Welcome to our coverage of Strikeforce from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. We're looking for your thoughts on tonight's show, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Kevin Randleman vs. Mike Whitehead opens the show.
Randleman doesn't look out of shape physically, but he got tired early. Whitehead is running through him, getting four takedowns. Randleman got a takedown. Randleman is coming across like an old fighter, at 37, and the last two minutes of the round he was largely just hanging on. Randleman was able to pop up and has improved from his back, but when Randleman is getting outwrestled, there isn't much left he can do. Whitehead 10-9
Whitehead took him down right away and kept the fight on the ground. Crowd hated this round. Whitehead held Randleman down most of the round in side control and the fans started booing to implore John McCarthy to stand them up. John will not stand people up from side control. Whitehead got full mount but Randleman did escape. Rest of the round was two exhausted guys. Whitehead's punches were arm weary but Randleman had less. 20-18 Whitehead.
Randleman decked Whitehead with a left hook and was pounding him on the ground, but Whitehead escaped the ground. Whitehead took Randleman down with a double leg with 2:00 left. Fans booed once again because McCarthy wouldn't stand. Whitehead went for a Kimura but never came close. Randleman got up late and threw some haymakers that didn't land. I don't see this being a 10-8 for Randleman, so 29-28 for Whitehead.
All three judges agree at 29-28 for Whitehead.
They showed some stars at ringside. They showed Josh Thomson, Gilbert Melendez, Pat Miletich, Tim Sylvia, Josh Barnett and Fedor Emelianenko. Emelianenko got a pretty big pop. They plugged Emelianenko vs. Barnett on 8/1 and didn't outright say, but largely said Thomson vs. Melendez will happen in August (8/15 in San Jose, which my impression is they will announce later and rumor has it Gina Carano vs. Cris Cyborg will be on that show)
Phil Baroni vs. Joe Riggs
Riggs talked about watching Baroni fight when he was in seventh grade. Close first round. Riggs took Baroni down first and made him look like an amateur on the ground early, getting his back but he couldn't finish him with a choke. Baroni blocked a takedown and got on top and scored with hard body shots. Baroni late in the round, got a reversal on another takedown attempt and was pounding him. I'd go slightly with Riggs 10-9
Good round, the key was a flurry of punches and knees by Riggs midway through. Riggs got one takedown and Baroni got two takedowns. Late in the round, Riggs got a triangle but Baroni was able to escape. Baroni did some decent ground and pound when on top. I'd go 20-18 for Riggs.
Baroni was exhausted and Riggs just picked him apart with hard punches, kicks and knees for most of the round. At times Baroni was backing off but Baroni's toughness really was apparent as he took shot after shot and stayed in. Baroni even came back with some punches late, right before Riggs took him down. Very close to a 10-8 round for Riggs. If it wasn't for the little bit of comeback late by Baroni I'd have given it 10-8. My score is 30-27 Riggs. Good fight.
Unanimous 30-27 scores for Riggs.
Riggs said he broke both of his hands in the fight. Riggs challenged Jake Shields. Crowd cheered him.
As rumors had it, Gina Carano has signed and will face Cris Cyborg on 8/15 in San Jose to determine the first Strikeforce women's title plus Josh Thomson vs. Gilbert Melendez for the lightweight title.
Nick Diaz vs. Scott Smith
Great first round. It was almost exactly like you'd envision. Diaz was connecting with rapid punches, hurt Smith several times and the Smith came back and caught Diaz with hard shots late. Diaz threw 146 punches in the first round. 10-9 Diaz
Diaz threw 221, landing 125 punches on Smith and Smith was taking solid shots to the head with no head movement. Diaz put on a show, hard body shots and straight shots to the head. Somehow Smith would be on the verge of going down and come back with wild punches. Diaz put Smith down, a combination of Smith shooting for a takedown and Diaz connecting just as time ran out. Smith was on his back at the end of the round. Unbelievable fight.
Third round saw Diaz knock Smith down, get his back and choke Smith out. Diaz came off like a superstar here.
Diaz connected on 207 of 397 strikes in the fight. Diaz then broke kayfabe, saying not to believe what you see on TV (there were a lot of people in the crowd who didn't like him) and that it's all part of the show. He said Smith didn't have good people training with him, said Smith should train with a real team and they train much harder.
Andrei Arlovski vs. Brett Rogers
Rogers knocked out Arlovski in seconds. Arlovski has no chin and he wants to be a boxer? Rogers all of a sudden made himself a star. Arvloski looks so dejected. It was a left that stunned Arlovski and a right that put his lights out. Time was 22 seconds.
They are promoting the hell out of the Affliction show since Showtime is promoting the PPV. They are interviewing Fedor. Mauro noted that Brett Rogers beat Arlovski a lot quicker than Fedor did. Fedor didn't say much. He didn't say much. No grandstand challenges, which is smart since they are selling a fight. Now they are promoting Barnett. Barnett didn't say much except Arlovski is still a great fighter and then did a mock pro wrestling attack.
Jake Shields vs. Robbie Lawler
Lawler never should have lost this fight. Shields couldn't take him down and Lawler got cocky standing, Shields jumped in and pulled Lawler down, grabbing a guillotine and apped him out.
Shields challenged Cung Le for a middleweight title shot after the match.
Very good show overall.
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