...OH, ONE MORE THING - PLEASE BOOKMARK US & VISIT DAILY!
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
STRIKEFORCE: BARNETT VS. KHARITONOV
SEPTEMBER 10, 2011
LIVE FROM CINCINNATI, OHIO
The Heavyweight World Grand Prix video package kicks off the broadcast, narrated by Mauro Ranallo, laying out the storylines for tonight's semifinal bouts. Ranallo then opened up the broadcast, and he and his fellow broadcasters Frank Shamrock and Pat Miletich break down the semifinal bouts before heading into the first fight of the evening.
FIGHT ONE: MAXIMO BLANCO VS. PAT HEALY (LIGHTWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Blanco came right to the center and overthrew a strike, but got out of the clinch from Healy. Blanco landed a leg kick that swept Healy and put him on his back and Blanco dropped into Healy's half guard. He landed a couple of elbows and then worked to pass. Healy tried to work his way to a better position and finally got to his feet. Blanco landed a couple of strikes as he did. Blanco landed a nice uppercut in close and then backed off. Blanco showed off some good head movement early. He landed a head kick and a few big punches. Healy was hurt and Blanco continued to land strikes. Healy shot in for a takedown and Blanco sprawled. Healy pulled guard. He tried to set up an armbar against the cage but Blanco defended. Healy got an omoplata and then went for a leg lock, but Blanco started throwing his feet and landed a few illegal kicks to Healy's head that caused the ref to halt the action. Healy looked in rough shape, but he got to his feet as the doctors checked on him. Blanco got a little overzealous there as he unleashed those kicks. The doctors allowed Healy to continue and a point was taken from Blanco. Blanco missed two big punches as the fight started up again. He started landing a few big strikes, though, and hurt Healy. Healy finally grabbed a body lock and picked him up, bringing him to the ground. He took Blanco's back and controlled his position. He landed a few hammerfists as the round wound down.
Penick's Scorecard: 9-9. The point deduction hurts Blanco after he was on a tear. He did a lot of damage in the round and landed a lot of nice strikes, but you've got to follow the rules.
ROUND TWO: Blanco landed a jab to start the round. Healy popped in with a short two punch combo. Blanco missed a big punch. Healy walked forward and pressed the action. Blanco missed a number of counter strikes. Blanco landed a spinning back fist and popped Healy with a couple of strikes. Blanco connected on a couple more strikes as Healy continued to walk him down. Blanco landed a nice left. He landed the jab. Healy got in close but ate an uppercut and a couple more follow up punches. Healy stumbled Blanco with a left, got in with a body lock and took him down. Healy tried to set up a choke but Blanco popped out and got to his feet. Blanco landed a few strikes and Healy slipped on a knee. They're both swinging heavy strikes here. Healy landed a right. Healy took Blanco down again on the cage. Blacno got to his feet but was brought right back down. Healy landed a series of strikes against the cage. Blanco escaped to his feet, but Healy took him down again. Blanco tried to pop up and roll through but Healy got him in a crucifix and went for a rear naked choke in the crucifix. Blanco tried to fight it, but he was stuck in the hold and tapped. Wow. Huge win for Healy again.
WINNER: Healy via submission (rear naked choke) at 4:24 of the second round
STAR RATING: (***) That was a really fun back and forth fight with a beautiful submission from Healy. That crucifix set up to the choke isn't seen that often, and he pulled it off excellently and handed Blanco the first submission loss of his career. That's another fighter with great success in Japan floundering in the U.S. Blanco was doing well in the first round, but tired greatly into the second round and Healy just kept coming forward. That was a great, gutsy performance from Healy.
FIGHT TWO: ROGER GRACIE VS. MUHAMMED "KING MO" LAWAL (LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT)
ROUND ONE: Lawal took the center early and looked to engage early. He walked Gracie back and threw out a jab. Both were very tentative in the first minute of the fight. Lawal was setting up to counter, but Gracie wasn't firing first so neither was doing anything. The fans started to boo a bit. Gracie landed a couple of jabs but Lawal continued walking him down. The ref told the two fighters to pick up the action. Lawal landed a strike and they clinched, but Gracie landed a nice knee and sent him back. Gracie came forward and popped in with another knee before backing off. Gracie landed a left. Lawal missed a short combination. Gracie got in a couple of jabs and a knee to the body. Gracie landed a jab as Lawal tried to pop in. Lawal out of nowhere dropped Gracie with a huge right, and landed one more on the ground and it's all over. Wow!
WINNER: Lawal via KO at 4:33 of the first round
POST FIGHT: Lawal said he underestimated Gracie. He gave an awkwardly worded shout out in remembrance of the victims of 9/11. He said he wanted a rematch with "Feijao."
STAR RATING: (**-) It was a nice finish from Lawal, but there was nothing to the first 4:25 of that fight. Both were trying to figure out their range, and both were hesitant to engage, and before they could turn things up later in the fight Lawal brought the finish out of nowhere. Good KO win, and a needed victory for the former Champ.
FIGHT THREE: RONALDO "JACARE" SOUZA VS. LUKE ROCKHOLD (MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP)
ROUND ONE: Rockhold came right out at Jacare and ate a kick to the body. Rockhold landed a kick to the leg. He landed another one and backed away from a body kick. Rockhold sprawled a takedown attempt from Jacare, but as he stood he got clipped by a right that hurt him. Jacare drove for another takedown, and Rockhold attempted to hold it off. He got brought down and Jacare continued to drive through as Rockhold tried to defend. Jacare landed a few hard rights against the cage. Rockhold ate the punches and worked to his feet but got immediately taken down. Rockhold continued to try to work back to his feet and ate more strikes from Jacare. Rockhold got to his feet again and turned to clinch with his back on the cage. Souza landed a knee in the clinch and tried to drop but got shrugged off. Rockhold finally went back on the attack and landed a body kick. He threw one high but it was blocked. Rockhold landed the next one. Jacare landed a right and moved forward. Rockhold landed a good punch-kick combo. Rockhold threw a nice switch kick and a spinning kick, but Jacare took it and shot in. Rockhold landed a few strikes but got taken down. He popped back to his feet as the round ended.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Souza. He controlled the position on the ground for a significant amount of time and landed some hard strikes on the cage. Good first round for the champ but Rockhold's still very much in this.
ROUND TWO: Rockhold moved in forward early and threw a number of kicks to the body and leg to start. Rockhold got in with a left. He landed a short combo but nearly got dropped with a counter from Jacare. He kept on his feet but Jacare drove him back to the cage and clinched. Jacare dropped for a single leg but gave it up. He landed another hard right in the clinch before backing off. Rockhold landed a left as he stalked. He threw a switch kick again but it was blocked. Jacare landed a right. Rockhold overextended and they clinched. Jacare put Rockhold's back on the cage again and landed a few strikes and knees. Rockhold got loose again. Jacare landed a couple of nice counters as Rockhold moved in. Rockhold landed a left and ate another counter. Rockhold got in a couple of punches and ended the round with a kick.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Rockhold. Jacare landed a few more damaging punches, but Rockhold had a lot more output and pressed the action throughout. It's a situation of damage vs. accumulated strikes, and the round could go either way, but I'll give Rockhold the edge.
ROUND THREE: Rockhold pressed again to start the round and landed a number of punches. He popped Jacare's head back with a jab. Jacare threw a couple of body kicks and Rockhold threw one back at him. Rockhold landed a kick a little low and Jacare got upset and complained, saying it was the second time. He was given time to recover. As they restarted Rockhold turned on the attack again. Jacare dropped under a punch and went for a takedown. Rockhold held it off with a few punches, but Souza kicked his leg out from under him to complete the takedown. Rockhold worked back to his feet nicely and avoided a kimura from Jacare. Rockhold landed a short combination. He landed a straight kick to the body. Rockhold landed a leg kick. Jacare landed a right and landed a kick to the body. Rockhold missed a few strikes as he continued to walk Jacare down. He landed a hard right and got in with another punch. He backed off from a kick from Jacare. Jacare landed a leg kick. They exchanged punches in the center. Rockhold landed a jab. Rockhold with another short combo kept Jacare moving backward. He landed a body kick. Rockhold landed a spinning kick to end the round.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Rockhold. The Champion is on his heels a bit here as he's allowing Rockhold to stalk and press the action, and he's only throwing one punch for every three or four from Rockhold right now.
ROUND FOUR: Jacare landed a right and Rockhold threw a few. He landed another one that cut Rockhold's lip but Rockhold countered well. Rockhold landed a nice body kick. Rockhold landed another short combination. He pressed in with a few more punches. Jacare landed a hard right. He landed another one but Rockhold connected on a few more. Rockhold landed another punch. Souza got in with the clinch and landed a knee, but Rockhold turned him around and landed a knee to the body. Rockhold landed a short forearm strike. Jacare tried to get a takedown but Rockhold avoided it. Jacare landed a couple of strikes and drove forward. He landed a couple more on the cage before separating. Jacare shot in for another takedown and Rockhold defended well. Jacare landed a knee as they stood. Rockhold landed a few punches and took a knee from Jacare. Rockhold landed a hard body kick. Jacare caught a kick and tried for a takedown but Rockhold held him off again into the clinch. He turned Jacare around and landed a knee to the head. Rockhold landed a couple more knees to the body as the round ended.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Rockhold. This was a really close round, another that can go either way, but I think Rockhold's output and aggression again edge it.
ROUND FIVE: Jacare landed a kick to the body after they exchanged short strikes. Rockhold landed a kick to the body himself. Rockhold continued to press and landed a jab. Rockhold landed a couple more jabs and defended a kick from Jacare. Rockhold threw a kick that was blocked but followed it up with a nice left. Rockhold landed a couple of punches and avoided the counter. Jacare pressed in with a few rights and got the clinch. Jacare looked for the takedown again but couldn't complete it. Jacare landed a knee in the clinch. Jacare finally completed a takedown on the cage. Rockhold tried to get his back to the cage as Jacare continued to try to hold him. Rockhold again popped back up. Jacare landed a couple of punches to separate. Rockhold landed a big two punch combination. He landed a couple more. Jacare threw a right and a front kick. Rockhold with another left. Rockhold landed a spinning kick to the body. They traded punches. Rockhold landed a couple more. Jacare came forward and got hit with a right. Rockhold landed a kick. Jacare pressed in with a combo and they clinched. They ended the round on the cage and that's another really close round.
Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Rockhold. Again, it came down to output. Jacare didn't do enough damage, and Rockhold pressed the action and landed more overall, plus he popped back quickly as Jacare got him to the ground. Round 2, 4 and 5 could go either way, so I'm fine with just about any score from the judges here on this one.
Penick's Final Score: 49-46 Rockhold
WINNER: Rockhold via unanimous decision (50-45, 48-47, 48-47)
POST FIGHT: An extremely emotional Rockhold just thanked everyone he could think of after. He said he got rocked a couple of times, but said he trains with the best people and has the best guys in his corner and he said he looked forward to defending the belt.
STAR RATING: (***-) That was a very close, really good back and forth fight where both left everything in the cage. Rockhold had never left the first round in a fight, and hadn't fought in 18 months, so this was an extremely impressive performance overall. He really did everything he needed to do to win, he out-struck Jacare, would not let Jacare keep him on the ground and he continuously pressed the action. Very impressive performance from Rockhold and he proved a lot in this fight.
FIGHT FOUR: DANIEL CORMIER VS. ANTONIO "BIGFOOT" SILVA (HEAVYWEIGHT GRAND PRIX SEMIFINAL)
ROUND ONE: Silva landed a kick to the body early. Cormier threw a kick that Silva caught and he was driven to the cage. He got separation right away. Cormier dropped Silva with a huge right and dropped into his guard. He postured up and then backed off, making Silva stand. That was very much like the Mike Kyle knockdown last December. Cormier tagged Silva with a straight left but Silva stayed standing. Cormier connected on another right. Cormier tagged him again and Silva shot in. Cormier stuffed it and stood back up as Silva tried to pull guard. He made him stand again. Cormier landed a jab. Silva threw a kick, but Cormier caught it and kicked his leg out from under him, sending him to his back. The crowd booed Silva on his back as Cormier stood over him. Cormier backed off again. Silva tried to walk in but Cormeir landed a jab. Cormier caught another kick. Cormier landed a big uppercut and dropped Silva, he landed a few hammerfists on the ground and Silva is out. That was an insane performance, what a win by Cormier.
WINNER: Cormier via KO at 3:56 of the first round
POST FIGHT: Cormier said "give me some respect" after what he just did against a top ranked heavyweight in Silva. He reminded everyone that made it 4-0 for the American Kickboxing Academy tonight. Cormier said Silva is no Cain Velasquez. Cormier predicted a Josh Barnett win tonight.
STAR RATING: (***) Daniel Cormier has gotten better and better each fight out, and his progression has been extremely impressive to watch. His striking showed great improvement in the fight with Jeff Monson this summer, and he just lit up "Bigfoot" tonight. Though he got into the sport late, he's showing world class ability in short order, and he's a capable challenger against any fighter right now. That was incredible.
MAIN EVENT FIGHT FIVE: SERGEI KHARITONOV VS. JOSH BARNETT (HEAVYWEIGHT GRAND PRIX SEMIFINAL)
ROUND ONE: Barnett landed a jab early as Kharitonov tried to stalk. Barnett landed another jab. Kharitonov connected on a punch. Barnett landed a couple that sent Kharitonov back. Kharitonov got in close and landed a few big strikes. Barnett moved in, grabbed a body lock and tripped Kharitonov to the ground and landed in the mount. Barnett landed a few short elbows as he postured up. Kharitonov tried to buck him off but Barnett kept his position. Barnett landed a few short strikes. Kharitonov tried to throw a punch from the bottom. Barnett continued landing short hammerfists, forearms and elbows to stay bust. Barnett postured up again and landed a quick flurry of strikes. Kharitonov tried to hold onto Barnett to control his posture, but Barnett popped up again and landed a bunch of strikes. Kharitonov rolled and gave up his back. Barnett landed a hard elbow to the side of the head. Kharitonov put his hands up and tried to cover up. Barnett tried to pick his spots and landed a bunch of punches. Barnett flattened him and got back to mount. He grabbed for the side choke as he rolled back over, passed to side control and forced the tap.
WINNER: Barnett via submission (arm triangle choke) at 4:28 of the first round
POST FIGHT: Barnett jokingly tried to wrestle away the microphone from Mauro Ranallo. Barnett said he thinks Cormier's a great opponent and said he knows he'll need to train real hard for him and that it will be a very different fight than the two opponents he's faced in the last two fights.
STAR RATING: (**+) That went pretty much as expected. Kharitonov needed to land something big early, he didn't, Barnett took him to the ground and dominated from there. Good performance from Barnett to set up an intriguing fight with Daniel Cormier.
-Cormier was interviewed after and gave Barnett respect for his victory, but said Barnett would not take him down in their finals bout. He injured his hand in his win over "Bigfoot," and he's hoping the injury isn't too serious to delay his fight with Barnett or, worse yet, take him out of it.
-The Strikeforce Heavyweight World Grand Prix is one step closer to completion. Thanks for joining us for yet another event tonight; we'll have more on this event later in the week as we head into another UFC Fight Night event on Spike next Saturday night.
DON'T GO YET... WE SUGGEST THESE MMATORCH ARTICLES, TOO!
Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
STAFF COLUMNISTS: Shawn Ennis - Jason Amadi
Frank Hyden - Rich Hansen
Chris Park - Matt Pelkey
Interested in joining MMATorch's writing team? Send idea for a theme to your column (for Specialist section) or area of interest (i.e. TV Reporter) along with a sample of writing to mmatorch@gmail.com.
