Strikeforce ‘Melendez vs. Masvidal’ Results and Play-by-Play
Dec 17, 2011
Sherdog.com will report from the Valley View Casino Center in San
Diego at approximately 8 p.m. ET with play-by-play and live results
of
Strikeforce “Melendez vs. Masvidal,” which is headlined by a
lightweight title showdown pitting champion Gilbert
Melendez against challenger Jorge
Masvidal.
Check out the MMA Forums to discuss the card.
Click here for quick results.
Press F5 on your keyboard to refresh this page, as play-by-play is updated in real time.
Round 1
Terrado darts in and lands a nice right hand that backs Brown into the cage. Brown answers with a salvo of knees to the body that slow Terrado's attack a bit. Brown lands a crisp lead left that gets his opponent's attention. Terrado retaliates with a wild right that buzzes past Brown's head. With just over a minute left in the opening frame the fighters engage in a wild exchange with Brown finding his mark more often. Terrado shoots in with about 30 seconds left and is caught in a loose guillotine. Brown holds him there until the round closes and takes the first period 10-9 on the Sherdog card.
Round 2
The second round commences with an errant Brown low kick straight to the stones of Terrado. He takes a quick respite but perhaps he should have taken a bit longer. Brown tags him with a battery of uppercuts that send him reeling to the cage. Terrado, clearly in trouble, shoots but is rebuffed. Brown scrambles into top position and hammers away at his foe with punches and elbows. Terrado briefly gets back to his feet but is planted straight away by Brown who gets right back to business, battering him with strikes. Terrado lands an illegal uptick that prompts the referee to intervene with 15 seconds left. Brown seems to be alright but it still costs Terrado a point. The round concludes in uneventfully and Brown takes it by a score of 10-8 (one-point deduction) on the Sherdog card.
Round 3
The fighters are clearly wearing down as the final round gets underway. The pace has slowed and Brown seems to be the fresher of the two. He lands a kick to the body and a pair of left hands before launching a head kick that misses. Terrado is gassed but he digs down deep and scores a double-leg takedown. He tries to work some ground-and-pound and then transitions into mount. Terrado, perhaps sensing he needs a finish, locks up an armbar from the mount an taps out Brown at 4:05 of the third and final round.
Fernando Gonzalez vs. Eddie Mendez
Round 1
Gonzalez throws a head kick and misses and is cracked with a right hand for his troubles. Mendez shoots, the fighters scramble and Gonzalez nearly secures mount but Mendez wriggles free and gets back to his feet. Gonzalez switches stance back-and-forth and lands a nice lead left from the southpaw side. The opponents continue to trade pawing shots until Mendez hits a double and sinks Gonzalez to the mat with just seconds to go in the round. Gonzalez tries to grab a guillotine but Mendez easily slips out at the horn. Sherdog scores the round 10-9 for Mendez.
Round 2
Mendez picks up right where he left off in the first, slamming Gonzalez hard to the mat as the second gets underway. Gonzalez tries to get back to his feet and in the ensuing scramble hits a takedown of his own. Mendez wants no part of the bottom and works his way back to his feet. We are back to single half-hearted shots with neither fighter really looking to let them fly. Mendez takes up residence in the center but doesn't do much with it. He shoots a double and scores another takedown in the closing seconds to secure another round on the Sherdog card, 10-9.
Round 3
Mendez reclaims the center of the cage while Gonzalez is content to circle the outside. Mendez works a low kick, first outside then inside. Gonzalez answers with a low kick of his own. Gonzalez, now moving forward, seem to have found a sense of urgency. He slings a two piece that backs Mendez up for a moment. Mendez tries a head kick but it is blocked and Gonzalez throws his off-balanced opponent to the ground. Gonzalez blocks his foe's retreat back to his feet and sets up in his guard for the remainder of the period. Gonzalez takes the third frame 10-9 on the Sherdog scorecard.
Official scores: Lester Griffin scores the fight 29-28 for Gonzalez while Gene Lebell and John McCarthy score the bout 30-27 and 29-28 respectively for Eddie Mendez.
Devin Cole vs. Gabriel Salinas-Jones
Round 1
Cole pushes Salinas-Jones against the cage and knees his legs. He tries to body-lock him to the mat buy is unable. They break for a moment and Jones land a nice left. Cole answers with a flurry of punches that all come up short. Cole tosses him to the mat for a second but can't keep him down. Not much else happening and Devin Cole takes the first by default 10-9 on the Sherdog card.
Round 2
Cole feints his way in with a jab and lands a glancing right hand. Cole throws again and Salinas-Jones catches him with what looks like a finger in the eye. Cole drops and is given time to recover. After a short hiatus the fight resumes. Cole pushes him back to familiar territory along the cage. A very uneventful fight to this point and it doesn't seem to have much upside. The crowd is growing restless with the lack of action. Cole finally gets the fight to the ground but can't keep it there. They are back along the cage doing nothing. Cole drops levels for another takedown but cannot get it. Round two ends to the sound of boos. Cole is up two rounds to none but this has been an absolute stinker.
Round 3
More of the same to open the final frame. Cole pushes him up against the cage and scores a takedown. There's not much going on as Cole works some short shots from top. He takes Jones' back and punches away, trying to mercifully end this match. Jones turns back into him and re-establishes guard. The horn sounds and the fight thankfully comes to an end. Cole takes another round to sweep on the Sherdog card.
Official scores: All three judges score the bout 30-27 for Devin Cole, the winner by unanimous decision.
Jerron Peoples vs. Roger Bowling
Round 1
Peoples, who came into the bout missing weight by 10.5 pounds, looks huge compared to Bowling. It matters not as Bowling unleashes a fusillade of punches that fells his opponent just 42 seconds into the bout. It was a big right that started the flurry and Bowling ends it by KO to notch the victory.
Caros Fodor vs. Justin Wilcox
Round 1
Wilcox comes out swinging but it is Fodor who finds the mark. Wilcox misses on his punches and a shot. He gets stood up and then dropped with two right hands. Fodor follows him to the ground and pounds away until referee Luis Cobian steps in just 13 seconds into the lightweight affair.
K.J. Noons vs. Billy Evangelista
Round 1
Noons snaps off a few low kicks, then takes a big step back when Evangelista slings a big overhand left. A quick takedown from Noons doesn’t keep Evangelista down for long, and it’s Noons circling with Evangelista stalking when they stand back up. Evangelista digs an underhook and bullies Noons on the fence, firing off a couple knees before lifting Noons up and slamming him down. Noons pops right back up as well. Evangelista rushes him into the cage again and this time Noons is ready, unleashing a series of uppercuts to his man’s ribs. Evangelista keeps the pressure on but Noons stifles the takedown try. Evangelista changes levels, looking to come inside and slipping punches thrown his way. Noons finds his way through with a couple jabs, a leg kick. Evangelista steps in and socks Noons with an uppercut and a glancing left hook. The lightweights are throwing hard in the clinch, Evangelista with knees and Noons with body blows. Inside the last 40 seconds, Noons lands a leg kick and the third punch in a three-piece combo. Evangelista clinches late, drops for a takedown that doesn’t come and instead drops a knee and an elbow on Noons.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Evangelista
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Evangelista
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Evangelista
Round 2
Noons is landing soft leg kicks early before he zaps Evangelista with a sharp right rook. He digs one to the ribs of Evangelista, who replies with a solid counter-left. Noons is circling the perimeter with his back to the cage, landing peppering blows and outside thigh kicks on the smiling Evangelista. Noons shoots in behind a nice right hand but Evangelista stuffs it. Lead uppercut lands for Noons, the follow-up left misses. Evangelista gets off with the left hook again and stuffs another shot from Noons, grabbing a headlock and running him against the fence. Noons puts his hand on the canvas to avoid a knee strike and Evangelista lets him loose. Evangelista ducks a punch, lands a left and a couple thigh kicks for good measure as the bloody-nosed Noons circles away. Another clinch from Evangelista and Noons walks him off this time. Noons hops from side to side, cutting angles to try and confuse Evangelista, who nonetheless avoids another Noons uppercut. Noons clinches Evangelista into the cage, but it’s Evangelista who gets the last word with a level elbow.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Noons
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Evangelista
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Noons
Round 3
Noons is up against the cage, taking hard rights from Evangelista but also landing some sneaky uppercuts of his own. They circle out and Noons puts a speedy front kick on Evangelista’s jaw; Evangelista smiles again before shooting in vain. Noons shucks the takedown attempt and circles out, connecting with another uppercut, a jab. Evangelista moves him into the cage again but Noons moves side-to-side and escapes. Evangelista gets another headlock and Noons again puts his hand on the mat. Noons pops out and shoots a half-hearted shot, and Evangelista latches on a standing brabo choke. It looks deep, but Noons slips out. Evangelista shoves him into the cage for a moment before both exhausted lightweights step out. Noons snaps back Evangelista’s head with a jab, drills him with a left hook, then a jab-right cross combo. They tie up and Evangelista exits with a hard elbow strike.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Noons (29-28 Noons)
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Noons (29-28 Evangelista)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Noons (29-28 Noons)
Official result: All three judges score the bout 29-28 for the winner by unanimous decision, K.J. Noons.
Gegard Mousasi vs. Ovince St. Preux
Round 1
Mousasi catches a body kick from St. Preux and shoves him off. The southpaw “OSP” circles to his left while righty Mousasi walks him down. St. Preux is trying to keep the ex-champ at range with kicks, but Mousasi’s kicks are the ones finding their marks. Mousasi keeps walking forward and finally tags St. Preux with a flurry on the cage. Another one-two breaks OSP’s guard and he hops away. Mousasi catches a low kick and spins St. Preux to the floor, landing in half-guard. Mousasi postures up and drops some hard ground-and-pound, stands and keeps the offense coming. St. Preux lands an upkick behind Mousasi’s ear and Mousasi comes down to side control. From St. Preux’s right side, Mouasasi leans across and lands heavy elbows. St. Preux tries to scramble up but is soon on his back again. Mousasi leans across and applies a tight kimura; St. Preux powers out of it and winds up on top. Mousasi doesn’t stay there long, sweeping back to side control and finishing the round dropping punches on St. Preux in a crucifix.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Mousasi
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-8 Mousasi
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Mousasi
Round 2
Mousasi gets St. Preux on the ground much quicker at the start of the second. He scoots the former Tennessee Volunteer over to the cage and grinds away with punches and elbows from half-guard. St. Preux throws a few punches from his back at first, but soon is resigned to just locking up Mousasi and avoiding damage. Mousasi won’t be controlled, though, and he pounds away until referee Steven Davis issues a curious stand-up command. Back on the feet with two minutes left in the round, St. Preux cracks Mousasi with a step-in knee, but Mousasi was already shooting and drags St. Preux down. OSP hits the switch and winds up on top in Mousasi’s closed guard. He passes to side control and slams a couple hard elbows into Mousasi’s forehead. Mousasi tries to push off the cage with his feet, gets to his knees and stands. St. Preux shoots a tired shot with 10 seconds to go and is sprawled on by Mousasi.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Mousasi
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Mousasi
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Mousasi
Round 3
St. Preux jumps in with a knee which is caught by Mousasi and used to shove OSP into the cage. Mousasi wraps his hands around St. Preux’s legs, drags him down and nearly takes the back as St. Preux stands back up. Instead, it’s St. Preux on the outside, working a single-leg with Mousasi against the fence. The takedown comes with just over 3:40 left in the round and St. Preux lands in side control leaning from Mousasi’s left to right. St. Preux hops into full mount for a fraction of a second before Mousasi bucks him off. Back to mount goes St. Preux, dropping half a dozen punches before Mousasi sheds him again. Mousasi stands and runs St. Preux across the cage with a double-leg, then tries to hop on the American’s back when they hit the ground. St. Preux is on his knees and Mousasi can’t get his hooks in; the ensuing scramble finds St. Preux sitting up against a cage post with Mousasi in his deep half-guard. Mousasi socks St. Preux a few times, lays him on the ground and nearly takes the back again as St. Preux posts and escapes. St. Preux gets to his feet and Mousasi is left on his back, upkicking. St. Preux goes to the ground and finishes the fight with a brabo choke applied to Mousasi’s neck.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 St. Preux (29-28 Mousasi)
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 St. Preux (29-27 Mousasi)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 St. Preux (29-28 Mousasi)
Official result: All three judges score the bout 29-28 for the winner by unanimous decision, Gegard Mousasi.
Strikeforce Women's Featherweight Championship
Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos vs. Hiroko Yamanaka
Round 1
Yamanaka charges straight in on the champion and the first pair of right hands from Santos have her challenger on the ground. Yamanaka stands and backpedals toward the fence, and another crushing right hook takes the legs out from beneath her. Santos stands above her dazed opponent and drops a few more punches before referee Luis Cobian intervenes, calling a halt to the contest and giving Cristiane Santos the win via technical knockout after just 16 seconds.
Strikeforce Lightweight Championship
Gilbert Melendez vs. Jorge Masvidal
Round 1
Referee Herb Dean is the third man in the cage for this 155-pound title bout. There’s no touch of gloves as the men meet in the middle, both in the orthodox stance. Melendez throws first, slinging out range-finding punches over the top and checking a low leg kick. Melendez sticks a jab in his challenger’s face and fires a right hand behind it. Another Melendez one-two connects and Masvidal waves the champ on. Melendez stings Masvidal with a long, straight right and “Gamebred” sticks out his tongue. Masvidal comes forward now, has a head kick blocked and then gets backed off by a Melendez combo. Melendez counters a leg kick with an overhand right, circles away and tags Masvidal with a jab. Masvidal misses with a lunging knee but then sweeps the leg of Melendez with a low kick. “El Nino” pops back to his feet and they keep throwing with 90 seconds left in the opening round. Melendez catches a kick and shoves Masvidal down at the base of the cage. As Masvidal stands, Melendez catches him in a front headlock. Masvidal puts a hand on the ground to avoid a knee and Melendez lets him go. Melendez scores with a few hard counter-rights in the last 30 seconds.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Melendez
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Melendez
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Melendez
Round 2
Melendez begins the round finding his range again, keeping the rangier Masvidal at bay with jabs and long straights. Nonetheless, Masvidal moves forward until Melendez backs him away with a tight combination. Melendez times a low kick perfectly and socks Masvidal with a nice right. Melendez has Masvidal flinching at his feints now and the champion is blocking or slipping most of the offense thrown his way. Masvidal’s only consistent answer to the hard punches hitting his face has been to stick out his tongue. Melendez turns it on midway through the round and lands a few leg kicks, one to the body and a pair of punches up top. Masvidal scores with a solid left, a punch to the body. Melendez fakes a takedown connects with a hard left. Masvidal still has plenty of bounce in his step as the second round ends, but he has not been able to find a rhythm in Melendez’s volume striking.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Melendez
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Melendez
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Melendez
Round 3
Melendez is all punches to begin the third, putting Masvidal on his bicycle. Masvidal bobs and weaves to try and avoid the champ’s combinations, but most of the punches still find their way through. Masvidal leaps in with a knee, to which Melendez responds with combos on the fence. A punch from Masvidal knocks out Melendez’s mouthpiece; the Cesar Gracie pupil picks it up off the ground and reinserts it in his mouth without a rinse. Melendez lands a left straight, but Masvidal comes right back with a ripping left to the body and a few quick jabs to the jaw. A straight left snaps back the head of Melendez, who presses on anyway and keeps feeding Masvidal a steady diet of combos and leg kicks. Down to the last 45 seconds, Masvidal lands a kick to the body and Melendez replies by pressuring with punches on the fence.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Melendez
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Melendez
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Melendez
Round 4
Entering the championship rounds, Melendez throws about 20 strikes before Masvidal can get one off. The skewed ratio continues to the middle of the round with Melendez just pouring on the punches. Masvidal baits Melendez in with his hands by his side, but the challenger is only sniping with single punches when he gets the champ in his sights. Masvidal lands a long left straight, gets backed into the fence and covers up as Melendez throws half a dozen shots in return. Another nice left from Masvidal gets through, but again Melendez answers with a bunch of punches. Melendez’s face is marked up now, his right eye swelling up, but he continues to get the better of the all-standup affair. Masvidal steps in with a knee, gets shoved off and both men are throwing leather at the horn.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Melendez
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Melendez
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Melendez
Round 5
Melendez is still throwing volume, but more of his punches are whiffing. Masvidal uncorks a nice lead uppercut, tries another step-in knee and gets shoved off. Melendez turns his challenger’s head with a right straight and Masvidal replies with a chopping leg kick. A solid four-piece from Melendez comes through, then he fends off a Masvidal kick with an overhand. Masvidal connects with a couple lefts, but Melendez is undeterred and busts through Gamebred’s guard with hard shots. Masvidal is still coming forward with two minutes left, though he’s making no great effort for the finish which he needs here. The challenger gets a few left hands through, but he’s taking two or three for every one he gives. Both men are landing shots in the last 30 seconds. Masvidal goes for a last-ditch takedown, nearly gets Melendez’s back in a scramble and finishes the fight pressing Melendez into the cage.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Melendez (50-45 Melendez)
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Melendez (50-45 Melendez)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Melendez (50-45 Melendez)
Official result: Judges Gene Lebell and Cecil Peoples score the bout 50-45, while John McCarthy sees it 49-46, all for the winner by unanimous decision and still Strikeforce lightweight champion, Gilbert Melendez.
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Herman
Terrado vs. Chris
Brown
Round 1
Terrado darts in and lands a nice right hand that backs Brown into the cage. Brown answers with a salvo of knees to the body that slow Terrado's attack a bit. Brown lands a crisp lead left that gets his opponent's attention. Terrado retaliates with a wild right that buzzes past Brown's head. With just over a minute left in the opening frame the fighters engage in a wild exchange with Brown finding his mark more often. Terrado shoots in with about 30 seconds left and is caught in a loose guillotine. Brown holds him there until the round closes and takes the first period 10-9 on the Sherdog card.
Round 2
The second round commences with an errant Brown low kick straight to the stones of Terrado. He takes a quick respite but perhaps he should have taken a bit longer. Brown tags him with a battery of uppercuts that send him reeling to the cage. Terrado, clearly in trouble, shoots but is rebuffed. Brown scrambles into top position and hammers away at his foe with punches and elbows. Terrado briefly gets back to his feet but is planted straight away by Brown who gets right back to business, battering him with strikes. Terrado lands an illegal uptick that prompts the referee to intervene with 15 seconds left. Brown seems to be alright but it still costs Terrado a point. The round concludes in uneventfully and Brown takes it by a score of 10-8 (one-point deduction) on the Sherdog card.
Round 3
The fighters are clearly wearing down as the final round gets underway. The pace has slowed and Brown seems to be the fresher of the two. He lands a kick to the body and a pair of left hands before launching a head kick that misses. Terrado is gassed but he digs down deep and scores a double-leg takedown. He tries to work some ground-and-pound and then transitions into mount. Terrado, perhaps sensing he needs a finish, locks up an armbar from the mount an taps out Brown at 4:05 of the third and final round.
Fernando Gonzalez vs. Eddie Mendez
Round 1
Gonzalez throws a head kick and misses and is cracked with a right hand for his troubles. Mendez shoots, the fighters scramble and Gonzalez nearly secures mount but Mendez wriggles free and gets back to his feet. Gonzalez switches stance back-and-forth and lands a nice lead left from the southpaw side. The opponents continue to trade pawing shots until Mendez hits a double and sinks Gonzalez to the mat with just seconds to go in the round. Gonzalez tries to grab a guillotine but Mendez easily slips out at the horn. Sherdog scores the round 10-9 for Mendez.
Round 2
Mendez picks up right where he left off in the first, slamming Gonzalez hard to the mat as the second gets underway. Gonzalez tries to get back to his feet and in the ensuing scramble hits a takedown of his own. Mendez wants no part of the bottom and works his way back to his feet. We are back to single half-hearted shots with neither fighter really looking to let them fly. Mendez takes up residence in the center but doesn't do much with it. He shoots a double and scores another takedown in the closing seconds to secure another round on the Sherdog card, 10-9.
Round 3
Mendez reclaims the center of the cage while Gonzalez is content to circle the outside. Mendez works a low kick, first outside then inside. Gonzalez answers with a low kick of his own. Gonzalez, now moving forward, seem to have found a sense of urgency. He slings a two piece that backs Mendez up for a moment. Mendez tries a head kick but it is blocked and Gonzalez throws his off-balanced opponent to the ground. Gonzalez blocks his foe's retreat back to his feet and sets up in his guard for the remainder of the period. Gonzalez takes the third frame 10-9 on the Sherdog scorecard.
Official scores: Lester Griffin scores the fight 29-28 for Gonzalez while Gene Lebell and John McCarthy score the bout 30-27 and 29-28 respectively for Eddie Mendez.
Devin Cole vs. Gabriel Salinas-Jones
Round 1
Cole pushes Salinas-Jones against the cage and knees his legs. He tries to body-lock him to the mat buy is unable. They break for a moment and Jones land a nice left. Cole answers with a flurry of punches that all come up short. Cole tosses him to the mat for a second but can't keep him down. Not much else happening and Devin Cole takes the first by default 10-9 on the Sherdog card.
Round 2
Cole feints his way in with a jab and lands a glancing right hand. Cole throws again and Salinas-Jones catches him with what looks like a finger in the eye. Cole drops and is given time to recover. After a short hiatus the fight resumes. Cole pushes him back to familiar territory along the cage. A very uneventful fight to this point and it doesn't seem to have much upside. The crowd is growing restless with the lack of action. Cole finally gets the fight to the ground but can't keep it there. They are back along the cage doing nothing. Cole drops levels for another takedown but cannot get it. Round two ends to the sound of boos. Cole is up two rounds to none but this has been an absolute stinker.
Round 3
More of the same to open the final frame. Cole pushes him up against the cage and scores a takedown. There's not much going on as Cole works some short shots from top. He takes Jones' back and punches away, trying to mercifully end this match. Jones turns back into him and re-establishes guard. The horn sounds and the fight thankfully comes to an end. Cole takes another round to sweep on the Sherdog card.
Official scores: All three judges score the bout 30-27 for Devin Cole, the winner by unanimous decision.
Jerron Peoples vs. Roger Bowling
Round 1
Peoples, who came into the bout missing weight by 10.5 pounds, looks huge compared to Bowling. It matters not as Bowling unleashes a fusillade of punches that fells his opponent just 42 seconds into the bout. It was a big right that started the flurry and Bowling ends it by KO to notch the victory.
Caros Fodor vs. Justin Wilcox
Round 1
Wilcox comes out swinging but it is Fodor who finds the mark. Wilcox misses on his punches and a shot. He gets stood up and then dropped with two right hands. Fodor follows him to the ground and pounds away until referee Luis Cobian steps in just 13 seconds into the lightweight affair.
K.J. Noons vs. Billy Evangelista
Round 1
Noons snaps off a few low kicks, then takes a big step back when Evangelista slings a big overhand left. A quick takedown from Noons doesn’t keep Evangelista down for long, and it’s Noons circling with Evangelista stalking when they stand back up. Evangelista digs an underhook and bullies Noons on the fence, firing off a couple knees before lifting Noons up and slamming him down. Noons pops right back up as well. Evangelista rushes him into the cage again and this time Noons is ready, unleashing a series of uppercuts to his man’s ribs. Evangelista keeps the pressure on but Noons stifles the takedown try. Evangelista changes levels, looking to come inside and slipping punches thrown his way. Noons finds his way through with a couple jabs, a leg kick. Evangelista steps in and socks Noons with an uppercut and a glancing left hook. The lightweights are throwing hard in the clinch, Evangelista with knees and Noons with body blows. Inside the last 40 seconds, Noons lands a leg kick and the third punch in a three-piece combo. Evangelista clinches late, drops for a takedown that doesn’t come and instead drops a knee and an elbow on Noons.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Evangelista
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Evangelista
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Evangelista
Round 2
Noons is landing soft leg kicks early before he zaps Evangelista with a sharp right rook. He digs one to the ribs of Evangelista, who replies with a solid counter-left. Noons is circling the perimeter with his back to the cage, landing peppering blows and outside thigh kicks on the smiling Evangelista. Noons shoots in behind a nice right hand but Evangelista stuffs it. Lead uppercut lands for Noons, the follow-up left misses. Evangelista gets off with the left hook again and stuffs another shot from Noons, grabbing a headlock and running him against the fence. Noons puts his hand on the canvas to avoid a knee strike and Evangelista lets him loose. Evangelista ducks a punch, lands a left and a couple thigh kicks for good measure as the bloody-nosed Noons circles away. Another clinch from Evangelista and Noons walks him off this time. Noons hops from side to side, cutting angles to try and confuse Evangelista, who nonetheless avoids another Noons uppercut. Noons clinches Evangelista into the cage, but it’s Evangelista who gets the last word with a level elbow.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Noons
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Evangelista
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Noons
Round 3
Noons is up against the cage, taking hard rights from Evangelista but also landing some sneaky uppercuts of his own. They circle out and Noons puts a speedy front kick on Evangelista’s jaw; Evangelista smiles again before shooting in vain. Noons shucks the takedown attempt and circles out, connecting with another uppercut, a jab. Evangelista moves him into the cage again but Noons moves side-to-side and escapes. Evangelista gets another headlock and Noons again puts his hand on the mat. Noons pops out and shoots a half-hearted shot, and Evangelista latches on a standing brabo choke. It looks deep, but Noons slips out. Evangelista shoves him into the cage for a moment before both exhausted lightweights step out. Noons snaps back Evangelista’s head with a jab, drills him with a left hook, then a jab-right cross combo. They tie up and Evangelista exits with a hard elbow strike.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Noons (29-28 Noons)
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Noons (29-28 Evangelista)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Noons (29-28 Noons)
Official result: All three judges score the bout 29-28 for the winner by unanimous decision, K.J. Noons.
Gegard Mousasi vs. Ovince St. Preux
Round 1
Mousasi catches a body kick from St. Preux and shoves him off. The southpaw “OSP” circles to his left while righty Mousasi walks him down. St. Preux is trying to keep the ex-champ at range with kicks, but Mousasi’s kicks are the ones finding their marks. Mousasi keeps walking forward and finally tags St. Preux with a flurry on the cage. Another one-two breaks OSP’s guard and he hops away. Mousasi catches a low kick and spins St. Preux to the floor, landing in half-guard. Mousasi postures up and drops some hard ground-and-pound, stands and keeps the offense coming. St. Preux lands an upkick behind Mousasi’s ear and Mousasi comes down to side control. From St. Preux’s right side, Mouasasi leans across and lands heavy elbows. St. Preux tries to scramble up but is soon on his back again. Mousasi leans across and applies a tight kimura; St. Preux powers out of it and winds up on top. Mousasi doesn’t stay there long, sweeping back to side control and finishing the round dropping punches on St. Preux in a crucifix.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Mousasi
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-8 Mousasi
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Mousasi
Round 2
Mousasi gets St. Preux on the ground much quicker at the start of the second. He scoots the former Tennessee Volunteer over to the cage and grinds away with punches and elbows from half-guard. St. Preux throws a few punches from his back at first, but soon is resigned to just locking up Mousasi and avoiding damage. Mousasi won’t be controlled, though, and he pounds away until referee Steven Davis issues a curious stand-up command. Back on the feet with two minutes left in the round, St. Preux cracks Mousasi with a step-in knee, but Mousasi was already shooting and drags St. Preux down. OSP hits the switch and winds up on top in Mousasi’s closed guard. He passes to side control and slams a couple hard elbows into Mousasi’s forehead. Mousasi tries to push off the cage with his feet, gets to his knees and stands. St. Preux shoots a tired shot with 10 seconds to go and is sprawled on by Mousasi.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Mousasi
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Mousasi
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Mousasi
Round 3
St. Preux jumps in with a knee which is caught by Mousasi and used to shove OSP into the cage. Mousasi wraps his hands around St. Preux’s legs, drags him down and nearly takes the back as St. Preux stands back up. Instead, it’s St. Preux on the outside, working a single-leg with Mousasi against the fence. The takedown comes with just over 3:40 left in the round and St. Preux lands in side control leaning from Mousasi’s left to right. St. Preux hops into full mount for a fraction of a second before Mousasi bucks him off. Back to mount goes St. Preux, dropping half a dozen punches before Mousasi sheds him again. Mousasi stands and runs St. Preux across the cage with a double-leg, then tries to hop on the American’s back when they hit the ground. St. Preux is on his knees and Mousasi can’t get his hooks in; the ensuing scramble finds St. Preux sitting up against a cage post with Mousasi in his deep half-guard. Mousasi socks St. Preux a few times, lays him on the ground and nearly takes the back again as St. Preux posts and escapes. St. Preux gets to his feet and Mousasi is left on his back, upkicking. St. Preux goes to the ground and finishes the fight with a brabo choke applied to Mousasi’s neck.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 St. Preux (29-28 Mousasi)
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 St. Preux (29-27 Mousasi)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 St. Preux (29-28 Mousasi)
Official result: All three judges score the bout 29-28 for the winner by unanimous decision, Gegard Mousasi.
Strikeforce Women's Featherweight Championship
Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos vs. Hiroko Yamanaka
Round 1
Yamanaka charges straight in on the champion and the first pair of right hands from Santos have her challenger on the ground. Yamanaka stands and backpedals toward the fence, and another crushing right hook takes the legs out from beneath her. Santos stands above her dazed opponent and drops a few more punches before referee Luis Cobian intervenes, calling a halt to the contest and giving Cristiane Santos the win via technical knockout after just 16 seconds.
Strikeforce Lightweight Championship
Gilbert Melendez vs. Jorge Masvidal
Round 1
Referee Herb Dean is the third man in the cage for this 155-pound title bout. There’s no touch of gloves as the men meet in the middle, both in the orthodox stance. Melendez throws first, slinging out range-finding punches over the top and checking a low leg kick. Melendez sticks a jab in his challenger’s face and fires a right hand behind it. Another Melendez one-two connects and Masvidal waves the champ on. Melendez stings Masvidal with a long, straight right and “Gamebred” sticks out his tongue. Masvidal comes forward now, has a head kick blocked and then gets backed off by a Melendez combo. Melendez counters a leg kick with an overhand right, circles away and tags Masvidal with a jab. Masvidal misses with a lunging knee but then sweeps the leg of Melendez with a low kick. “El Nino” pops back to his feet and they keep throwing with 90 seconds left in the opening round. Melendez catches a kick and shoves Masvidal down at the base of the cage. As Masvidal stands, Melendez catches him in a front headlock. Masvidal puts a hand on the ground to avoid a knee and Melendez lets him go. Melendez scores with a few hard counter-rights in the last 30 seconds.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Melendez
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Melendez
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Melendez
Round 2
Melendez begins the round finding his range again, keeping the rangier Masvidal at bay with jabs and long straights. Nonetheless, Masvidal moves forward until Melendez backs him away with a tight combination. Melendez times a low kick perfectly and socks Masvidal with a nice right. Melendez has Masvidal flinching at his feints now and the champion is blocking or slipping most of the offense thrown his way. Masvidal’s only consistent answer to the hard punches hitting his face has been to stick out his tongue. Melendez turns it on midway through the round and lands a few leg kicks, one to the body and a pair of punches up top. Masvidal scores with a solid left, a punch to the body. Melendez fakes a takedown connects with a hard left. Masvidal still has plenty of bounce in his step as the second round ends, but he has not been able to find a rhythm in Melendez’s volume striking.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Melendez
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Melendez
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Melendez
Round 3
Melendez is all punches to begin the third, putting Masvidal on his bicycle. Masvidal bobs and weaves to try and avoid the champ’s combinations, but most of the punches still find their way through. Masvidal leaps in with a knee, to which Melendez responds with combos on the fence. A punch from Masvidal knocks out Melendez’s mouthpiece; the Cesar Gracie pupil picks it up off the ground and reinserts it in his mouth without a rinse. Melendez lands a left straight, but Masvidal comes right back with a ripping left to the body and a few quick jabs to the jaw. A straight left snaps back the head of Melendez, who presses on anyway and keeps feeding Masvidal a steady diet of combos and leg kicks. Down to the last 45 seconds, Masvidal lands a kick to the body and Melendez replies by pressuring with punches on the fence.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Melendez
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Melendez
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Melendez
Round 4
Entering the championship rounds, Melendez throws about 20 strikes before Masvidal can get one off. The skewed ratio continues to the middle of the round with Melendez just pouring on the punches. Masvidal baits Melendez in with his hands by his side, but the challenger is only sniping with single punches when he gets the champ in his sights. Masvidal lands a long left straight, gets backed into the fence and covers up as Melendez throws half a dozen shots in return. Another nice left from Masvidal gets through, but again Melendez answers with a bunch of punches. Melendez’s face is marked up now, his right eye swelling up, but he continues to get the better of the all-standup affair. Masvidal steps in with a knee, gets shoved off and both men are throwing leather at the horn.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Melendez
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Melendez
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Melendez
Round 5
Melendez is still throwing volume, but more of his punches are whiffing. Masvidal uncorks a nice lead uppercut, tries another step-in knee and gets shoved off. Melendez turns his challenger’s head with a right straight and Masvidal replies with a chopping leg kick. A solid four-piece from Melendez comes through, then he fends off a Masvidal kick with an overhand. Masvidal connects with a couple lefts, but Melendez is undeterred and busts through Gamebred’s guard with hard shots. Masvidal is still coming forward with two minutes left, though he’s making no great effort for the finish which he needs here. The challenger gets a few left hands through, but he’s taking two or three for every one he gives. Both men are landing shots in the last 30 seconds. Masvidal goes for a last-ditch takedown, nearly gets Melendez’s back in a scramble and finishes the fight pressing Melendez into the cage.
Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Melendez (50-45 Melendez)
TJ De Santis scores the round 10-9 Melendez (50-45 Melendez)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Melendez (50-45 Melendez)
Official result: Judges Gene Lebell and Cecil Peoples score the bout 50-45, while John McCarthy sees it 49-46, all for the winner by unanimous decision and still Strikeforce lightweight champion, Gilbert Melendez.
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