‘TUF 12’ & Strikeforce Aftermath: Decisions are Fine, But We’ll Take the KOs, Thanks

(Propers: YouTube/ShoSports)
If you insist on framing Saturday night’s dueling MMA action as a head-to-head matchup between Strikeforce and the UFC – and we do, since we’re media types, meaning we can always be counted on to fin…


(Propers:
YouTube/ShoSports)

If you insist on framing Saturday night’s dueling MMA action as a head-to-head matchup between Strikeforce and the UFC – and we do, since we’re media types, meaning we can always be counted on to find the easiest storyline and absolutely beat it to death – then you have to consider it a victory for Scott Coker and Co. Strikeforce came into the evening with the better card on paper and on this night the chalk held up. By virtue of back-to-back-to-back-to-back knockouts (if you count Antonio Silva’s TKO over Mike Kyle, which we do), last night Strikeforce was the metaphorical broken clock that turns up right twice a day, the dog’s ass that finally catches some sun. Meanwhile, every live fight on the UFC’s broadcast of the “Ultimate Fighter” season 12 finale went the distance. Both shows were decent, but after months of incessant bitching we should know by now that MMA fans will take a night full of stoppages over a night of scorecard verdicts every time.

During any given week on this website we give Strikeforce an unending raft of shit on the basis of its general incompetence, so it only seems fair to hand out some props on the rare occasion when the company doesn’t screw up in any obvious way. Good job, Strikeforce. We’d love to sit here and tell you last night’s show was indicative of the promotion “figuring it out” somehow, but frankly it seems like it just got lucky with a bunch of dynamic knockouts. Still, the fact this show went off as well as it did after the original fight card got scrambled by late injuries is sort of remarkable. Now it just remains to be seen how many people actually watched it.

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Robbie Lawler Expected to Knock Out Matt Lindland

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ST. LOUIS — MMA Fighting spoke to Robbie Lawler following his devastating knockout of Matt Lindland on Saturday night about why he wasn’t surprised the fight ended so quickly, his next step and why he decided to grow a beard.

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ST. LOUIS — MMA Fighting spoke to Robbie Lawler following his devastating knockout of Matt Lindland on Saturday night about why he wasn’t surprised the fight ended so quickly, his next step and why he decided to grow a beard.

Strikeforce: Henderson vs. Babalu — Live Results + Commentary

("Babalu, you old son of a bitch, I thought you were dead." "Maybe I was, Danny. Maybe I was." Photos courtesy of Esther Lin/Strikeforce.)  (From left to right: Mike Kyle squares off with Bigfoot Silva’s massive crani…

Dan Henderson Renato Babalu Sobral Strikeforce MMA weigh-in photos
("Babalu, you old son of a bitch, I thought you were dead." "Maybe I was, Danny. Maybe I was." Photos courtesy of Esther Lin/Strikeforce.)
Antonio Bigfoot SIlva Mike Kyle Strikeforce Strikeforce Rockstar ring girls Kelli Hutcherson MMA photos Robbie Lawler Matt Lindland Strikeforce MMA photos
(From left to right: Mike Kyle squares off with Bigfoot Silva’s massive cranium, Kelli Hutcherson stands out in a crowd, and this is going to sound really strange, but does that photo of Lawler and Lindland remind anybody else of those optical illusion face-drawings that show a different person when you look at them upside-down?)

Headlined by a rematch ten years in the making, and featuring a solid supporting cast of knockout artists, Strikeforce: Henderson vs. Babalu could be the sleeper event of the year. The main card is about to kick off at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, and CagePotato contributor Matt Kaplan will be liveblogging it as quickly as his little fingers will allow. Round-by-round updates from the Showtime broadcast can be found after the jump, beginning at 10 p.m. ET. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and share your own thoughts in the comments section.

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Strikeforce Dan Henderson vs Babalu Sobral

Light Heavyweight bout: Benji Radach vs Ovince St. Preux No pick. St Preux is no pushover. Heavyweight bout: Antonio Silva vs Mike Kyle Even though Mike Kyle is the heavyweight King of the Cage champion, I think Antonio Silva here is a nice pick. Too big, has much improved cardio and has found his jab. […]

Light Heavyweight bout: Benji Radach vs Ovince St. Preux

No pick. St Preux is no pushover.

Heavyweight bout: Antonio Silva vs Mike Kyle

Even though Mike Kyle is the heavyweight King of the Cage champion, I think Antonio Silva here is a nice pick. Too big, has much improved cardio and has found his jab.

Welterweight bout: Paul Daley vs Scott Smith

Awesome fight. Daley is the better technical puncher. Foot work as well. I just like Scott Smith and want to root for him. I’m picking Scott Smith, but I think this is going to be super tough for Smith ala the Lawler fight.

Middleweight bout: Robbie Lawler vs Matt Lindland

Lawler 100% here. Lindland is practically over the hill at this point, while Robbie Lawler is peaking. If Lindland can get this fight to the ground though, Lawler has to be concerned as Lindland’s top game is pretty sick.

Light Heavyweight bout: Dan Henderson vs Renato Sobral

I’m going with Sobral via submission.

My First Fight: Matt Lindland

Filed under: StrikeforceOn Saturday night 40-year-old Matt Lindland takes on Robbie Lawler at Strikeforce: Henderson vs. Babalu in St. Louis. It’s a fight Lindland admits that he needs to win in order to keep his career moving in the right direction, …

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On Saturday night 40-year-old Matt Lindland takes on Robbie Lawler at Strikeforce: Henderson vs. Babalu in St. Louis. It’s a fight Lindland admits that he needs to win in order to keep his career moving in the right direction, and it’s also one that he intends to turn into, as he puts it, “a gritty, messy fight.” But before he finds out what his future holds, Lindland sits down with us to talk about his past, including his very first taste of MMA.

He has no problem admitting it now: back then, Matt Lindland had no idea how to even begin to prepare for an MMA fight. Then a 26-year-old wrestling coach at the University of Nebraska and an aspiring Olympic team member, all Lindland knew was that other Greco-Roman wrestlers had done it and it looked like a fun way to make a couple dollars.

One day he ran into Royce Alger, a well-known wrestler for the University of Iowa who was dabbling in MMA and was said to be headed to the UFC soon. Lindland told him he’d been thinking about taking the same path, and wanted to know how to get started.

Strikeforce Henderson vs. Babalu 2 Preview and Predictions

Filed under: StrikeforceAfter seven months off, Dan Henderson is finally stepping back into the cage on Saturday night, hoping to earn his first victory in Strikeforce and first anywhere since knocking out Michael Bisping at UFC 100. Henderson will hav…

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After seven months off, Dan Henderson is finally stepping back into the cage on Saturday night, hoping to earn his first victory in Strikeforce and first anywhere since knocking out Michael Bisping at UFC 100. Henderson will have a tough test against Renato “Babalu” Sobral in what should be an entertaining main event in Strikeforce’s final card of 2010.

What: Strikeforce: Henderson vs. Babalu 2

Where: Scottrade Center, St. Louis

When: Saturday, the Showtime broadcast begins at 10 PM ET.

Predictions on the four televised fights below.