Two of the three Strikeforce champions on the Strikeforce Nashville main card successfully defended their titles in five-round bouts on April 17 at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. while the third one, Mousasi, was dethroned by King Mo. The main card aired nationwide on CBS while seven undercard bouts were only enjoyed by a local Nashville audience (see complete results below!).
Jake Shields def. Dan Henderson via unanimous decision after they STEP'D IN (middleweight title bout)
The defending Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Shields caught a few heavy punches from Henderson in the first round that made him not only stumble but also seemed to take their toll on him as the first round came to an end. Miraculously, he was able to bounce back and survive the first round on sheer will while Henderson used him as punching bag. In round two, however, Shields completely turned the tables on Hendo by pinning him on his back while dishing out some ground-and-pound. Shields continued to dominate Hendo in this fashion on the ground for four out of five rounds while Hendo was rather helplessly trapped and barely able to defend against Shields steady barrage of fists. Nevermind the fact that Shields was unable to finish the former UFC and Pride champion with a submission-- he clearly proved that he deserves to keep his belt by rendering Hendo ineffective and powerless.
Jason "Mayhem" Miller instigated a 30-person brawl when he entered the cage during Shield's post-fight interview and demanded a re-match. Shields was clearly not in the mood to let anyone steal his thunder and shoved Miller which resulted in a chain reaction of violence by everyone inside the cage on national TV. The ramifications of this unprofessional conduct will most likely be felt for years to come in a so-called ripple effect that might un-do years of mainstreaming progress for mixed martial arts as an accepted and respected sport. (See their post-brawl video below!)
Gilbert Melendez def. Shinya Aoki via unanimous decision (lightweight title bout)
Reigning Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Melendez proved to be a brilliant strategist in his five-round title defense against Japanese DREAM Champion Aoki, who is well known for his extraordinary and brutal submission skills. As powerful striker Melendez kept a healthy distance from Aoki and avoided being pulled down to the ground most of the time. Even when he did get down on the mat it was only to inflict more damage to Aoki by dishing out a vicious dose of ground-and pound. Aoki, on the other hand, was not able to score any points but did manage to leave his calling card with an eye poke in round one. As last resort, Aoki complained about a few alleged violations of MMA rules by Shields which ultimately, did not help his case in the least. Shields completely outscored and dominated Aoki for the entire fight and sent him back to Japan with his tail between his legs.
King Mo Lawal def. Gregard Mousasi via unanimous decision (light heavyweight title bout)
Defending Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Mousasi seemed rather lethargic throughout all five rounds of his title defense against challenger Lawal. Lawal kept scoring points with very effective takedowns and ensuing ground-and-pound while Mousasi was helplessly pinned on his back most of the time. Even in stand-up Mousasi was doing little to impress which resulted in Lawal's win via unanimous decision when the bout went to the judges' scorecards after five long and utterly boring rounds.
Complete fight results (in chronological order):
Non televised bouts:
Cody Floyd def. Thomas Campbell by KO in round 3 (no time announced).
Dustin Ortiz def. Justin Pennington by submission (rear naked choke) at 4:27 in round 1.
Zach Underwood def. Hunter Worsham by unanimous decision (no score read).
Cale Yarbrough def. Josh Schockman by TKO (strikes) in round 2.
Jason Miller def. Tim Stout by TKO (strikes) at 3:09 in round 1.
Andrew Uhrich def. Dustin West by submission (rear naked choke) at 1:36 in round 1.
Ovince St. Preux def. Chris Hawk by KO at 0:47 in round 1.
Main Card:
King Mo Lawal def. Gregard Mousasi via unanimous decision (49-45, 49-45, 49-45) and becomes the new Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion.
Gilbert Melendez def. Shinya Aoki via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45) and retains title.
Jake Shields def. Dan Henderson via unanimous decision and retains title.
and remember.... You Can't Win, Until You Step In. Enter the Premier Lifestyle Spotlight!
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