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Strikeforce

  • Gilbert Melendez celebrates after beating Mitsuhiro Ishida, of Japan, for the Strikeforce mixed martial arts Interim Lightweight Championship match on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2009, in San Jose, Calif. Melendez won by TKO in the third round.
    Teammates open Strikeforce's Zuffa age with a bang
    By Case Keefer
    SAN DIEGO — Good luck telling Nick Diaz and Gilbert Melendez that mixed martial arts isn’t a team sport. Melendez and Diaz are long-time training partners at Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in San Francisco who ushered in a new era of Strikeforce together Saturday night at Valley View Casino Center. In the first major Strikeforce event under UFC ownership, Diaz and Melendez fed off of each others' presence and defended their respective championship belts.
  • Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz administers a ground and pound attack on K.J. Noons in a title fight last September. Diaz won a unanimous decision and next defends his belt Saturday against Evangelista 'Cyborg' Santos.
    Strikeforce live results: Nick Diaz scores first-round TKO over Paul Daley
    By Case Keefer
    SAN DIEGO — People have thrown around adjectives like stunning, historic and game changing to describe Zuffa’s recent purchase of Strikeforce. Time to add one more — well-timed. Strikeforce already had tonight’s Diaz vs. Daley card at Valley View Casino Center planned under its old ownership, but its Zuffa, the parent company of the UFC, that gets to reap the benefits of a stacked event.
  • In this file photo, Paul Daley talks to UFC President Dana White, right, while weighing in for his welterweight bout in UFC 108 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Daley came in overweight and forfeited 10 percent of his purse.
    Strikeforce weigh-in blog: Paul Daley starts brief yelling match after making weight
    By Case Keefer
    SAN DIEGO — Weigh-ins always take on suspense when Paul Daley is involved. Daley, who challenges Nick Diaz for the Strikeforce welterweight championship in the headlining fight of Saturday’s card at Valley View Casino Center, had missed the 171-pound cutoff in two of his last three bouts. But Daley stepped on the scale at the Crowne Plaza without any issues Friday, coming in at 169.5 pounds. Diaz, the champion, also made weight, along with the other six fighters on the main card, which Showtime will televise via tape delay on the west coast at 10 p.m.
  • A bloodied Keith Jardine takes a break during a stop in the action during his fight against Matt Hamill in the Ultimate Fighter Season 11 Finale at the Pearl inside the Palms last June. Jardine lost a split decision and the UFC released him shortly after.
    Keith Jardine returns to big stage as late replacement on Strikeforce card
    By Case Keefer
    SAN DIEGO — The personalities of veteran fighter Keith Jardine and his high-profile coach Greg Jackson can be accurately summed up with one anecdote from last week. Jardine (17-9-1) accepted a late-notice light heavyweight bout against Dutch striker Gegard Mousasi (30-3-1) on Saturday’s Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley card last Thursday and called Jackson to talk about it. Although Jackson was happy for him, he immediately started lamenting that they didn’t have much time to prepare for a fighter of Mousasi’s caliber. Jardine heard enough.
  • Gilbert Melendez Jr., left, and Shinya Aoki pose for a photo to promote their lightweight championship bout last year, which Melendez won by unanimous decision.
    Strikeforce lightweight champion excited by possibilities after UFC purchase
    By Case Keefer
    SAN DIEGO — Gilbert Melendez Sr. used to have a hard time believing just how good of a fighter his son was. Even after Gilbert Melendez Jr. started his professional career 11-0 and captured the Strikeforce lightweight championship in the process five years ago, his father tried to temper his enthusiasm. Then came a unanimous decision victory over Tatsuya Kawajiri in a PRIDE event on New Year’s Eve 2006, which made it tough for Melendez Sr. to deny his son’s prowess any longer.
  • Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz celebrates after defeating K.J. Noons via unanimous decision last September.
    UFC/Strikeforce Notebook: Diaz and Daley keeping abnormally quiet
    By Case Keefer
    SAN DIEGO — Nick Diaz and Paul Daley are two of the biggest trash talkers in mixed martial arts — or at least they used to be. To the surprise of many, Diaz (24-7, 1 NC) and Daley (27-9-2) haven’t engaged in one heated exchange during their media availability leading up to Saturday’s welterweight title fight at Valley View Casino Center. When asked to explain the silence at Thursday’s press conference at the Crowne Plaza, Diaz answered appropriately.
  • Paul Daley is pulled away from Dustin Hazelett's corner by Herb Dean at UFC 108 on Jan. 2, 2010 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena . Daley won by knockout in the first round.
    First major Strikeforce card with new ownership features UFC castoffs
    By Case Keefer
    Even though his company now owns Strikeforce, UFC President Dana White has vowed not to attend the fight promotion’s events for a while. White notes that he doesn’t want to make anyone feel uncomfortable. Strikeforce had long served as the landing ground for fighters who clashed with White and lost their opportunity to fight in the UFC. Two of the better-known examples meet in the main event of Saturday’s San Diego card, the first major Strikeforce show under UFC ownership, when British standout Paul Daley challenges Nick Diaz for the Strikeforce welterweight title.
  • UFC President Dana White watches a video during the weigh-in for UFC 126 on Friday, Feb. 4, 2011, at Mandalay Bay Events Center.
    UFC acquires Strikeforce
    By Case Keefer
    Like one of its prized championship fighters, UFC keeps conquering all of its closest competitors. Zuffa LLC, the parent company of UFC, has purchased Strikeforce, the second biggest mixed martial arts promotion in the world. UFC President Dana White announced the news Saturday morning through a video on MMAFighting.com posted to the front of UFC’s Web site.
  • Dan Henderson fights against Rich Franklin at UFC 93 in Dublin, Ireland in this file photo.
    Third-round knockout leads to Strikeforce belt for Dan Henderson
    By Case Keefer
    Dan Henderson insisted he wasn’t overly concerned about winning another championship heading into his Strikeforce title fight against Rafel “Feijao” Cavalcante Saturday in Columbus, Ohio. The 40-year old Henderson said he simply wanted to win and while grabbing a title would be great, it wasn’t his focus. That all changed when Strikeforce officials strapped the light heavyweight championship belt on Henderson after his third-round knockout of Feijao.
  • Dan Henderson celebrates his defeat of Michael Bisping in their fight at UFC 100. Henderson won with a second-round knockout.
    Dan Henderson fights for another title at weekend Strikeforce event
    By Case Keefer
    An adrenaline overload will course through Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante’s body as he walks to the cage for his first defense of the Strikeforce light heavyweight title Saturday night. His challenger, 40-year old MMA veteran Dan Henderson, plans to keep his emotions more under control. At this point of his career, there’s not much that can overwhelm Henderson.
  • Fedor Emelianenko, of Russia, is seen with the eye that forced a stoppage of his bout against Antonio Silva, of Brazil, during a Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix fight on Saturday, Feb. 12, 2011 at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J. Silva won after the end of the second round when the doctor said Emelianenko could no longer see out of his eye.
    Fedor Emelianenko falls in Strikeforce Grand Prix, talks retirement
    By Case Keefer
    The opening round of the Strikeforce World Grand Prix Heavyweight Tournament may have served as the final moment in the career of one of mixed martial art’s most storied fighters. Fedor Emelianenko (31-3) suffered a humiliating TKO defeat to Antonio Silva (16-2) Saturday night in East Rutherford, N.J., that had him contemplating retirement moments after the fight. “Maybe it’s the last time,” Emelianenko said through a translator in his post-fight interview on Showtime. “Maybe it’s my time. Thank God for everything. I’ve spent a great, beautiful, long sport life. Maybe it’s God will.”
  • Fedor Emelianenko reacts after being submitted by Fabricio Werdum in the first round of their Strikeforce bout Saturday, June 26, 2010 at the HP Pavillion in San Jose, California.
    Strikeforce heavyweight tourney begins with Fedor Emelianenko's return
    By Case Keefer
    The cloak of invincibility Fedor Emelianenko sported for the last decade disappeared the last time he fought. Emelianenko, the most accomplished heavyweight in mixed martial arts history, lost his first bout since 2000 last June when he faced Fabricio Werdum at a Strikeforce event in San Jose, Calif. Emelianenko (32-2) returns for the first time since suffering that defeat Saturday in East Rutherford, N.J., as part of a quarterfinal fight in the Strikeforce World Grand Prix Heavyweight Tournament.
  • Nick Diaz, top, punches Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos, from Brazil, in the second round of a Strikeforce Welterweight Championship mixed martial arts fight in San Jose, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 29, 2011. Diaz won by submission in the second round to retain his championship.
    Nick Diaz, Jacare Souza hold onto Strikeforce titles
    By Case Keefer
    Neither of the two belts on the line at Saturday’s Strikeforce card in San Jose, Calif., switched hands. Nick Diaz defended his welterweight title with a second round submission of Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos and Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza defeated Robbie Lawler via submission in the third round of their middleweight championship bout.
  • Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz administers a ground and pound attack on K.J. Noons in a title fight last September. Diaz won a unanimous decision and next defends his belt Saturday against Evangelista 'Cyborg' Santos.
    Even as Strikeforce welterweight champion, Nick Diaz feels disrespected
    By Case Keefer
    After listening to Nick Diaz's comments on a recent conference call, it would be difficult to gather that he's fighting Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos to defend his Strikeforce welterweight title Saturday. Diaz (23-7) kept his answers about Cyborg (18-13) brief, but spared no words while taking aim at other mixed-martial-arts fighters. UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre and his last challenger, Josh Koscheck, elicited the most scorn from Diaz.
  • Former NFL football player Herschel Walker looks on while training at American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, Calif. Walker is scheduled to fight Scott Carson at a Strikeforce mixed martial arts event on Jan. 29.
    Herschel Walker fights in second MMA bout this weekend at Strikeforce event
    By Case Keefer
    Herschel Walker used to do 3,500 sit-ups and 1,500 push-ups every day. The 1982 Heisman Trophy winner went through long summer practices in the infamous Southern humidity while at the University of Georgia and NFL two-a-days during his 14-year professional football career. He also endured Olympic training to compete on the 1992 American two-man bobsled team.
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