Dan Henderson Bombs Out Feijao Cavalcante to Take LHW Belt

Saturday, March 5, 2011

By FCF Staff

Dan Henderson added yet another championship to his resume tonight in Columbus, Ohio, as the decorated veteran stopped Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante in the third round, to lay claim to the Strikeforce light-heavyweight crown.

After Henderson was sent stumbling to the mat in round one from a Cavalcante right hand, the Team Quest fighter began turning to his extensive wrestling abilities to work from the clinch and take the fight to the mat. Despite being taken down, however, Cavalcante negated the majority of Henderson’s attacks from above and even reversed positions on one occasion to wind up in the American’s guard.

In round three, Henderson once again came out firing, and just moments into the round he sent the Brazilian to the canvas with what appeared to be a grazing right. The former Pride champ quickly capitalized on the opportunity, and finished Cavalcante off with a series of punches from above, to become the new Strikeforce Light-Heavyweight Champion.

Henderson attempting to hit Feijao (right)
In the Showtime card’s other title fight, Marloes Coenen managed to survive a vicious ground-and-pound attack from Liz Carmouche, to complete one of the year’s more memorable come backs to date. Carmouche punished Coenen from the mount position throughout much of rounds two and three, but was unable to finish off the welterweight champ.

In round four, after Carmouche once again took Coenen to the mat, the Dutch veteran worked her way into a nicely executed triangle-choke, forcing her American opponent to tap out. Despite losing in the end, Carmouche’s stock has risen considerably, especially considering she took the fight on short notice to replace the injured Meisha Tate.

Coenen working a triangle choke on Carmouche
Here are the results from tonight’s Strikeforce card. 

Dan Henderson def. champ Rafael Cavalcante via TKO (strikes) – R3, 0:50
Marloes Coenen def. Liz Carmouche via triangle choke - R4, 1:29
Tim Kennedy def. Melvin Manhoef via rear-naked choke - R1, 3:41
Jorge Masvidal def. Billy Evangelista via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Roger Bowling def. Josh Thornburg via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Jorge Gurgel def. Billy Vaughan via guillotine- R1, 0:44
Jason Freeman def. Jason Riley via submission (strikes) - R1, 1:52
Brian Rogers def. Ian Rammel via TKO (strikes) - R1, 4:23
Mitch Whitesel def. Marc Cofer via guillotine - R1, 3:55
John Kuhner def. J.P. Felty via technical submission (triangle choke) - R2, 4:31

Kennedy submitting Manhoef
Masvidal landing a jab
READ MORE - Dan Henderson Bombs Out Feijao Cavalcante to Take LHW Belt

Video: Gov. Arnold Schwarzene​gger Visits Strikeforce


READ MORE - Video: Gov. Arnold Schwarzene​gger Visits Strikeforce

“Feijao vs. Henderson” Weigh-In Results

By FCF Staff

All of the competitors made weight yesterday for tonight’s “Feijao vs. Henderson” event in Columbus, Ohio, clearing the path for a Strikeforce card that will feature two title fights. At light-heavyweight, champion Rafael “Feijao” Henderson will take on decorated vet Dan Henderson, and women’s welterweight champion Marloes Coenen will look to defend against challenger Liz Carmouche. (Pictured: Henderson (left) and Feijao)

Carnouche and Coenen (right) face off
The event, which will be hosted by the Nationwide Arena, will be broadcast on Showtime.
 
Here are the official weigh-in results.

Rafael Cavalcante (204.5) vs. Dan Henderson (204.5)
Marloes Coenen (135) vs. Liz Carmouche (134)
Tim Kennedy (186) vs. Melvin Manhoef (185)
Jorge Masvidal (155) vs. Billy Evangelista (155.5)
Roger Bowling (170) vs. Josh Thornburg (170)
Billy Vaughan (152.5) vs. Jorge Gurgel (155)
Jason "Jay" Freeman (221.5) vs. Jason Riley (259)
Ian Rammel (180.5) vs. Brian Rogers (184.5)
Marc Cofer (185) vs. Mitch Whitesel (182.5)
John Kuhner (170.5) vs. J.P. Felty (170.5)

Manhoef (left) squares off with Kennedy
Masvidal (left) and Evangelista
READ MORE - “Feijao vs. Henderson” Weigh-In Results

Video: "Feijao vs. Henderson" Preview

Friday, March 4, 2011


READ MORE - Video: "Feijao vs. Henderson" Preview

M-1 Challenge XXIII: “Guram vs. Grishin” Weigh-In Results

By FCF Staff

M-1 Global held the official weigh-in results today in anticipation of the promotion’s latest event tomorrow in Moscow. The M-1 Challenge XXIII card will be hosted by the Crocus City Arena and will be available for viewing at M-1 Global.com beginning at 11:00AM EST / 8:00AM PST. (Pictured: Gugenishvili) 

The “”Guram vs. Grishin” card will feature two title fights, as welterweight champion Shamil Zavurov will look to defend against Tom Gallicchio, while in the main event, heavyweight champ Guram Gugenishvili will take on Maxim Grishin.

Here are the official weigh-in results for M-1 Challenge XXIII.

M-1 Challenge XXIII Under Card:
Vusal Bayramov (155.0) vs. Nikolai Kaushansky (152.75) LW
Maxim Bulakhtin (195.75) vs. Magomed Ismailov (195.0) LHW

M-1 Challenge XXIII Main Card (Streaming Live):

Shamil Tinagadjiev (203.5 ) vs. Tomasz Narkun (202.5) LHW
Igor Savelyev (201) vs. Byron Byrd (205.5) LHW
Arsen Abdulkerimov (234.5) vs. Goncalo Salgado (308.0) HW(*no upper weight limit)

Magomedrasul Khasbulaev (155.5) vs. Daniel Weichel (155) LW
Magomed Sultanakhmedov (185) vs. Plinio Cruz (187.25) MW
Yuri Ivlev (153.25) vs. Mairbek Taisumov (155.0 Lbs) LW
Rashid Magomedov (170) vs. Rafal Moks (168.75) WW
*Cruz was given an additional 2 hours to make weight

Championship Bouts
Heavyweight Division:
Guram Gugenishvili, M-1 Challenge Champion (244.25) vs.
Maxim Grishin, M-1 Selection Eastern Europe 2010 champion (227.5)

Welterweight Division:
Shamil Zavurov, M-1 Challenge Champion (168.25) vs.
Tom ‘Da Tank’ Gallicchio, M-1 Selection Americas 2010 champion (169.25)
READ MORE - M-1 Challenge XXIII: “Guram vs. Grishin” Weigh-In Results

“Feijao vs. Henderson” Pre Fight Press Conference Quotes

By FCF Staff

Saturday night former Dan Henderson will look to add yet another championship belt to his trophy case, as the former Pride champ will take on Strikeforce Light-Heavyweight Champion Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante in Columbus, Ohio. The card, which will be hosted by the Nationwide Arena and broadcast on Showtime, will also feature women’s welterweight champion Marloes Coenen versus Liz Carmouche. (Pictured: Henderson (left) and Feijao)

In addition to the two title fights, the main card will also see middleweight contender Tim Kennedy take on noted striker Melvin Manhoef, and undefeated lightweight Billy Evangelista square off with the veteran Jorge Masvidal.

All of the aforementioned competitors were in attendance at the promotion’s final, pre-fight press conference yesterday; here is some of what they had to say.

Feijao

“I prepare for the next fight and I train for that opponent.  I’m thinking about Dan Henderson and not thinking about the championship.

“I don’t care that no one has successfully defended the (light heavyweight) title.  I care about preparation, training and getting inside the cage to fight. 

“I always train like a family. Antonio Rodrigo is like my mentor.  He helped me a lot. He’s always there with me. My coaches and I have made a strategy for this fight.

“With a big challenge you train more and more.  Henderson is a big challenge and that is what makes this sport exciting.”

Dan Henderson

“One of the benefits of fighting at 205 (pounds) is I get to enjoy my food. One of the drawbacks is I have to fight guys his (Feijao’s) size.

“I don’t feel any added pressure fighting for the title.  Every fight for the last few years has been pretty big so I don’t feel any added pressure fighting for the title. 

“He’s (Feijao is) a different fighter than Anderson Silva so it doesn’t matter that they train together.  And I think I’ve improved a lot since I fought Anderson. 

“A lot of the techniques are similar in MMA. You just have to look at your opponent and their technique and tweak your game plan a little bit.

“Obviously, I wouldn’t be here if winning a world title wasn’t one of my goals.  But the challenge of fighting someone like Feijao is exciting.  He’s big, he’s tough and he’s strong.   I would definitely enjoy having the belt but the reason I fight is for the challenge.”

Carmouche and Coenen (right) face off
Marloes Coenen

“I’m always prepared and ready to go.  This will be a very exciting fight.  Liz will come in very determined because of the opportunity she’s getting, but this is an important fight for me, too. 

“I need to stay humble because when you start to get cocky is when you’ll lose.  I’m comfortable, my weight is good.  I can fight at 135 and 145, but I feel a bit stronger at 135 pounds.’’

Liz Carmouche

“I’m absolutely grateful and excited for this chance.  I look forward to the challenge.  I’m all about challenges. 

“This is going to be a fierce, non-stop back-and-forth fight that I expect will go five full rounds. 

“We train for five round fights, so stamina will not be a problem.  I can’t wait to fight Marloes on Saturday.’’ 

Tim Kennedy

“I’m just excited to be fighting a guy that comes to fight.  Manhoef is exciting and comes to win.  It is exactly the recipe for a good fight and that’s what I want on Saturday. 

“I expect a fast-paced, explosive fight. I don’t see it going the distance.’’  

Saturday's competitors

Melvin Manhoef

“All fights are important and every time I step into the cage I’m confident I will win. I’m not treating this fight any differently, but it would be good to get a win to reestablish myself. 

“I’m not making any excuses, but I know I had (Robbie) Lawler but I made a mistake and it cost me the fight.  I went in for the kill and dropped my hands and he caught me. 

“Striking is definitely my strong point, but I’m prepared to go anywhere the fight goes on Saturday.  The key is for me to be aggressive and fight my fight and not force it. 

“Kennedy is a very good, determined fighter.  This is going to be an all-action fight.’’

Billy Evangelista

“I’m looking forward to dropping back down to my natural weight of 155 pounds.  My last fight was my first in nearly a year and the first since my injury.  I fought a guy stronger and bigger than me and in a totally different weight class.  Performance-wise, I expect to be much better on Saturday. 

"I don’t watch tapes of opponents so I don’t know much about Masvidal other than he’ll have a height advantage.  I’m confident that I can win what will be a very hard fight and take the next step up.  A win gets me closer to the Strikeforce belt – the ultimate goal is for me to fight for the Strikeforce title.'' 

Jorge Masvidal

“I’m happy to be fighting for Strikeforce again.  I’m looking forward to fighting on Showtime. 

“I had a great camp and I’m in great shape.  I’m very confident.’’


READ MORE - “Feijao vs. Henderson” Pre Fight Press Conference Quotes

Sanchez Awarded Decision in Epic War with Kampmann

Thursday, March 3, 2011



By FCF Staff

While fans at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky, were treated to a memorable and thrilling  war between Diego Sanchez and Martin Kampmann tonight, many in attendance loudly voiced their disapproval with the judge’s final decision. All three judges scored the UFC on Versus 3 main event 29-28 for Sanchez, likely setting in motion yet another round of discussions throughout the MMA world, regarding judging criteria in the sport.

Early on, Kampmann punished Sanchez with crisp jabs and nicely timed counter rights, bruising the former contenders face only moments in. Sanchez continued to pursue Kampmann and looked to take the bout to the mat on several occasions, but the Xtreme Couture fighter nicely defended the attempts and kept the bout standing.

In round two, the resilient Sanchez kept up his pursuit of Kampmann, and eventually managed to stun the former middleweight during a heated striking exchange. Kampmann recovered, however, and re-established his range.

Heading into round three and with each man now bloodied, Sanchez was finally able to take Kampmann down to the mat after numerous attempts. The Danish welterweight quickly returned to his feet, however, and soon after opened yet another gash on Sanchez’s face with a hard right. After another wild striking exchange that saw Sanchez briefly threaten Kampmann, the competitive bout came to a conclusion, and all that remained to be seen was how the judges would score the fight. In the end, it appears as though Sanchez’s aggressiveness and tenacity, rather than Kampmann’s effective counter striking or wrestling, ruled the day.

Speaking afterwards with UFC commentator Joe Rogan, a dejected Kampmann stated that he believes he broke his hand in the third round.

Here are the results from tonight’s UFC on Versus broadcast.

Diego Sanchez def. Martin Kampmann via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Mark Munoz def. C.B. Dollaway via TKO (punches) - R1, 0:54
Chris Weidman def. Alessio Sakara via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Brian Bowles def. Damacio Page via submission (guillotine choke) - R1, 3:30
Cyrille Diabate def. Steve Cantwell via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-25, 30-26)
Danny Castillo def. Joe Stevenson via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Shane Roller def. Thiago Tavares via knockout (punches) - R2, 1:28
Igor Pokrajac def. Todd Brown via TKO (strikes) - R1, 5:00
READ MORE - Sanchez Awarded Decision in Epic War with Kampmann

Wilcox vs. Damm, Ishii vs. Lighty Signed for April 1st Challengers

By FCF Staff

Two days removed from its “Feijao vs. Henderson” event Saturday night in Columbus, Ohio, Strikeforce has confirmed that a lightweight tilt between Justin Wilcox and Rodrigo Damm will headline the promotion’s April 1st Challengers event. The card, which will be broadcast on Showtime, will be hosted by the Stockton Arena, in Stockton, California. (Pictured: Wilcox)

Wilcox (10-3) will head into the bout riding a five fight winning streak; most recently in November, the former NCAA wrestler worked his way to a unanimous decision victory over accomplished veteran Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro.

Damm (9-4) will be looking to get back on track following a second round, stoppage loss to Maximo Blanco, at Sengoku Raiden Championship 13 last June.

In addition to the lightweight main event, Strikeforce has confirmed that 2008 Judo Olympic Gold Medalist Satoshi Ishii will make his Strikeforce debut and will take on light-heavyweight Scott Lighty.

Ishii (4-1) will enter the bout having won four straight fights; on New Year’s Eve, the Japanese fighter scored a unanimous decision win over noted kickboxer Jerome Le Banner.

Lighty (6-1) hasn’t fought since last August, when he knocked out Shawn Frye in the second round while competing for the Fight for Wrestling promotion.

Strikeforce has also confirmed another lightweight bout for the April 1st Challengers card, as David Douglas (6-2) will square off with Caros Fodor (7-2).
READ MORE - Wilcox vs. Damm, Ishii vs. Lighty Signed for April 1st Challengers

Eddie Alvarez to Defend Bellator LW Title vs. Pat Curran, April 2nd

By FCF Staff

After months delay due to a shoulder injury, Pat Curran will finally face Bellator Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez, at the promotion’s upcoming April 2nd event in Uncasville, CT. Bellator 39 will be hosted by the Mohegan Sun Arena and it will be broadcast live on MTV 2. (Pictured: Alvarez punching Roger Huerta)

Curran (13-3) worked his way into a title shot last year by winning Bellator’s Season 2 lightweight tournament, scoring wins over Mike Ricci, Roger Huerta and finally, Toby Imada. The 23 year-old Illinois fighter has won four straight fights and hasn’t loss since December, 2009, when he was submitted by Travis Perzynski.

Alvarez (21-2) continues to maintain his position as one of the world’s top 155lb. fighters, as the Philadelphia fighter is coming off a stoppage win over Huerta in October, to extend his winning streak to six. The 26 year-old Alvarez has lost just once in his last ten fights; in December, 2008, he was submitted in the first round by Dream champion Shinya Aoki.

Bellator has also confirmed that former UFC welterweight Ben Saunders will meet veteran Matt Lee in a non-tourney bout.

Saunders (9-3-2) last competed in November and tapped out Elijah Harshbarger with strikes, while competing under the World Extreme Fighting banner.

Lee (13-9-1) hasn’t fought since May, 2010, when he stopped Brent Oteri in the second round at Moosin’s “God of Martial Arts” event.

READ MORE - Eddie Alvarez to Defend Bellator LW Title vs. Pat Curran, April 2nd