unloads with a kick and then some more big punches. Jacare fires back and then scores with a takedown right at the bell. Great round. 10-9 Lawler.
Round two: Lawler circling left still. Jacare has the center. Lawler shows a straight kick. Now an inside leg kick. Jacare shoots. Lawler sprawls, but Jacare is still working and now he gets the takedown. The champ takes full mount quickly. Lawler gets half guard back. Punches from the top by Jacare. Jacare trying for an arm triangle. Lawler sees it coming and avoids it. Jacare gets side control, though. Now to a north-south position and then back to side control on the other side. Good punches from Jacare. Jacare looking for mount but Lawler defends it and keeps him in side control. The champ continues to work the punches. Jacare stands and rains down more punches. Back to side control for the champ. He's setting up a leg lock now, but Lawler is able to escape it. Lawler gives up his back now and Jacare has an armbar. Somehow Lawler frees his arm, but Jacare has it again. Another great escape by Lawler and he takes the top position now. The round ends there. 10-9 Jacare.
Round three: Jacare takes the middle again. He closes the distance fast and gets a Muay Thai clinch. He unloads some knees before moving in for a single leg takedown. Lawler defending against the fence and Jacare lets go. Now a double from the champ and he gets it. Lawler shakes his head in frustration. Souza to half guard. Lawler trying to get back to his feet but Jacare pulls him back down and transitions to his back. Body triangle from the champion and he's working for the choke. Lawler is in deep trouble. Jacare sinks it in and this fight is over. Big win for the Brazilian.
Final result: Ronaldo Souza defeats Robbie Lawler via submission (rear naked choke) at 2:00 of round three 

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Herschel Walker vs. Scott Carson (265-pound limit)
Round one: Walker takes the center and he's screaming at Carson. Carson swings with a right hand. Herschel counters with a combination and Carson falls to the mat. Walker pounces but Carson looks to be recovered. Carson gives up his back and Walker starts drilling him with punches. Carson gets back to his feet, but Walker suplexes him back to the floor. Carson looking for a keylock here. Herschel still has his back. Knees from Walker to the thigh. Now he unloads several punches to the side of Carson's head. Carson is turtled up and he's not doing much to defend. Punches in bunches from Herschel Walker. Now Carson gets away and gets to his back. He tries to stand but Herschel drills him with a combination of punches that sends him back to the mat. The referee wastes no time rushing in to stop the onslaught. Pure domination from the former Heisman winner.
Final result: Herschel Walker defeats Scott Carson via technical knockout (strikes) at 3:13 of round one

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Roger Gracie vs. Trevor Prangley (205-pound limit)
Round one: Gloves touch and we're underway with the first fight of the Showtime telecast. Gracie with a low stance. He shows a relaxed jab and leg kick. More jabs and another kick. There isn't much behind these strikes, though. Prangley tries to counter with a big right. He just misses with it. Gracie tries to close the distance, but Prangley shoves him away. Gracie with more jabs. Prangley leans in and Gracie ties him up. Clinch and knees from Gracie before Prangley gets separation. Back into the clinch for Gracie and he scores with a trip takedown. Prangley near the fence, but Gracie has very good control here with the South African's legs tied up. Gracie with some good ground strikes. He takes full mount easily with a minute and a half remaining in the opening round. Prangley tries to get back to his feet, but he gives up his back in the process. Gracie is all over him and he's working for the choke. Body triangle from Gracie and now he sinks in the choke. Prangley taps right away. Another super impressive win from Gracie. He makes it look so easy.
Final result: Roger Gracie defeats Trevor Prangley via submission (rear naked choke) at 4:19 of round one