Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Diaz – Live Play By Play
I’m representing both Fight Game Blog and Angrymarks.com tonight. This live report will be on both sites.
You can see photos from the event that I’m taking while writing at FGB’s Flickr page.
1. Jeremy Tavares vs. Shingo Kohara
Kohara is making his pro debut, while Tavares is 0-3.
Great action for the 135 pounders. Though Tavares is from San Jose, there’s a nice little section of fans for Kohara. Kohara kept going for arm bars, but Tavares would end up on top and Kohara in his guard. Very good action on the ground.
Right at the beginning of the second round, Kohara kneed a shooting Tavares right in the head and Tavares is out four seconds into the second round.
Decision: Shingo Kohara by way of 2nd round TKO
2. Zac Bucia vs. James Terry
Terry is from San Jose while Bucia is from San Francisco.
Terry is definitely going for the takedown, but he had to eat a sweet left kick in order to get it. The rest of the round was Terry trying to pass, and Bucia going for submissions from the bottom. Terry got some good shots from the top position to end the round.
Terry was on top of him for the entire second round, going from guard to side control and back. Bucia went for an arm bar and Terry picked him up and dropped him. Pretty uneventful, but Terry controlled him.
In the third, Bucia was able to stay off his back for half of the round, but Terry got him down and had him in side control for the rest of the round. Both guys worked tremendously hard to get their position, but it was simply that Terry had better position. Bucia finally got to his feet late in the round and chased Terry around the ring, but it ended soon thereafter.
Decision: James Terry by unanimous decision
The announcer had the scorecards wrong and was reading that the fight was for Bucia, but he was alerted correctly.
I saw Bas Rutten earlier and was able to get a shot of him.
3. Brandon Michaels vs. Raul Castillo
Castillo got his back and submitted him with a rear naked choke.
Decision: Raul Castillo by way of 1st round submission
4. Waylon Kennell vs. Eric Lawson
Lawson is from nearby Concord while Kennell is from Los Angeles.
Lawson came out swinging and at one point, put him down with a right upper cut. Then Kennell came back with punches and Lawson looked out on his feet. They went to the ground and Lawson caught his wits and got on top. Kennell switched positions and had an arm bar and I thought it was over. Somehow, Lawson got out of the arm bar and ended up on top and finished the fight with just seconds remaining in the first. That was an amazing round of fighting.
Decision: Eric Lawson by way of 1st round TKO
5. Buck Meredith vs. Luke Rockhold
Rockhold came out early throwing some big kicks, but eventually got Meredith down and was working the rear naked choke. He finished it with the arm in, which was pretty amazing.
Decision: Luke Rockhold by way of 1st round submission
It looks like they have about 40 minutes until the live show and they’re out of fights, unless they have a few back ups on the way.
The back part of the upper deck is tarped off and we’re not quite full yet. I’ve received a few notes from friends who are on their way to the arena now so they didn’t care much about the prelims. I would imagine it’s going to be a packed house at 7PM though.
They introduced a bunch of guy including Tito Ortiz, Andrei Arlovski, Royce Gracie, Cung Le, and Bas Rutten. I also saw Mickey Rourke walk in.
It’s time for the main card.
It’s also Gus time.
6. Abongo Humphrey vs. Brett Rogers
Abongo is throwing kicks early, even holding onto the cage to throw a reverse kick. He threw a nice high kick that at least sounded like it landed. Rogers looks calm while Humphrey is very animated. Rogers is throwing some hard right hands and Humphrey is taking them. Rogers threw the best punch of the fight so far that knocked him back. Rogers got two warnings for grabbing the hair while throwing knees. He just took a point away for grabbing the hair. Maybe Herb is sensitive to those with dreads.
With that point taken away it’s probably a 9-9 round.
Rogers just overwhelmed him with knees. Absolutely man-handled him. Humphrey was probably a bit out before Dean called it, but he gave him every opportunity to show signs of life. But Rogers was just way too strong.
Decision: Brett Rogers by way of 2nd round TKO
7. Hitomi Akano vs. Cris Cyborg
Cyborg looks huge compared to Akano.
Cyborg just overwhelmed her to start the fight and gave her a German suplex and put her on her back. Akano tried for a submission on the ground, but Cyborg let her up. Every time she goes to her back, Cyborg just backs up and lets her get up. The fact that this is going to a second round is newsworthy enough.
Cyborg is the hunter and Akano is just prey. She stalked Akano the entire round and just threw punch after punch. Akano wasn’t really looking to use her punches and kicks for offense, but mostly just to keep her off. The round ended with Cyborg just dropping bombs on her from side control.
Cyborg finally put her away in the third. Gina Carano was smiling after the fight was over, but yikes, Cyborg is scary good.
Decision: Cris Cyborg by way of 3rd round TKO
8. Benji Radach vs. Scott Smith
The first three minutes was a bit of a feeling out process. Then Smith rushed him and hit him with some good shots. Later in the round, Smith started to light him up again, but as he was chasing him, he got caught with a left hook that dropped him to a knee and then it was Radach’s round from there on. Smith looked woozy. He took him down near the end of the round.
Radach got him again with another left hook and Smith was hurting. He then loaded up on a right hand and landed. He went for the guillotine and Smith grabbed the cage to get out of it. I’m sitting next to John Navarro from Knockout TV and he mentioned that Smith is susceptible to the left hook because of how low he’s holding his right hand. He’s right.
Smith had Radach in a guillotine and Radach dumped him on his head. The finish was amazing. Smith rocked Radach with a stiff left and then started to land a bit more. He laid him out with an overhand right. Great knockout.
Decision: Scott Smith by way of 3rd round TKO
The attendance tonight is 14,409.
9. Rodrigo Damm vs. Gilbert Melendez
Gilbert is over with this crowd huge.
Melendez just stayed on top position and ground and pounded him the entire round. Damm wasn’t really in trouble.
Damm decided to get on his bicycle for the second round and Melendez hunted him down and knocked him down with a right hand and followed it up with punches on the ground. Damm was down and out. It took him about three minutes to get up after the fight was over.
Decision: Gilbert Melendez by way of 2nd round TKO
10. Nick Diaz vs. Frank Shamrock
Diaz got mostly cheers and Shamrock definitely got a few boos, but this building is loud.
No glove touch.
Nick looks really soft at this weight. He’s obviously a great athlete with awesome cardio, but just at this weight he looks a bit too big. His fight shorts are falling off. Nick got Frank down and was working the arm, but Frank had a great transition out of the move and was back on his feet. Nick is doing his patented pitty patty punch style and landed a few and Shamrock landed a right hand. Shamrock slipped and Diaz got the top position and the crowd went crazy. He got the mount and the crowd erupted. Nick’s round all the way.
Diaz’s style is giving Frank fits standing. Frank can’t get inside and is having to fight him on the outside. Shamrock is going to have to take some shots on the inside to get a chance. But Diaz is too long and too strong. He demolished him in the round. Shamrock went down against the cage and Diaz followed up with a myriad of punches and it was stopped.
Diaz was shuckin’ and jivin’ but he pulled Shamrock up after the victory and held his hand up.
Decision: Nick Diaz by way of 2nd round TKO
And thus ends the career of Frank Shamrock. Perhaps now he will retire and go back to professional wrestling 😉
At first I thought Diaz was going to play the punk once he realized he had Shamrock’s number, but he appropriately backed off played nice until he saw he had clear opportunity to finish him off. Classy finish.
Thanks for the summary. Sounds like a good night.
Hey guys, thanks for following the show. I’m glad you enjoyed it. It was a great night of fighting.