The Weekly Wrap: July 24 - July 30

Kaufman wows at Strikeforce Challengers

After their emphatic stoppage victories on the July 23 “Strikeforce Challengers” event, Sarah Kaufman and Shane del Rosario both began campaigns to get onto the promotion’s main cards.

In one of the most memorable finishes to a female fight in U.S. history, Kaufman successfully defended her women’s welterweight title via KO slam over Roxanne Modafferi. Modafferi was adjusting her hips for an armbar from the bottom in the third after two spirited frames when Kaufman lifted and dropped her, bouncing Modafferi’s back on the mat and knocking her out. The slam made ESPN Sportscenter’s “Top Plays” countdown.

The win was especially sweet for Kaufman, who had a contingent from her gym in British Columbia on hand and was coming off a boring five-round decision over Takayo Hashi that many pointed to as the reason she wasn’t in the main event of the July 23 event. Kaufman, irked by her placement on a card designed to highlight prospects as opposed to champions, requested in her post-fight interview to get on Strikeforce main cards. Kaufman defends next against former featherweight title challenger Marloes Coenen.

The title fight drew the peak audience of the Showtime broadcast, attracting some 254,000 viewers, MMAJunkie.com reported. The overall five-fight card did an average of 197,000 viewers, on the low end for Challengers cards.

In the main event, Shane del Rosario extended his undefeated streak to 10-0 with a first round TKO over Lolohea Mahe. The muay Thai stylist, facing a 20-pound weight disadvantage, lifted a knee while clinched against the fence that caught Mahe flush, then followed with a knee to the body that crumpled the Hawaiian for the stoppage. Del Rosario, who said on HDNet’s Inside MMA that the Mahe fight would be his last on a Challengers card, had Andrei Arlovski floated as a potential next opponent.

Also picking up wins on the card from Everett, Wash., were Mike Kyle (second-round rear-naked choke submission over Ron Humphrey); Bobby Voelker (split decision over Cory Devela) and Caros Fodor (unanimous decision over Thomas Diagne).