We head to MMA Fighting for the official word. According to their report, an injury has forced “Cyborg” Santos to pull out of his upcoming fight with the British knockout artist. It is currently unknown who will replace Daley, it’s not even known whether or not Daley will still be competing on the card.

Ironically, both men have one big thing in common: they both lost to Nick Diaz in supremely humbling fashion in their most-recent fights. Heading into his showdown with Diaz, Santos held a barely-positive record of 18-13 and was soundly trounced by Diaz before succumbing to a second-round armbar. Many felt that Strikeforce was grasping at straws when putting someone like Santos, a longtime journeyman, into such a pivotal match-up.

Diaz’s next opponent, Paul Daley, was much more of a threat to Diaz’s reign. In perhaps the most exciting single-round fight of the last several years, Daley and Diaz fought an all-out war that saw both men dazed and hurt several times. After coming back from the razor’s edge and avoiding the first real KO loss of his career, Diaz ended the fight in the first round, stopping Daley due to strikes and giving “Semtex” the first real TKO loss of his career.

I definitely would’ve liked to see this fight, but if one of these fighters had to get injured, I’m glad it’s Santos. I know that sounds pretty insensitive, but I can’t help the way I feel. I think Paul Daley is a great addition to Strikeforce’s roster and gives them a badly-needed injection of talent. I think Daley will be a one-dimensional striker for the rest of his life, but he’s so entertaining and usually so dominant in that one dimension that I just can’t hold it against him. If he does decide to take a new opponent for “Fedor vs. Henderson”, I’ll certainly enjoy watching him fight.

Meanwhile, Evangelista Santos has never struck me as anything more than an up-and-down journeyman whose performances vary wildly based on the quality of the competition he’s facing. Much like I consider Valentijn Overeem “the other Overeem”, I consider Evangelista Santos “the other Cyborg”.

Of course, the removal of Santos makes me wonder who’s ready and deserving of a shot against Daley. But that just makes me think of an even bigger question that needs to be answered: what’s left for Paul Daley in Strikeforce? I’ll go one step further: what’s left for any Welterweight in Strikeforce?

When will Strikeforce crown a new Welterweight Champion now that Nick Diaz has vacated the belt and signed with the UFC? And let’s be honest: that new champion is going to have a long, hard road ahead of him if he wants to emerge out of the shadow of Diaz. Nick Diaz was one of Strikeforce’s biggest stars and one of its top draws both in television ratings and live attendance/gate receipts. He was mathematically, figuratively, and literally the most-dominant champion in Strikeforce history. Whoever wins the Strikeforce Welterweight Championship now that it’s vacated… I’ll always wonder “could he have beaten Nick?”

And I have a sinking feeling that I’m going to answer “no” to that question, time and time again. So, really, where does the Strikeforce welterweight division go from here?

After a solid first-round turned in against current welterweight champion Nick Diaz this past January, Evangelista was eventually submitted in the second-round by the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, however surely picked up fans along the way.

Now, after his spirited performance, “Cyborg” will be returning to the strikeforce cage this July as the organization prepares for it’s first pay-per-view event. He will be looking to climb back up the contender ladder when he will be taking on Team Quest product and top prospect Tarec Saffiedine next.

With his first-round knockout win over DREAM welterweight champion Marius Zaromskis and his war with Nick Diaz under his belt, “Cyborg” could be in a position to reinstate himself into title contention with an impressive performance in his next outing. However, the price at which to get back to the top will be tricky, to say the least, as Tarec is by no means any “pushover” in the welterweight class.

At just 24-years-old, Tarec has made waves in the mixed martial arts world. His recent losses have come to Yoon Don-Sik under the DREAM banner (fought at middleweight, to a contentious split-decision) and to budding title challenger Tyron Woodley, via a competitive decision.

Coupled with an ever improving ground game courtesy of his Team Quest ties, Saffiedine possesses some of the sharper hands in the welterweight class, which will surely make him a difficult challenge to tangle with anyone in the 170-pound division.

The bout was initially reported by MMAJunkie.com.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the match-up? Stylistically, the bout should favor Tarec, though it would be wise never to count out the Chute Boxe veteran in Santos. Sound off in the comment section below.

According to MMA Junkie, the Showtime broadcast of “Diaz vs. Cyborg” was watched by as many as 850,000 people, which is the number of fans that tuned in to watch the main event, which saw Nick Diaz successfully defend his Strikeforce Welterweight Championship against a game (but clearly outmatched) Evangelista Santos. The report also states that the show averaged about 561,000 viewers for the entirety of its broadcast. It should be noted that these are some of the highest ratings Strikeforce has ever gotten for their live, televised events on Showtime.

I’m very glad this show turned in such an awesome number. I very rarely side against Strikeforce (although I did so recently, read more about it here) and as a big Strikeforce fan, this number gives me a lot of hope for the future. I hope Strikeforce continues to push forward with big events and huge ratings for the remainder of 2011, especially when it comes to their upcoming shows centered around the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix. I remain very excited for this tournament, and I hope it delivers both in terms of fight quality and in generating interest and new fans.

I also think these numbers speak volumes about Nick Diaz’s power as a top-drawing star. Diaz has been a part of several of Strikeforce’s highest-rated shows, and the evidence clearly points to something I’ve also been saying for quite some time: love him or hate him, people will watch Nick Diaz fight. Sometimes controversy really does create cash, and if anyone had to be the guy with the bullseye on his back, I’m glad it’s someone as skilled and at such a high level as Nick Diaz.

So, in all honesty, I think Strikeforce should spare no expense to keep Nick Diaz gainfully employed. If the highly-anticipated grudge match between Nick Diaz and Jason Miller is ever going to come to fruition, Strikeforce will have to pay Diaz a sizable sum. But who else is realistically worth the green? Even with stars like Fedor Emelianenko and Alistair Overeem on the roster, what’s the one match everyone always clamors for, that always drums up interest and intense debate? It’s always Diaz vs. Mayhem. So I say: pay the man.

All in all, I’m glad that “Diaz vs. Cyborg” was such a success in terms of ratings, attendance, live gate receipts, and everything else that’s being reported on. I think Strikeforce needed a big show to start them off in 2011, and they most certainly got one. It will be very interesting to see where they go from here, and I certainly can’t wait to see what the future holds.

And what about you, fans and friends? What’s your take on the “Diaz vs. Cyborg” rating?

The Showtime televised event featured a dual-title headliner, featuring middleweight Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza successfully defending his title against veteran Robbie Lawler with a third-round rear-naked choke, as well as Nick Diaz dominating a game Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos en route to a second-round arm bar win.

And for their efforts, these men took home some of the evenings largest paydays, with the Stockton native taking a large portion of the $463,500 payroll.

MMAJunkie.com has reported the following figures which it had successfully obtained from the governing bodies of the California State Athletic Commission, who oversaw the event which was held at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Cali.

Champ Nick Diaz: $150,000 (no win bonus)
def. Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos: $20,000

Champ Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza: $85,000 ($15,000 win bonus)
def. Robbie Lawler : $65,000

Herschel Walker: $5,000 (no win bonus)
def. Scott Carson: $5,000

Roger Gracie: $75,000 (no win bonus)
def. Trevor Prangley: $30,000

Nate Moore: $4,000 ($2,000 win bonus)
def. Nathan Coy: $3,000

Isaiah Hill: $3,000 ($1,500 win bonus)
def. Bobby Stack: $1,500

Ron Keslar: $3,000 ($1,500 win bonus)
def. Eric Lawson: $1,500

Germaine de Randamie: $3,000 ($1,000 win bonus)
def. Stephanie Webber: $1,000

James Terry: $3,000 ($1,500 win bonus)
def. Lucas Gamaza: $1,500

Jenna Castillo: $3,000 ($1,500 win bonus)
def. Charlene Gellner: $1,000

So, MMA peeps, any surprises here from the figures? Anybody gaining more or less than what you expected? Sound off in the comment section below.

5. Herschel Walker steamrolling Scott Carson.

Say what you want about Herschel Walker’s skill level and the skill level of his opponents, but a dominant win is a dominant win. Walker’s performance was one of the best of the night simply because Walker continues to defy people’s expectations. He’s a physical marvel, incredibly humble, and decidedly vicious when it comes time to step into the cage and go to work. Against all odds and despite the harshest cries of his cynics, Walker continues to walk through opponents like it was easy, and that definitely made for a highlight of the night.

4. Souza’s constant submission attempts and Lawler’s uncanny ability to stave them off.

Ronaldo Souza defending his Strikeforce Middleweight Championship against Robbie Lawler was a great fight in general, but one of its best moments came late in the fight. Souza flawlessly and expertly applied a series of submission attempts, transitioning from one to the next with a speed that can only be described as lightning-fast. Somehow, someway, Lawler found a way to get out of each and every one. It made for some incredibly tense moments, and it was definitely a highlight of the night.

3. Roger Gracie giving the Gracie name hope for a new generation.

When was the last time you could truly consider a Gracie fighter as a top-ranked Mixed Martial Artist? The pioneers of the sport haven’t had a lot of luck adapting to the new generation: some have been successful only to falter in the end, others have had outright embarrassing performances before vanishing from the major MMA landscape entirely. Not true for Roger Gracie. Despite my early protests, Gracie is giving the family name hope for a new generation as he continues to face and defeat some of Strikeforce’s best mid-level Light Heavyweights. Gracie made it look almost too easy when he submitted Trevor Prangley. We may finally be seeing the rebirth of the Gracie name, and that definitely made for one of the best moments of the night.

2. Ronaldo Souza becoming a true Strikeforce champion.

I think Souza’s performance against Lawler was so great that he deserves two spots on this list. This performance signaled a change in my outlook on “Jacare”: I’ve gone from a respectful middle-of-the-road semi-follower to an outright fan of the man. Souza showed incredible heart and fortitude  when he staved off a Lawler blitzkrieg, he remained calm and collected throughout the bout and even kept the fight standing for awhile after coming so close to going out. Then to top it all off, he snatches up another submission victory. Souza is a true champion, and I’m proud to say that his fantastic performance at “Diaz vs. Cyborg” won me over as a fan.

And my top best moment of Strikeforce “Diaz vs. Cyborg” is…

1. This is why you don’t take Nick Diaz to the ground.

The official time of this bout’s end was listed at 4:50 of Round 2, meaning that Nick Diaz and Evangelista Santos had officially fought for nine minutes and fifty seconds. I want to say that roughly 9:40 of that 9:50 was fought standing up, with Diaz more-or-less dominating even though Santos threw up some good leg kicks. Then the fight went to the ground and it was over almost before I could blink. Everyone, including me, always talks about how Diaz is evolving into one of the best strikers in the game. This fight reminded us that Diaz’s submission skills have been and always will be as sharp or even sharper than his stand-up. It was a classic Nick Diaz performance, and it easily takes the top spot.

And what about you, fans and friends? What were your top 5 moments of the night for “Diaz vs. Cyborg”?

Next for Roger Gracie: Gracie isn’t ready for top-tier competition just yet, but he might be before 2011 is through. Gracie ran through a pretty talented veteran in the form of Trevor Prangley, I think Gracie should now take on a Light Heavyweight that, like himself, is a fast-rising relative newcomer that is on a good win-streak. In that regard, Ovince St. Preux fits the bill quite nicely. I think this would be an excellent test for both men and would truly test how multidimensional both men are. Even if it’s not OSP, I think big things are in store for Roger Gracie in 2011.

Next for Herschel Walker: Walker will fight at least one more time, you don’t completely run through two opponents just to call it quits no matter how old you are. Furthermore, Walker’s competitive nature will get the better of him once again: he’s had a taste, he wants more, and he’ll be back. For Walker’s third fight, Strikeforce may finally give him a somewhat-credible opponent. I’m a fan of the man and even I can admit that his name value has got him on Strikeforce shows, not the quality of the opposition he’s faced. In 2011, Walker will continue to be an interesting double-edged sword: many MMA diehards will still consider him a joke, but those willing to give him a chance will take what he’s done in stride and warm up to the idea of Walker being a great ambassador for the sport.

Next for Robbie Lawler: Lawler will bounce back from this as he so often has bounced back from other deflating losses. Strikeforce knows what they have in Robbie Lawler: an entertaining striker that’s not afraid to engage and enters the cage with the sole intention of either finishing or being finished. Even though he may never reach the top of anyone’s rankings, Lawler is an effective tool in Strikeforce’s arsenal and I see Strikeforce letting Lawler fight as many times as he wants to in 2011. Look for Lawler’s next fight to be against another heavy-handed striker, though, that’s usually where he shines brightest and that’s the kind of fight Strikeforce will use to help rebuild his reputation following his deflating loss to Ronaldo Souza.

Next for Ronaldo Souza: With this victory over Lawler, Souza is now a reigning and defending champion. “Jacare” proved that he can swim and not sink when Strikeforce throws their best Middleweights at him, so expect Souza to continue to be matched up in interesting fights against worthwhile competition. Maybe even a high-profile Light Heavyweight will drop down to challenge Souza. No matter who he faces next, look for Souza to continue to build his credibility with exciting fights which will one day help transform him into a real Strikeforce star.

Next for Evangelista Santos: I really hate to say this, but I think it’s my obligation to say what I mean and mean what I say. Santos never deserved a shot at the championship in the first place, and he’ll continue to plod along at or around the middle of the division for the foreseeable future. Santos is a good fighter overall and can look dominating at times, but he’s simply not at a high enough level to ever pose a serious threat to a top-ranked opponent. It’s all downhill from here for Evangelista Santos in 2011.

Next for Nick Diaz: Most likely it’ll be Paul Daley, which should be an amazing match-up so long as it stays standing. It’ll certainly be an incredibly short one if Diaz is able to take Daley to the ground. As I’ve so often been saying, Nick Diaz once again proved he’s one of the best Welterweights in the world. His reign as champion won’t be ending anytime soon, and look for 2011 to be The Year of Diaz. It’s Nick’s time now, and all Strikeforce welterweights need to know that the King isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

So that’s what I think, fans and friends. What about you? What do you think the future holds for the big winners and losers of Strikeforce “Diaz vs. Cyborg”?

Nick Diaz defeats Evangelista Santos by Submission (Armbar) at 4:50 of Round 2. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza defeats Robbie Lawler by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 2:00 of Round 3. Herschel Walker defeats Scott Caron by TKO (Strikes) at 3:13 of Round 1. Roger Gracie defeats Trevor Prangley by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 4:19 of Round 1. Nate Moore defeats Nathan Coy by TKO (Strikes) at 0:25 of Round 2. Isaiah Hill defeats Bobby Stack by Submission (Triangle Choke) at 1:02 of Round 1. Ron Keslar defeats Eric Lawson by Submission (Triangle/Armbar) at 1:57 of Round 1. Germaine De Randamie defeats Stephanie Webber by KO (Knees) at 4:25 of Round 1. James Terry defeats Lucas Gamaza by TKO (Strikes) at 3:26 of Round 1. Jenna Castillo defeats Charlene Gellner by KO (Knees) at 3:57 of Round 2.

I’ll start out by admitting that I was wrong in thinking that Trevor Prangley would beat Roger Gracie. It’s not the first time I was wrong, it certainly wasn’t the most high-profile time I was wrong, but I’ll eat my humble pie nonetheless and I have no problem admitting that Gracie obliterated my preconceived notions. I look forward to seeing what’s next for Roger Gracie, he seems to be a new Gracie for a new generation and I think that’s been a long time coming in modern-day Mixed Martial Arts.

I’m very glad Herschel Walker won again, and I hope he continues to fight for as long as he considers himself healthy enough to do so. I don’t know what the future holds for Walker, but I certainly wish him nothing but the best and I sincerely hope that this second fight was enough to change some of the naysayer’s opinions. Herschel Walker is the real deal, and while he may never hold a championship, tonight he fully and wholly earned the right to call himself a Mixed Martial Artist.

I’m very happy that Ronaldo Souza won, I think he’s a perfect fit for the Strikeforce Middleweight division and I think he’s definitely a worthy champion. A true champion doesn’t just survive under pressure, he thrives, and Souza came back from a Robbie Lawler blitzkrieg that has stopped so many of Lawler’s previous opponents. “Jacare” is much more than just submissions, even if he keeps living up to his “Alligator” nickname. With a tremendous amount of heart, a tough chin, some constantly-improving stand-up and some incredibly deadly submission skills, Souza has all the makings of a dominant champion.

The night ended with Nick Diaz proving once again why I think he’ll rule the Strikeforce Welterweight roster for years to come. There seemed to be very few holes in Diaz’s gameplan, he did eat some good leg kicks but he always answered back with punches. His ducking and dodging has never been better, and it was Diaz who had “Cyborg” backing up with those patented “punches in bunches” fists that hurt far more than they look. Diaz finishing the fight by submission was just icing on the cake, it proved that Diaz hasn’t forgotten his expert ground game in the midst of this new resurgence that’s seen him evolve into one of the best strikers in the game. If you’ll allow me one simple moment of fanboy bliss… I believe the saying goes “WAR DIAZ”, fans and friends.

As a Strikeforce fan, I really enjoyed this show. Every single fight ended with a finish! Fans were in for a real treat with this show, and Strikeforce is off to an awesome 2011. With the Grand Prix soon upon us, I think Strikeforce will have a banner year in 2011. It’s going to be an amazing ride, fans and friends. I’m certain of it.

And what about you? What did you think of “Cyborg vs. Diaz”?

Evangelista Santos, perhaps better known as simply “Cyborg”, was as the game as they come. The PRIDE veteran stalked Diaz early with fast-paced strikes, and was doing damage in spots, however the testament of Diaz’ fortitude was on display as he eventually found his opening and closed out the show in the end of the second-round.

Santos looked impressive early, utilizing his Chute Boxe background early on, throwing lots of kicks to the legs, hoping to hamper the mobility of the Stockton native. Diaz though, waded through and picked his shots. “Cyborg” would retaliate with wild hooks as Nick moved closer, however the 27-year-old eventually connected on a jaw-cracking right-hand that had the Brazilian rolling against the cage.

Evangelista was able to survive the early onslaught and made into the second-round. Diaz continued to pour on the pressure as he normally does, which is also a testament to his amazing conditioning as he kept the tempo of punches high, eventually forcing the 33-year-old to work the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt to the ground with only 30 seconds remaining in the round. For Nick, he only needed twenty of those seconds left in the round in order to quickly lock up a fight-ending arm bar.

Nick has not only cemented himself as the premier welterweight in the Strikeforce division as he has shown his obvious ground prowess coupled with a dangerous stand-up arsenal, but arguably one of the best pound-for-pound fighters on the planet.

Paul Daley will most likely be next for the Cesar Gracie product, should he get past his own title fight with takes place under the BAMMA banner this May in his native U.K.

So, MMA peeps, what did you think of Diaz’ performance? He never ceases to surprise me, and while his usual lack of defense has me cringing, he always finds a way to win. Who do you think he should fight next? Of course Tyron Woodley is still up and coming, however he has failed to record a victory over a world-ranked opponent, but that should be in his immediate future. Sound off in the comment section below.

Nick Diaz will be defending his welterweight crown against the resurgent Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos while Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza takes on former 3-time middleweight champion “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler.

All participants for tonight’s Saturday event, which takes place at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California, all successfully made weight–but it wasn’t without it’s problems.

The weigh-ins ceremony, as far as the main-card is concerned, went off without a hitch. Both Diaz and “Cyborg” came in under the required welterweight limit, both weighing in at a svelte 169.5-pounds. Both men gave an intense stare down, which helped solidify that the main-event of the evening will be fireworks as these two-dynamic strikers enter the cage.

Much like his usually stoic self, Lawler offered up a subdued stare down with his Brazilian foe, as the H.I.T Squad co-founder weighed in at 184-pounds while the Jiu-Jitsu specialist came in at 184.25 for the middleweight title affair.

Both Nate Coy and Jenna Castillo came in just over their respective weigh-limit, however had the chance to retry and just a few hours later hit their marks.

The rest of the weigh-ins are as follows, courtesy of MMAJunkie.com:

MAIN CARD

* Champ Nick Diaz (169.5) vs. Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos (169.5)
* Champ Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (184.25) vs. Robbie Lawler (184)
* Herschel Walker (220.75) vs. Scott Carson (214)
* Roger Gracie (206) vs. Trevor Prangley (205.25)

PRELIMINARY CARD

* Nate Coy (170.5)* vs. Nate Moore (171)
* Isaiah Hill (155.5) vs. Bobby Stack (154.75)
* Ron Keslar (179.5) vs. Eric Lawson (180)
* Germaine de Randamie (135.5) vs. Stephanie Webber (135.75)
* Lucas Gamaza (171) vs. James Terry (170.5)
* Jenna Castillo (121) vs. Charlene Gellner (118)^
* Anthony Dariano (149.5) vs. Alan Perez (151) (a)
* Niko Jackson (166) vs. Ricky Jackson (164.5) (a)
* Sam Bracamonte (168) vs. Armin Safiari (169.5) (a)

* – Coy made weight on his second attempt after initially weighing one-quarter pound heavy
* – Castillo made weight on her second attempt after initially weighing one-half pound heavy

(a) – Amaetur bout

5. Two championships are on the line.

It’s always a special occasion when a championship is on the line. All the best fighters want one, all the best events are built around one. This card has two. A show with a championship on the line always seems to have a certain special aura, and this show should be no different. Everything seems and feels a little bit bigger when there’s gold on the line, and this show features gold going on the line twice in one evening. It should certainly make for some dramatic television.

4. Herschel Walker is controversial, but entertaining.

Whether you like him or loathe him, few people don’t have an opinion on former NFL great Herschel Walker. What will Walker do next as he continues this MMA excursion? Doesn’t part of you want to find out, even if it’s the morbidly curious part of you? Walker is an interesting man, and that’s made him into an interesting fighter, which should make his upcoming bout at “Diaz vs. Cyborg” against Scott Carson a (you guessed it) interesting encounter.

3. You can watch all the prelims online for free.

For those wondering where they can get all the details, please click here. In short: you could watch this entire fight card from beginning to end, from top to bottom, every single fight… if you were of the mind to do so. It’s not often that we get to see every single fight of a major MMA show, and to tell you the truth, I’m happy if all we get is two free prelims. Instead, we’re getting six. And six free fights online mixed in with four free fights on cable is a powerful one-two blow.

2. Robbie Lawler vs. Ronaldo Souza should be an awesome match.

While it’s undoubtedly one of the most basic match types in the entirety of MMA, the “striker vs. grappler” fight continues to be one of the ones that MMA fans look forward to the most. And while it’s unfair to say Robbie Lawler is purely a striker and Ronaldo Souza is purely a grappler, that is what this fight boils down to at its simplest and also at its most appealing. Can Lawler land that big punch? Can Souza lock in that big submission? This clash of styles is what MMA as a whole was built upon, and since both men are high-level fighters, this should be a very good encounter.

And the number one reason to look forward to this show is because…

1. Diaz vs. Cyborg should be a great war.

Leading up to this fight I’ve made two things clear: one is that I’m a big fan of Nick Diaz, the other is that I don’t think Evangelista Santos poses any great threat to the current Strikeforce Welterweight Champion. However, that doesn’t mean that I think the fight will be boring. In actuality, I see Cyborg fighting Diaz tooth-and-nail and giving us a great scrap between two gifted strikers. Even though I think “Cyborg” will be outmatched and outplayed, I’m very excited about this match and I think it’ll be a vastly entertaining brawl.

That’s what I think, fans and friends. What about you? What are some of the reasons you’re looking forward to Strikeforce “Diaz vs. Cyborg”?

Nick Diaz vs. Evangelista Santos: The best thing I can say about Evangelista Santos is that he’s the husband of my favorite female fighter, Cristiane Santos, who is also one of my favorite fighters period. Without an ounce of hyperbole on my part, I truly believe that Nick Diaz has Evangelista Santos beat in all facets of the game. From striking to tactics to pacing to cardio to ground prowess to everything in-between, this will be a classic Nick Diaz performance and the bad-boy we all either love or love to hate will give us another reason to keep actively discussing him. Diaz wins by second-round TKO.

Ronaldo Souza vs. Robbie Lawler: I think both men pose some very interesting threats to each other, which is why I gave this fight the “5 Reasons Why” treatment. Check out part 1 here and part 2 here. Now that I have to make an official prediction, here’s what I think will happen: I think Lawler will come out guns blazing and he may even score a big shot or two, but Souza will survive, take this fight to the ground, and work his game. That’s what I see this entire fight boiling down to: Souza will be able to survive Lawler’s onslaughts, but Lawler won’t be able to survive on the ground with “Jacare”. Ronaldo Souza wins by submission in the second, maybe third round.

Roger Gracie vs. Trevor Prangley: I think Gracie only has a passing interest in MMA, his flirtation with the sport seems to come and go. Trevor Prangley, meanwhile, is a very active veteran MMA fighter who’s coming off of a big win over former UFC star Keith Jardine. While Gracie will always hold the advantage on the ground, Prangley is too skilled in all major areas of the game. He won’t finish Gracie, and he may lose a round, but I see Trevor Prangley fighting a smart fight and winning via Split Decision.

Herschel Walker vs. Scott Carson: I’ve got a lot of respect for Herschel Walker, and I honestly think everyone else should too. He’s the first one to admit how inexperienced he is, but he trains like an animal and he trains at one of the best MMA camps on the planet. Walker will never be a big MMA superstar, and he knows it. Beneath all that humble attitude lies an MMA fighter with some rough edges, but with the raw power and surprising speed to overcome his hindrances. It wouldn’t surprise me if Walker was still greener than a forest when he steps into the Strikeforce cage for the second time, but it also wouldn’t surprise me to see the man win again. I’m picking Herschel Walker by first-round TKO.

And there you have it, fans and friends: what I think will happen (and why) for all the big fights of Strikeforce “Diaz vs. Cyborg”. But what about you? Who do you think will win at the event, and why?

The Event: Strikeforce “Diaz vs. Cyborg”, scheduled for January 29, 2011 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. The four-fight main card will be broadcast live on the Showtime network starting at 10PM ET/PT.

Why You Should Care: Two championships will be on the line during the main televised broadcast, both the Strikeforce Middleweight and Welterweight Championships will be defended. The always-controversial Nick Diaz defends his 170-pound strap, while Ronaldo Souza defends his 185-pound belt against the hard-hitting Robbie Lawler. Former NFL great Herschel Walker will also make an appearance on the card, fighting in his second professional MMA bout.

What to Look Forward to in the Main Event: Look for leather to start flying the second the first bell rings. Both men are technically brawlers, although their styles and methods of inflicting damage are vastly different. Nevertheless, both men are going to come out swinging, hoping to influence the pace of the fight and force their opponent into their world. It may not be long, but it’ll probably be bloody, and it’ll certainly be exciting.

What to Look Forward to in the Co-Main Event: Although Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Ronaldo Souza is primarily famous as a submission expert, his stand-up has shown some good improvement in his recent fights. But has it improved enough to where he can hang with a dangerous striker with vicious one-hit KO power? Robbie Lawler finds himself in a similar dilemma: does he go in throwing wildly, hoping that something hits? Is it worth it to risk being taken down if it means throwing with the reckless abandon that got him this title shot in the first place? There are several different ways this match could turn out, but since both men are high-level fighters, we’re practically guaranteed an interesting fight.

Why You Should Watch This Card: It’s two title fights, plus Herschel Walker, plus Roger Gracie. Both championship fights have the potential to last five rounds or five minutes, and that always makes for edge-of-your-seat television. Strikeforce seems to be amping up for a major 2011 in general, and this card should be a great indicator on what the future holds for the surging MMA promotion.

Why You Shouldn’t Watch This Card: It’s a pretty solid card for Strikeforce, but it’s clear that the A-Game is being reserved for the upcoming Heavyweight Grand Prix. If you wanted to, you could make a case that neither Evangelista Santos nor Robbie Lawler have done enough and beaten enough quality competition to deserve a shot at the title. And of course, many MMA fans still have their doubts and prejudices towards Herschel Walker. Those that do intend to watch the show will most likely be entertained, but I’ll be frank and admit that the show doesn’t have the kind of universal appeal that fuels a “must-watch” event.

Closing Thoughts: As a huge fan of Nick Diaz, I’ll tune in to watch him no matter who he’s fighting. I’m also a moderate fan of Ronaldo Souza, who I think has a tremendous ground game and has shown a lot of improvement in his stand-up recently. I also like Herschel Walker, so that’s another reason to tune in. This show probably won’t capture my imagination or dazzle my senses like the upcoming cards booked around the amazing Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, but it looks like a solid event from top to bottom and, at the end of the day, I’ve got a good feeling about this card.

And what about you, fans and friends? What are your thoughts on “Diaz vs. Cyborg”?

He has the chance to capture the very prestigious Strikeforce welterweight title from one of the more recognizable and enigmatic figures in the sport, champ Nick Diaz.

However, while the honor in of itself in claiming gold would be great, Evangelista has already set up a hit-list of sorts on those he would like to exact some revenge on in his near 14-year career as a mixed martial artist.

Former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi and former Cage Rage light heavyweight champion Melvin Manhoef are on the top of his list.

Santos recently spoke with MMAWeekly.com who went back and forth with the Chute Boxe protege as he was making the final preparations for his upcoming fight this Saturday at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California opposite of the fan-favorite Diaz.

“After 15 years of searching for my ideal weight, I have finally found a home in the welterweight division”, said Santos, husband of Strikeforce women’s middleweight champion Cristiane ‘Cyborg’ Santos.

“I fought 155 pounds at 18 years old then I ballooned up to 205 pounds. Now I’ve found a home that is comfortable for the first time in my career. I spent 42 fights looking for my ideal weight; all of that experience has made me a better fighter.”

He made good on his welterweight debut when he was able to record arguably one of the biggest wins of his career, knocking out DREAM champion Marius Zaromskis last June to claim the number one contenders spot.

Confident in his skills, which he feel are more than adequate to match Diaz’ great boxing skills coupled with his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu prowess (which is made evident with his black belt under Cesar Gracie), Santos gave some insight as far as he sees as his next challenges in the future after the Stockton native.

“Once I take the belt, I want to fight Gegard Mousasi and Melvin Manhoef in any weight class.”

Melvin defeated Santos in a hellish defense of his then Cage Rage light heavyweight title in 2006, where the two hard-hitters slugged it out for an allotted amount of time. Eventually fatigue and mounting punches were enough to subdue the Brazilian and Manhoef recorded the KO win just under four-minutes in the second-round.

The bout with Mousasi was the more recent of the two, where the talented Dutch striker was able to record the TKO win inside of the first-round in their 2008 meeting under the Hardcore Fighting Championships banner.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of Santos’ comments? Do you give a chance in defeating Diaz, let alone rematches with Manhoef or Mousasi? Sound off in the comment section below.

Werdum, who shocked the mixed martial arts world last year with a 69-second submission win over the seemingly unbeatable Fedor Emelianenko, has invested interest in the upcoming title fight between champ Nick Diaz as he defends his title for the second time against veteran Evangelista ‘Cyborg’ Santos.

And while the Brazilian has long lauded Diaz as one of his favorite fighters to watch, he’s going with the home team in picking Santos for the upset.

Aaron Tru of MMAPrime.tv, who was recently nominated for Journalist of the Year at the 2010 World MMA Award hosted by Fighters Only, caught up with the former UFC and PRIDE star who gave his thoughts on the welterweight affair.

“I like Nick Diaz”, began the two-time Abu Dhabi Combat Club champion.

“He’s a very good fighter, too. But ‘Cyborg’ is very nice. Very nice kicks, very good Muay Thai. Everybody don’t believe in the ground, but he has very good Jiu-Jitsu now. 100%, ‘Cyborg’ wins this fight.”

It’s not a stretch for Werdum to pick Evangelista, who came off the biggest win of his career last June when he knocked out DREAM welterweight champion and former Strikeforce title contender Marius Zaromskis inside of the first-round.

But, Santos being a protege of Rafael Cordeiro who now is one of the head trainers of Werdum might make things all the more complicated.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the news? Do you think ‘Cyborg’ could pull of the upset and prove Werdum correct? Or will Diaz be able to take out the knockout artist with his repertoire of skills? Sound off in the comment section below.

Daley made the claim to fame when he knocked out the proverbial knockout artist in Scott Smith in his promotional debut last December, and he needed no less than the first-round to do so.

However, Paul has recently accepted a fight in his native U.K. for this February, and should he come out in the losing end of things, he will lose his current position as the next in line for the Strikeforce title, so needless to say the Rough House product will be treading with caution.

Fighters Only was the first to reveal that Daley’s next opponent, DREAM veteran Yuya Shirai, will be his upcoming opponent for BAMMA 5. The two will battle it out for the promotion’s vacant title on February 26, close to a month after Diaz and Cyborg vie for their own welterweight title, currently held by the Stockton native.

During a recent media teleconference heading into this weekend’s Strikeforce event, CEO Scott Coker revealed that a win for Daley in his upcoming fight in the U.K. will keep in next in line for the organization’s title, while a loss will cause them to search for a new opponent in his place post-Cyborg/Diaz.

Paul is currently riding a three-fight win streak since his release from the UFC, which came on the heels of a decision loss and sucker punch to welterweight heel Josh Koscheck last May.

Victories over Daniel Acacio, Jorge Masvidal, and the aforementioned Smith are among those who have aided the Brit in his recent win streak.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the news? Should Daley come out unsuccessful against the DREAM vet, who do you think should step in his place? While Strikeforce is a strong promotion, a strong welterweight division they do not have. Sound off in the comment section below.

Daley was featured on every headline of every major mixed martial arts forum when he was the victim of the infamous UFC pink slips, however all on his own doing. In a number one contenders bout where Paul was pitted against Josh Koscheck last May at “UFC 113: Machida vs. Shogun II” he dropped a unanimous decision to the brash American Kickboxing Academy product. After the fight, Daley stalked Josh and sucker-punched the former title contender and was then released by the promotion.

Now, his career has taken a complete 180, as he now may be gearing up for a title fight against potentially one of the biggest challenges of his career.

First, however, Daley will be taking a fight overseas in his native England against an opponent that has been yet to be determined. The Brit is working closely with Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker in gaining approval from the head honcho for his next opponent before he makes his return to the San Jose based promotion.

“Paul has requested to have a fight in the UK, and our deal with Paul we have to sign off on it, and we have to have an opponent approval,” said Scott who spoke with MMAWeekly.com earlier this week.

Along with the proposed UK fight, Daley is prepared to meet the winner of the upcoming welterweight title fight, which pits current champion Nick Diaz against former PRIDE star Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos (husband of Strikeforce’s women’s 145-pound champion Cristiane “Cyborg”).

“There’s a couple names and we’re going through that process with him. He wants to stay busy and he wants to fight the winner of (Nick) Diaz and Evangelista (Cyborg), and I think that makes a lot of sense,” said the CEO.

Diaz and “Cyborg” will meet next on January 29 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Cali.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of Daley being named the next number one contender? There’s no better way to make a splash into the organization when you knockout the “knockout artist” in Scott Smith in your promotional debut. Will Paul have a chance in claiming Strikeforce gold? Sound off in the comment section below.

In a new interview with MMA Fighting, Miller recently said the following: “We almost had the fight together… I knew that one of two things was going to happen. Either I was going to get the fight with Diaz and expose him, show that he’s not some damn unstoppable, pitter-pat punching tank, but just some dude who can get beat up. Or, the other option, I was going to expose him for what he is, which is a guy who picks favorable fights constantly… We said 181, but they wouldn’t take it… They want me to be totally emaciated to make the weight… For now, I’m over it… That will be forever etched in there, and if he ever fights up a weight class we’re all going to have a good laugh about how he ducked ‘Mayhem’.”

Now, I now I’ve spoken at length about this topic, mainly because I consider myself both a big Diaz fan and a fan of Jason Miller. From the start, my problem with this bout was that Nick Diaz wears Strikeforce gold while Jason Miller hasn’t beaten anybody significant in Strikeforce. Normally whenever a champion moves up in weight, he either fights a complete can or someone with a large amount of prestige, like a current or former champion. Put plainly, Miller is in a figurative No Man’s Land where he refuses to fight anyone except Diaz while Diaz refuses to fight Mayhem until he adds some accolades to his Strikeforce career. Miller’s between a rock and a hard place: no way is he a can, but he’s barely fought for Strikeforce and his last fight wasn’t even televised, only some highlights were shown.

But something interesting happened recently that made me rethink consistently siding with the Diaz camp whenever this topic is brought up. To be bluntly honest, the recent announcement that Evangelista Santos would be the next challenger for Nick Diaz’s Strikeforce Welterweight Championship does lend some credence to Miller’s assertion that Nick Diaz and his camp only pick favorable fights.

Jason Miller vs. Nick Diaz made some sense, but had a few hard-to-overcome issues surrounding it. But, and once again I’ll be brutally honest, Evangelista Santos vs. Nick Diaz makes a whole hell of a lot less sense than Jason Miller vs. Nick Diaz. Santos is 18-13 to Miller’s 24-7. Jason Miller has fought for and even won some championship gold in the past, Santos has never fought for a championship. I could go on, but you get my point: saying Jason Miller isn’t up to snuff and then giving Evangelista Santos a title shot is the definition of bass-ackwards.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you make of Miller’s latest rant?

MMA Junkie confirms that Nick Diaz, who has never lost in Strikeforce (and hasn’t lost, period, since 2007) will defend his championship against Evangelista Santos. “Cyborg” shares both his nickname and his last name with his wife, Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos, the current Strikeforce Women’s Middleweight Champion and by far the most dominant female MMA fighter currently fighting. Evangelista has done a lot to emerge out of his more-famous wife’s shadow recently, and looks to stop being known as “the other Cyborg” with a win over Diaz. Evangelista Santos is currently on a two-fight win-streak which includes a TKO win over Marius Zaromskis, the man Diaz originally beat to claim the vacant Strikeforce Welterweight Championship.

It had long been rumored that Strikeforce was working on making a proposed Nick Diaz/Jason Miller fight a reality in time for this card. The two men have been embroiled in a decidedly epic, increasingly bitter war of words for the past several months, and have in fact been on each other’s radars for years. Most recently Miller launched the website www.dontbescaredhomie.com in order to keep his fans (nicknamed the “Mayhem Monkeys”) up-to-date on any new developments concerning the rivalry.

Nick Diaz remains one of Strikeforce’s most controversial stars while also remaining one of the promotion’s biggest assets. Diaz is on an eight-fight win-streak that includes seven straight finishes. His most recent performance broke that chain, however. Diaz was unable to finish arch-rival KJ Noons in the rematch that was three years in the making, and instead had to live with the knowledge that he broke KJ’s jaw early into their five-round war of attrition and also with a Unanimous Decision that was in his favor.

I really don’t see how anyone could pick Evangelista Santos to win this fight. “Cyborg” is the kind of fighter that swings for the fences from the opening bell to the last minute, and while there’s nothing wrong with that, that type of fighter plays directly into Diaz’s style. Diaz continues to show off his highly-evolved “punches in bunches” style that is looking crisper, more accurate, and more powerful on a per-fight basis.

Be honest, fans and friends. You already know what’s going to happen in this bout. Santos is going to come out headhunting, but he’ll be swiping at thin air. Diaz will begin to unload, to stick and move constantly, and Santos will start getting frustrated. He’ll keep looking for that big one-hit haymaker KO, but when he continues to not get it and continues to eat shots when going for it, he’ll become equal parts desperate and frustrated, and he’ll begin to make mistakes. If he lets his guard down often enough, sooner or later the cumulative damage will weaken him to the point where Santos gets TKO’d. If not, Diaz takes another commanding Unanimous Decision.

I just don’t see any way Nick Diaz loses this fight. If he does, it would almost certainly be the first big upset of the new year. And what about you, fans and friends? What do you think of Diaz vs. Santos and Strikeforce’s upcoming January 29 card in general?

Here are the highlights from an interview Scott Coker recently had with Sherdog: “I think Evangelista [‘Cyborg’ Santos] comes to my mind [as a possible next opponent]… [KJ Noons is also] a possibility depending on if KJ wants to continue fighting at 170. I think Nick Diaz, that would be a hell of a fight. I think we have some solid fights for [Daley] up ahead… There’s a fight on January 7 between Tyron [Woodley] and Tarec Saffiedine; maybe the winner of that… He’s just a great fighter and a great puncher obviously.”

In the here and now, I think KJ Noons should be the next man to test Paul Daley. Not only is it a very interesting match on paper, it’s also a very different match than the recent KJ Noons vs. Nick Diaz 2. Whereas Noons/Diaz 2 was a clash of different-but-still-technical boxing styles, Noons/Daley would be a battle between a striking tactician and a bull-rushing phenomenon. It would prove a lot for both men: for Noons it would bring him right back up to a championship level, for Daley it would prove once and for all that he’s ready for a run at the top.

In all honestly, Evangelista Santos or the winner of Woodley/Saffiedine just feels like a consolation prize when compared to Paul Daley vs. KJ Noons. Still, I’ll take whatever I can get because I honestly don’t want to see Daley get an immediate title shot. Daley definitely burst onto the scene in dominating fashion, but he needs at least one more test, preferably against a top-division opponent, before he gets a shot at the championship outright.

Like many, I don’t think I’ll ever fully forgive Paul Daley for attacking Josh Koscheck after the final bell had rung. I still stand by one of my earliest sentiments on the matter: in a world where MMA is making considerable gains towards full mainstream acceptance and lasting global appeal, those kinds of classless acts only serve to strengthen negative stereotypes. I can’t just say “boys will be boys” and be done with it, Daley is going to have to earn his shot at a title, win it, and defend it multiple times before I ever call him one of the best welterweights in the world.

I just think that, with his recent performance against Scott Smith, that possibility has now taken a firm step into the land of reality. Maybe Daley does have it in him to realize all of his potential. Maybe he can become a dominant champion and a best-in-the-world fighter. Whether or not he does indeed do that is up to him, but I’m pretty sure he’s at least going to die trying. Daley isn’t done, and so long as he keeps viciously separating people from their consciousness, ultimately I’ll continue to watch him.

But what about you, fans and friends? What do you think the future holds for Paul Daley?

5. Jorge Masvidal

It’s been confirmed that Masvidal is moving back to Lightweight, but I can see him being coaxed back up to 170 if it means getting another shot at “Semtex”. The first fight proved little, as Masvidal seemed tentative to strike while Daley seemed tentative to pull the trigger. In the right circumstances, I think Masvidal/Daley could be an explosive, wildly entertaining fight. A slot in a stacked Strikeforce show, with the lights on bright and hundreds of thousands of fans watching at home, should be more than enough to bring out the best and the beast in both fighters and give us a great rematch.

4. Marius Zaromskis

It’s true that he’s been virtually unheard-of for awhile, but “The White Mare” would give Daley the kind of fight that he always thrives in: it would be a stand-up brawl with neither man giving a single inch until one of them goes down into the land of dreams. Zaromskis still has that killer head kick, Daley still has dynamite in his hands. It wouldn’t be pretty, it may even be a step back considering how hot of a commodity Daley is right now, but it would be one fantastic fight.

3. Evangelista Santos

Who makes for an even better opponent for “Semtex” than Marius Zaromskis? The man who beat him, of course. Unfortunately known as “the other Cyborg”, Santos has been scraping and clawing his way towards Welterweight legitimacy for the better part of a decade. He attacks with reckless abandon, he comes to either get the knockout or get knocked out. This seems to be the most likely opponent for Daley, and there’s good reason for it: this fight is a solid test for both men and could be a Fight of the Night-caliber showdown if it lives up to its potential.

2. Jay Hieron

The unsung star of Strikeforce’s Welterweight division, Jay Hieron gets far less credit than he deserves. He’s lost only four times in his seven-year career, and has nineteen victories (some of them against pretty decent competition) to his name. If Hieron wins, it would prove once and for all that he’s championship-caliber. If Daley wins, it proves once and for all that he belongs near the top of any promotion’s Welterweight division. It’s a trial by fire for both men, and it has the makings of a great fight.

But of course, #1 simply has got to go to…

1. Nick Diaz

Sometimes the most obvious examples are still the best ones. Anyone with a brain knows that Diaz/Daley would be a dream-match, and there’s plenty of reasons why. Daley is a brawler, Diaz is highly unorthodox but surprisingly technical. Daley has a weak ground game, both Diaz brothers have vastly under-rated ground games. They’re both bad boys who love to get in their opponent’s faces and talk ridiculous amounts of trash. It has all the makings of a fantastic and oh-so-bitter MMA rivalry, so Diaz/Daley easily takes the #1 spot.

And that’s my list, fans and friends. What do you think? And who would you like to see “Semtex” face in Strikeforce?

Paul Daley has seen his fair share of highs and lows throughout his tumultuous career. His run as a potential Welterweight contender in the now-defunct Elite XC promotion would be cut short by Jake Shields in a bout that snapped Daley’s six-fight winning streak, all of which came by stoppage (in one way or another) due to strikes. Ironically, Daley would fall to another high-caliber wrestler and once again have a good winning streak snapped when Josh Koscheck picked him apart so thoroughly that Daley famously attacked Koscheck post-fight out of frustration, a move that resulted in a lifetime ban from the UFC courtesy of UFC President Dana White. Daley has competed twice since getting the axe from the world’s biggest MMA promotion, and he’s won both times. Most recently, Daley outweighed (and was fined accordingly) but ultimately outpointed Jorge Masvidal at Shark Fights 13.

It is not currently confirmed who Daley will face, although the rumor mill seems to be pointing in the direction of Evangelista Santos, another hard-hitting Welterweight striker. He’s coming off of a two-fight, two-(T)KO win streak, but Santos is perhaps best known as the husband of female sensation Cristiane Santos. Evangelista “Cyborg” is a tough opponent even if his wife is more famous, and should be an excellent test for “Semtex”.

And in regards to Semtex fighting in Strikeforce? I’ve got no major problems with it. As I’ve said before, I believe that what Daley did was wrong but not exactly Scarlet Letter-worthy. Love him or hate him, Paul Daley is one of the last true, great, high-level pure strikers left in a Welterweight division that is becoming increasingly dominated by wrestlers. He will likely always be one-dimensional, with his kryptonite forever being the ground game, but against the right opponents Daley is a flawless striker that could become a major-name star and a marketable draw.

I think Daley has some good fights in store for him in Strikeforce. I honestly think he’ll work his way up to a title shot sooner rather than later, seeing that the UFC has almost all of the best Welterweights and “Semtex” has already proven that he can hang with most of them. But therein lies the rub: the UFC may have almost all of the top-ranked Welterweights, but Strikeforce has Nick Diaz. Diaz remains one of Strikeforce’s best fighters, and in a match pitting two controversial bad boys who love to strike against each other, Diaz/Daley would be a major-money fight that would likely score several Fight of the Year nominations.

Of course, all of this hinges on Daley being able to control his temper and make weight. Being controversial is fine, showing up out-of-shape is an entirely different scenario. Daley is beginning to become a repeat loser in the battle against the scale, and he needs to take his weight-cutting regimen seriously if he wants to make the most out of this Strikeforce deal. And he needs to keep that hot temper in check, or else he’ll find that he’s burned bridges with the two biggest sources of income he could ever possibly have.

But when all is said and done, I’m pretty hopeful for Paul Daley in Strikeforce. If he’s used right, and matched up against the right kinds of opponents, he has a good shot at winning several fights in dominating fashion. Paul Daley may always be one-dimensional, but at least he’s really entertaining in that one dimension. I look forward to seeing him debut in Strikeforce.

And what about you, fans and friends? Now that it’s official, how far do you see “Semtex” going in Strikeforce?

Here is the full fight card:

Main Card
Robbie Lawler vs. Renato Sobral
Evangelista  Santos  vs. Marius Zaramoskis
Tim Kennedy vs. Trevor Prangley
Conor Heun vs. K.J. Noons

Preliminary Card

R.J. Clifford  vs. Jeremy Umphries
Marcus Kowal  vs. Hugo Sandoval

Marcus Kowal vs. Hugo Sandoval (135)

Round 1

Hugo comes out testing the distance with strikes and Marcus shoots. Marcus gets side control but Hugo is quick to get back to half guard.  Position battle and Hugo gets back to guard. Marcus stands up and looks to try a standing guard pass but is content to throw a heavy punch as he lands back in guard. Hugo locked up a triangle but Marcus powered out of it only to get an illegal up kick for his efforts.  Crowd unhappy as a point is deducted from Sandoval. Back to standing, and Marcus shoots. They battle for position and Marcus ends up in side control, transitions to back control and round ends.

Round 2

Hugo comes out swinging and drops Marcus with a hard shot. He looked to be out as Hugo went in to finish and Herb Dean steps in to stop it.

Hugo Sandoval by KO at :43 of Round 2

R.J. Clifford  vs. Jeremy Umphries

Round 1

Umphries shoots and ends up in half guard. Clifford working to get back up with Jeremy on his back.  Jeremy takes him back to the mat and sinks in one hook. Clifford doing a great job of fighting off the choke attempt. Works back to his feet and tries to roll out of the back control. Jeremy back with one hook in on the mat but R.J. is right back up. He finally breaks free and puts Umphries on his back and is working punches as the round ends.

Round 2

Both men come out throwing punches until Jeremy shoots, takes Clifford down. R.J. works to his feet to get dropped back to the mat. Much like the first round with Umphries on his back. Finally Umphries locks in the rear naked choke and Big John steps in when he notices RJ is out.

Jeremy Umphries by RNC at 2:27 in Round 2

Conor Huen vs. KJ Noons (160)

Round 1

Both guys come out aggressive Noons changing levels with his strikes and Conor utilizing kicks to keep the distance. KJ opening up a bit with good body shot combos. Crowd seems to love this fight so far. Conor shoots and takes Noons down. They acramble and he gets the back working on the rear naked choke.  Starts unloading punches as Noons scrambles to get free. Swaping from mback to full mount until Noons finally gets to his feet in another scramble. round ends with Noons dropping Huen.  10-9 Conor Huen

Round 2

Conor throwing head kicks to start the round. Both men exchanging combos. A little back and forth with no real significant strikes being landed. Noons lands a solid left as Conor throws a front kick. Noons lands a big body shot followed by a solid left. Conor follows with a big right of his own. The both men start swinging for the fences. Noons stuffs the shot by Conor and both men look to be tiring. Round 2 ends with Conor getting the takedown.  10-9 Noons

Round 3

Conor comes out throwing lots of kicks still. Both men exchange in the center of the cage landing some good shots. Noons is not out boxing Conor like many thought. Blood coming from the cheek of Conor but he comes back and lands a good left.  They both bounce around and Conor goes for a takedown only to be stuffed as he dives across the cage.Both men are exhausted trying to give it their all. Round ends with Noons peppering the jab and going for a flying knee and Conor pushing him against the cage and looking for a choke. 10-9 Noonswins by

30-27 Huen 29-28 Noons 29-28 Noons

Winner by split decision KJ Noons

Tim Kennedy vs Trevor Prangley (185)

Round 1

Kennedy throws a combo at Trevor and then pushes in for the shot. Prangley tosses Tim but Kennedy hops back up and is looking for a double leg. Both men up to their feet and clinched against the cage. Finally Tim gets his takedown and is in half guard. Tim gets full mount on Trevor who gives up his back . Trevor stands up and Tim locks in the rear naked choke and forces Prangley to tap

Tim Kennedy wins vis rear naked choke at 3:35 of Round 1

Marius Zaromski vs “Cyborg” Evangelista Santos

Round 1

Both men start cautious and then Santos unleashes. They separate and Santos rocks Marius and rushes in but Marius circles and recovers. Nice kicks by Marius to the body of Santos followed but a hard right. Santos comes right after him and drops him with a short hard right. He jumps down and starts punching as the ref stops the fight.

Santos wins via KO at 2:38 of round 1

Robbie Lawler vs Babalu Sobral

Round 1

Sobral comes in and locks up Robbie looking to take the fight to the mat fast. Robbie has his back against the cage and is fighting off the takedown until Bog John separates them. Robbie throws a bog punch and Babalu shoots as Lawler throws a flying knee. Both men back toe to toe and the crowd is booing until Sobral slams Lawler down. Robbie bounces right back up. They exchange and Lawler throws a kick and has his leg swept. Sobral follows him down but Lawler is right back up to his feet.  10-9 Sobral

Round 2

Round 3

Nothing much happening  through two minutes in the final round. Robbie needs to turn in on to win this fight. Spinning back fist from Sobral shocks the world…not much to say. One minute left and Robbie is just now stalking but not throwing. Sobral eating a jab or two but not much more. final round is a tough one to score. 10-8  Lawlor

“I think we’re both pretty explosive fighters and we both show up to fight. We both like to throw some big bombs so it’s a good matchup,” said Kennedy.

Kennedy has trained at The Pit with Fighters.com’s eighth-ranked light heavyweight “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-7) and added, “I’m working with the best boxing coaches and training with Mark DeLaGrotte, one of the best MMA striking coaches in the world, so I think that people are going to see a new Tim that they’ve never seen before.”

Kennedy punched “The Goat” Nick Thompson (38-11-1) into submission at Strikeforce in Seattle 19 June.

Santos lost an scintillating split decision to “Smokin’” Joey Villasenor (27-6) in the main event of that card.

“I was just a little bit out of rhythm and was coming off an injury so my training was not 100 percent,” explained Cyborg who was returning from a broken arm suffered in a loss to “Afghan Killa” Siyar Bahadurzada (9-4-1) at Sengoku in Tokyo in September 2008. “This is not an excuse. It’s just something natural that all athletes go through when they stop fighting for a long period of time.

“I believe I will be able to do the opposite this time from the Villasenor fight where we stood up and punched each other. I think I will finally be able to show my jiu-jitsu game and surprise a lot of people.”

As a child, Bahadurzada immigrated to the Netherlands from war-torn Afghanistan, but became stuck there without a passport as his fight career took off.  In July 2007, he was finally allowed to travel to Japan to fight (and beat) Shiko Yamashita (10-4-3) for the Shooto title.

Fighters.com: Can you describe the difference between your feelings when you first arrived in Holland after leaving Afghanistan, then when you first arrived in Japan to fight after being stuck in Holland?  Holland must’ve been both a place of refuge from war-torn Afghanistan, but then like a cage keeping you from furthering your fight career?

Siyar Bahadurzada: When I first came to Holland I felt like I was given a second chance.  I just went for it and kept trying to make something out of my life.  I learned to speak Dutch in almost six months.  I was [studying] very hard and, besides, not to forget, I’m pretty gifted in learning languages. I can speak several languages very well.

But, when I went to Japan, I felt different.  Coming to Holland was different because I was saved from the war; but, when I came to Japan, I felt like, “Now it is my time to shine.  My 15 minutes of fame is on!”  I feel invincible when I’m in Japan.  Somehow, the environment in Japan drives me to my limits, motivates me to take one step more and go for my dreams!

Anyways, I believe everything happens for a reason.  And, I believe now I am not 10% of what I’m going to be in the next five years.

Fighters.com: You were criticized for celebrating after Santos dislocated his elbow and explained that you were letting off frustrations from hardships before the fight.  Do you care if people accept your explanation or not?

Siyar Bahadurzada: Yes, I do care.  Because I am not what people think I am after seeing that fight.  It’s true.  I did not give a fuck about Cyborg in the ring while his elbow was hurt; but, would it help to run to him and keep telling him that you’re sorry for what happened and this and that while the only one he needs at that moment is a doctor to check on him?

Besides, after the fight I wanted to visit him in the dressing room; but, he was gone to the hospital.  When we went to the hotel, I wanted to visit him in his room.  He was still in the hospital.  Early the next morning, I wanted to visit him again.  I saw his corner men and expressed my sadness for what happened to him in the fight.

Later, when he came back from the hospital, I was in the lobby and met him.  I told him that I was sorry for what had happened and that he gets his rematch whenever he asks me to.  So, I handled the situation my way. Of course, it was not in front of the millions of fans; but, anyways, I did what I thought was right and stand behind my decisions!

People criticized me for what happened in the ring; but, as I said before, my right hand was broken twice and I had an elbow operation.  I did not even jog the last six months and then I got sick in Afghanistan, while I was visiting family for 3 weeks.  I took 4 kinds of antibiotics to heal. That even worsened my conditioning and to summarize it: I trained for ten days for the fight against Cyborg.  What people do not realize is that I took that fight against Cyborg because I knew I would beat him. W hy would I accept a fight like that if I did not believe in myself.  But anyways, there will be a rematch between us and now.  Even if Cyborg does not consider a rematch, which seems to me out of question,  I will insist on that rematch!  Because, I want to prove a lot of people wrong!  I am very much motivated for that rematch!

Fighters.com: Call out who you want to fight next in the Sengoku Middleweight Grand Prix and why?

Siyar Bahadurzada: Jorge Santiago!  Because, I think we will have a great fight.

Fighters.com: If you win the tournament, how can you beat “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (21-8-2) for the Sengoku middleweight title?  Why would the rematch be different than the original fight?

Siyar Bahadurzada: If I win the tournament?  I’d rather say: When I win the tournament, I will come after Misaki!  He is a good fighter; but, I learned a lot from my last fight against him and this time I will not make the same mistake again, that I can promise!  I will beat Misaki this time.  I know it.  He knows it!

Fighters.com: Another naturalized Dutchman, Gegard Mousasi (24-2-1), considers himself the top  middleweight mixed martial artist in Holland.  Is he the best Dutch middleweight?  Do you want to disagree with him?

Siyar Bahadurzada: Right now, he is the best middleweight in Holland, until proven wrong!  He is the DREAM Middleweight Champion and fought great!  He deserved the belt by beating the toughest guys in the tournament!  My compliments for his achievement!  He proved he is the best middleweight in Holland for now; but, I am on my way to become the Sengoku Middleweight Champion, then it’s up to the fans to decide who is the best middleweight in Holland.

Fighters.com: Because of your childhood with little opportunity in Afghanistan, you’ve said you intend to take advantage of every opportunity you have; but, has their been an opportunity you regret not taking full advantage of?

Siyar Bahadurzada: No. I pretty much fought for everything that I have got today.  I am very satisfied with my achievements in the sport, university, and business.  But, I am a perfectionist.  I want to be the best in everything that I’m involved in. So, watch me come up with surprises in the future!

Fighters.com: You told Sherdog in February that the UFC is “treating their fighters like shit.”  Can you give an example of how the UFC mistreats their fighters?

Siyar Bahadurzada: I do not want to go in details on that; but, look at the poster boys of UFC back in the days: Tito Ortiz and Randy “The Natural” [Couture]?  They deserved better than being treated like that!  But, that is my humble opinion.

Fighters.com: How often do you return to Afghanistan and how are you contributing to improving the situation in your nation of birth?

Siyar Bahadurzada: The last nine years I visited Afghanistan once.  I support Bayat Foundation.  It is an organization which helps needy people in Afghanistan.  Once I sent my entire fight purse to Afghanistan for the kids who were cold and did not have clothes and anything to eat.

Fighters.com: Do Afghans recognize you or recognize the sport of MMA?

Siyar Bahadurzada: Yes they do.  I’m their first champion in MMA ever.  They really respect me and treat me like a hero.

Fighters.com: During the time when you were only able to fight in the Netherlands, did you build a strong Dutch following?

Siyar Bahadurzada: Yes.  Lots of people come to my fights because I fight exciting fights! I can fight for 15 minutes and can also KO my opponent in an blink of an eye. I have KO’s and submissions skills.

Lawal staggered Wiuff with a right Superman punch, then rushed in with a double-leg takedown at the ropes.  Lawal leapt on Wiuff and finished him off with ground’n’pound.

Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion “Xande” Alexandre Ribeiro (1-0) TKO’d Takashi Sugiura (1-3) in the last minute of his anticipated MMA debut.

Showing his fatigue in round three, Ribeiro nevertheless made a final attempt to finish the fight, landing several heavy punches and knees that forced the stoppage at 4:18.

Sengoku’s Middleweight Grand Prix got underway with four quarterfinal fights.

Chute Boxe member “Cyborg” Evangelista Santos’s (16-12) bout against “Afghan Killa” Siyar Bahadurzada (14-3-1) ended in injury after just 22 seconds.

Bahadurzada had double underhooks on Santos as the middleweights battled for position.  Bahadurzada tripped Santos, whose left elbow snapped when he landed, prompting an immediate stoppage.

UFC and WEC veteran “Pink Pounder” Logan Clark had a good first round on his feet, but American Top Team’s Jorge Santiago (18-7) caught him with an arm triangle at 3:35 of round two.

PRIDE veteran Kazuhiro Nakamura (12-8), in his debut as a middleweight, won an easy unanimous decision over Manchester’s Paul Cahoon (10-12).

Grabaka fighter Yuki Sasaki (22-14-1) submitted PRIDE and Pancrase veteran Yuki Kondo (49-23-6) via rear naked choke at 1:08 of round two, after an uneventful first round.

In a non-tournament bout, American Top Team member “GameBred” Jorge Masvidal (14-3) TKO’d former IFL Lightweight Champion “Lion” Ryan Schultz (20-11-1) with ground’n’pound at 1:57 of round one, first dropping him with a flying knee.

Kiuma Kunioku (34-22-9) earned a unanimous decision victory over A Sol Kwon (5-4) in their lightweight match.

The first four competitors named for the tournament are Kazuhiro Nakamura (11-8), “Cyborg” Evangelista Santos (16-11), Jorge Santiago (17-7), and Siyar Bahadurzada (13-3-1).

Nakamura, a PRIDE veteran, fought most recently in the UFC.  He was 0-2 in the organization, falling to Fighters.com’s eighth-ranked light heavyweight “African Assassin” Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (5-2) with a leg injury in May.

Nakamura will make his debut as a middleweight at the upcoming event.

Santos, from the Chute Boxe, Academy, won his last fight by submitting Makoto Takimoto (4-4) with an Achilles lock at Sengoku 1 in March.

American Top Team member Santiago won his last five fights, most recently submitting Yuki Sasaki (21-14-1) via armbar at Sengoku 2 in May.

Shooto Light Heavyweight Champion Bahadurzada lost his Sengoku debut in March, tapping to Fighters.com’s eighth-ranked middleweight “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (20-8-2)’s guillotine.

“The Babyfaced Assassin” from Seattle tread the path of his catch wrestling forefather Ad Santel Wednesday by submitting Japanese Olympic gold medalist judoka Hidehiko Yoshida (7-6-1) by heel hook at 3:23 of round three at World Victory Road’s inaugural Sengoku fight card in Tokyo.

A century ago, Santel waged war with judoka and proclaimed himself the world judo champion after defeating fifth-degree black belt Tokugoro Ito.

“I revived this rivalry when I fought Kazuhiro Nakamura,” Barnett (21-5) told Sherdog.com. “And, so I’m keeping it going for this century now.”

The fight was the American’s first in MMA since losing a unanimous decision rematch with current interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-4-1) on New Year’s Eve 2006.

His layoff had erased his name from most rankings which require activity in the previous 365-days; but, vanquishing the samurai establishes Barnett’s status as a top five heavyweight.

Also returning to active duty, former PRIDE Lightweight Champion “The Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-3) sliced open “Bang” Duane Ludwig (16-8) of Denver to earn a first round stoppage at 2:28.

Gomi had been out of commission  since tapping to Nick Diaz (15-7) in a gogoplata at PRIDE’s last American card in February 2007.  After Diaz tested positive for smoking a doob’, the outcome was deemed a No Contest by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

“Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (19-8-2) got back to winning Wednesday with a guillotine submission of middleweight Afghan Siyar Bahadurzada (13-2-1) at 2:02 of round two.

Thick-skulled Japanese wrestler Kazuyuki Fujita (15-6) posted a north-south choke tapout of MMA-debuting Aussie kickboxer Peter Graham (0-1).

“Cyborg” Evangelista Santos (16-11) won the second of his two-month trilogy by wrapping Japanese judoka Makoto Takimoto in a heel hook at 4:51 of round one.

Santos will fight Joey Villasenor on a San Jose Strikeforce card at the end of March.

Middleweight Pancrase vet Ryo Kawamura (8-2-2) of Japan won a unanimous decision over formerly undefeated Brazilian Antonio Braga Neto (5-1).

Bodog Fight welterweight king “The Goat” Nick Thompson (35-9-1) also won a unanimous decision over Gracie Barra “Pitbull” Fabricio Monteiro (16-7).

Santos will fight Joey Villasenor (24-6).

Riggs was replaced due to a back injury requiring surgery he suffered at last month’s Strikeforce event in Tacoma.

Santos fights Makoto Takimoto (4-3) on World Victory Road’s debut event in Japan today.

He returns from a 1 February TKO loss to Gegard Mousasi at an HCF event in Calgary.

Villasenor comes off a split decision victory over Riki Fukuda (9-3) at a September 2007 EliteXC show.

The dominant victory marks Nogueira’s first fight since being knocked senseless in 23-seconds by Sokoudjou at PRIDE 33 in February 2007.

Nogueira raises his record to 13-3, 2-2 in his last four, while over-matched challenger Gowenberg falls to 7-3 after a four-fight win streak.

On a fight card filled with familiar faces, Armenian Gegard Mousasi extends his winning streak to six with a controversial TKO of tough journeyman Evangelista Santos at 3:42 of the first.

Mousasi pinned the Brazilian’s arm from side control and pummeled, but “Cyborg” Santos seemed to be defending himself intelligently when the referee waved the affair closed.

Santos disputed the stoppage.

Mousasi improves to 19-2-1 while Santos falls to 15-11.

Former UFC middleweight challenger David Louiseau dropped the fourth fight of his last five in a split decision loss to fellow Canadian Jason Day.

Day adds a 15th win to a record including five losses, while “The Crow” Loiseau flutters to 15-8.

Fresh from fleeing his ProElite contract, Mike Pyle bounced back with a Kimura submission over Croatian Damir Mirenic at 1:24 of the second round.

Pyle posts his 15th “W” against five losses and a single draw, while Mirenic looses his second consecutive to fall to 8-4.

In an HCF lightweight title fight, American Thomas Schulte choked out Canadian Garett Davis in a rear naked after just 1:15.

Also on the card, welterweight Derrick Noble knocked out King of the Cage vet Brendan Seguin.

Undefeated middleweight Andrew Buckland made it five in a row with a Kimura submission of Dan Chambers.

Costa Rican lightweight Ariel Sexton submitted “The Cowboy” Myles Merola in a rear naked choke at 1:08 of round 2.

Heavyweight Miodrag Petkovic split the judges decision with formerly undefeated Tim Hague.

Middleweight Nabil Khatib bounced back from a loss to take a unanimous decision over win-less Lucas Rota.

And the night began with an armbar submission of lightweight Fabian Cortez by Costa Rican Juan Barrantes.