For their second event on broadcast live on CBS, Strikeforce went all out, stacking the fight card with three title bouts. With the lightweight, middleweight, and light-heavyweight belts all on the line, and a worthy line-up of champions and challengers, this was promising to be an amazing night of MMA. Unfortunately things don’t always go as planned:
Champion Gegard Mousasi vs. Muhammed Lawal (205 lbs title bout)
Round 1: Mousasi leads with a high kick. Lawal uses a combination of punches to set up a takedown. Mousasi sprawls; Lawal eats several shots but completes the takedown. Mousasi attempts a triangle. Lawal passes into side control and tries to work his ground-and-pound. Mousasi regains guard, blocks most punches and counters with up-kicks. Mousasi back to the feet; he blocks another takedown attempt and punishes Lawal with punches. Lawal is persistent and scores another takedown but Mousasi gets up quickly. Round 10-9 Lawal
Round 2: Lawal is blocked on the first takedown attempt. He succeeds on the second one but Mousasi is active with hammer-fists and up-kicks off his back and Lawal can’t control him from the top. Mousasi gets up and is taken back down but once again does more damage off his back. They stand up and Mousasi lands a solid combo backing Lawal up, then jumps on his back and looks for a choke as the round ends. Round 10-9 Mousasi
Round 3: Lawal looks tired and Mousasi lights him up with kick and punch combinations. Nevertheless Lawal scores another takedown. Very little action on the ground; Lawal is laying on top of Mousasi throwing an occasional punch. Mousasi is starting to look tired as well, and is not able to get off his back. Round 10–9 Lawal
Round 4: Mousasi lands leg kicks to start the fourth round and is taken down again. Not much happens on the ground and the referee ‘Big’ John McCarthy calls for a standup. It doesn’t last long as Lawal takes Gegard right back down. Very little action on the ground; both fighters are tired and the fans boo. Round 10-9 Lawal
Round 5: Lawal’s face shows signs of damage. Mousasi needs a knockout or a sub at this point. Mousasi swings for the fences but is taken down again. Mousasi lands an up-kick as one of Lawal’s knees is on the ground; referee catches the foul and deducts a point from Gegard. They restart in the same position. Mousasi escapes and is looking to strike but Lawal slams him down again. Up and back down, not much action but Lawal has controlled almost every round for an easy win. Round 10–8 Lawal
‘King Mo’ Lawal defeats Gegard Mousasi by unanimous decision (49-46 on all scorecards). Lawal is the new Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion.
Aftermath: Muhammed Lawal passes his first big test and wins a title. Unfortunately there is very little competition available for him at this weight outside of the UFC. Should he remain in Strikeforce, the only obviously available options for King Mo’s first title defense would be Renato Sobral or Dan Henderson.
Many fans have doubted Gegard Mousasi’s ability to defend against a strong wrestler, and he showed that the concerns were valid. Having recently signed a contract extension with Strikeforce, Mousasi is now facing the same problem as Lawal: lack of available competition at his chosen weight class.
Rankings Impact: Muhammed Lawal makes his debut at #4 LHW (he was previously ranked at #16 HW). Gegard Mousasi falls 6 spots to #10 LHW.
Fight Grade: 2/5
Champion Gilbert Melendez vs. Shinya Aoki (155 lbs title bout)
Round 1: The fighter circle. Aoki misses a leg kick and falls down. Melendez doesn’t follow him to the ground. Aoki gets up and lands a jab, poking Gilbert in the eye in process. Time is called. In a bizarre moment, Melendez asks referee Mario Yamasaki if he can wipe his eye. Yamasaki advises Melendez to use his own forearm; Melendez instead uses Yamasaki’s forearm, then asks to use his shirt. Request granted; Melendez wipes his eye on Mario’s sleeve and the fight continues. Aoki shoots in then pulls guard. Melendez avoids submissions and upkicks, landing a few punches from the top. Back to the feet and they trade to end the first round. Round 10-9 Melendez
Round 2: Aoki eats jabs trying to close the distance. Aoki shoots for a takedown but ends up on his back. Aoki is warned for holding gloves. Little action and the ref stands them up. Aoki’s standup is atrocious, and his takedowns are non-existent; every takedown attempt ends with Aoki on his back. Melendez spends a bit of time in Aoki’s guard, then we get another standup for inactivity. Boring fight so far and the fans are not happy. Round 10-9 Melendez
Round 3: More of the same in the third round: Aoki’s takedown attempts end with Shinya on his back and Melendez on top. Stall on the ground, referee stand-up, rinse and repeat. Aoki resorts to butt-scooting; Mario Yamasaki is not having any of it and motions him to get up. Back to guard; Aoki attempts rubber guard but Melendez stays out of danger. Back to the feet, back to the guard, not much else is happening in this fight. Round 10–9 Melendez
Round 4: Melendez is having a little luck connecting with punches in the fourth, and Aoki’s face is starting to show it. Aoki’s strategy remains the same: weak takedown attempt, pull guard, butt-scoot. Melendez is laying it on with punches. Melendez is warned by Yamasaki for continuing to punch Aoki on the ground after the ref called for a stand-up; a very odd call. The fight resumes and it’s more of the same old song and dance. Round 10-9 Melendez
Round 5: Aoki takes a finger to the eye early in the final round. Fight resumes and it’s more of the same. Aoki can’t get any offense going and Melendez easily neutralizes his guard while not being able to do much damage from the top. A stand-up and back to guard. Melendez finishes strong with a flurry of punches. Round 10–9 Melendez
Gilbert Melendez defeats Shinya Aoki by unanimous decision (50-45 on all three scorecards) to retain the Strikeforce Lightweight Championship.
Aftermath: Gilbert Melendez earns a spot in the lightweight Top 3 with the biggest win of his career. If Strikeforce and DREAM continue their partnership, Eddie Alvarez would make for a great challenger for Gilbert’s title. If not, a rubber match with Josh Thompson is likely coming up.
Shinya Aoki becomes the latest casualty in a long line of elite Japanese fighters who failed to make their mark in the US. Aoki retains his DREAM lightweight title, and will return to Japan to defend it, most likely in a long-awaited matchup with Tatsuya ‘The Crusher’ Kawajiri.
Rankings Impact: Gilbert Melendez rises 7 spots to #3 LW. Shinya Aoki falls 2 spots to #5 LW.
Fight Grade: 2/5
Champion Jake Shields vs. Dan Henderson (185 lbs title bout)
Round 1: In an early exchange, Henderson catches Shields with a right hook, knocking him down. Shields recovers and dives for a leg but can’t secure a submission. Henderson lets him up and blasts him with the right again. Shields staggers, eats another punch and falls down again. Henderson looking to finish but Shields holds on and is able to stall out in a clinch. Referee separates the fighters and Shields goes for a takedown. He completes but Henderson is up quickly and deals more punishment with knees to the body. Round 10-8 Henderson
Round 2: Shields is not playing around with the standup any longer, instantly shooting for takedowns. Henderson sprawls and takes Jake’s back in a scramble but Shields reverses and is in Henderson’s guard. Shields quickly passes into mount. Henderson looks relaxed off his back but not able to escape. Shields works ground-and-pound; Henderson blocks most punches but Shields is scoring points. Henderson escapes to half guard but Shields regains mount and lands another barrage of punches. Henderson back to half guard but eats more strikes. Round 10-9 Shields
Round 3: Shields with a leg kick then a takedown attempt. Henderson sprawls. Henderson lands a couple of punches and is taken down. Shields stuck in guard for a while but eventually passes into side control and then into mount. From there Henderson defends much like in the second round, unable to escape. Shields with an armbar attempt as the round ends. Round 10–9 Shields
Round 4: Henderson gets off a few punches early but Shields persistently works for takedowns. Henderson defends and they are stuck in a very odd position. Eventually Shields gains control and once again mounts Henderson. From there it’s a familiar scene as Henderson is stuck in mount, doing nothing but defending. Shields alternates sporadic strikes with half-hearted submission attempts. All hope is lost for this event as it looks like the third title fight will also go to a boring decision. Round 10-9 Shields
Round 5: Henderson looks for a knockout punch that he needs to win this fight, but to little surprise he is soon taken down and mounted. Shields works for an arm triangle, then a leg submission. Henderson defends, and that is all he’s been doing since the first round. Round 10–9 Shields
Jake Shields defeats Dan Henderson by unanimous decision with the scores of 49-46, 49-45, 48-45 to retain the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship.
Aftermath: As Shields begins his post fight interview, Jason ‘Mayhem’ Miller (who defeated Tim Stout with a first-round TKO in a preliminary bout) gets in the cage and in Jake’s face, demanding a rematch. A brawl ensues when Jake’s teammates Gilbert Melendez and Nate & Nick Diaz take offense to Miller’s antics and decide to jump him. The CBS broadcast cuts to a commercial among the melee.
The near-riot aside, Jake Shields overcomes all odds and earns the biggest win of his career, albeit in an unspectacular fashion. There are certain to be rumors about Shields heading to the UFC and returning to the welterweight division; if he does remain in Strikeforce his next title defense will likely be a rematch with either Robbie Lawler or Jason Miller.
Dan Henderson puts in a very weak performance after a great first round. At this point the best option for him would be a return to the light heavyweight division and a matchup with Muhammed Lawal or Gegard Mousasi.
Rankings Impact: Jake Shields rises 3 spots to #3MW. Dan Henderson falls 3 spots to #6 MW.
Fight Grade: 2/5
Last week’s UFC showed us that stacked cards don’t always result in most exciting events, and that having multiple title matches can sometimes make for a tedious viewing experience. If UFC set the bar, Strikeforce upped the ante with three mostly uncompetitive and unexciting title bouts, culminating with a huge brawl that is sure to make fans forget about Anderson Silva’s Abu Dhabi antics. A complete disaster of a show.
Event Grade: 2 1/5
1 point deduction for the post-Shields fight brawl