Melendez in action against Jorge Masvidal / Photo: Esther Lin
The 2011 Strikeforce season came to a close this Saturday in San Diego, California, and there was plenty of action on display.
Cris Cyborg was merciless against Hiroko Yamanaka in defending her middleweight strap. The Brazilian knocked her Japanese challenger just 16 seconds into the fight, thus maintaining her number-one status.
“It’s incredible. I love fighting, love training, and I want to fight more. I’m grateful to Strikeforce for the opportunity, and this is a Christmas present for you,” said Cyborg after the fight.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LArl8xAHTZo
In the main event of the evening, Gilbert Melendez defended his lightweight title against Jorge Masvidal. Melendez who trains under black belt Cesar Gracie, dominated the action throughout their five-round affar, winning a unanimous decision that ups his chances of departing for the UFC.
Now Gegard Mousasi took on Haiti’s Ovince Saint-Preux and nearly sealed the deal in the opening round. Mousasi went lukewarm in the rounds that followed, however, but still managed to eke out the unanimous decision. The same went for K.J. Noons’s encounter with Billy Evangelista, which Noons took by decision after an evenly-matched three rounds.
The standout from the under card was Roger Bowling, who needed just 42 seconds to lay out Jerron Peoples with strikes, while Caros Fodor was even quicker still, knocking out Justin Wilcox in just 13.
Check out the complete results:
Strikeforce Melendez vs Masvidal
San Diego, USA
December 17, 2011
Gilbert Melendez defeated Jorge Masvidal via unanimous decision;
Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos defeated Hiroko Yamanaka via KO in R1;
Gegard Mousasi defeated Ovince St. Preux via unanimous decision;
K.J. Noons defeated Billy Evangelista via unanimous decision;
Caros Fodor defeated Justin Wilcox via KO in R1;
Roger Bowling defeated Jerron Peoples via KO in R1;
Devin Cole defeated Gabriel Salinas-Jones via unanimous decision;
Eddie Mendez defeated Fernando Gonzalez via split decision;
Herman Terrado submitted Chris Brown via armbar in R3.