MMA Nation - Strikeforce: Rockhold Vs. Jardine Results And Post-Fight News

Strikeforce's Lorenz Larkin Drops To Middleweight After Loss To 'King Mo'

2012-01-26T23:49:50Z

Standing a stout 5'11", with a reach dwarfed by the division's elite, Lorenz Larkin has often brushed aside questions about his size disadvantage at light heavyweight, preferring to travel the road of ‘if it ain't broke, don't fix it.'

Now, after getting dominated by "King Mo" en route to a second-round stoppage at Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine, "The Monsoon" has decided it's officially time to shed the pounds.

Larkin's manager, Arnold DeWitt, broke the news to MMA Fighting on Thursday.

"Eventually we were looking at 185, but we wanted to test the waters at 205 first," DeWitt said. "He came into Strikeforce at 205 and we got a chance to see how things played out. If he had beat 'King' Mo [Lawal], there would have been no point talking about it. But we think Lorenz is going to be a monster at 185, and there are a lot of fighters there who should be concerned."

Despite the fact that his first professional loss will likely be overturned to a ‘no contest' because of Lawal's popped steroid test, the 25-year-old Larkin (12-1) was self-aware enough in defeat to realize the 185-pound division, bereft of 205's athletic giants, was a far more promising path for his career.

"At 205, he had a great speed advantage, but at 185, we think he's going to have huge power to go with his speed," DeWitt said. "You have to understand, he was knocking out 250-pounders in amateurs with either hand. Now that he's coming down to a smaller weight class, that's not going to abandon him. His power and speed aren't going to go away."

Muhammed 'King Mo' Lawal Tests Positive For Steroids, According To NSAC

2012-01-17T18:10:58Z

Former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal tested positive for the anabolic steroid Drostanolone following his January 7th win against Lorenz Larkin, according to Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) Executive Director Keith Kizer.

Lawal will likely be fined for the failed test and could face a suspension stretching upwards of a year. In addition, his victory over Larkin would likely be reversed to a "no contest."

News of the failed test was sent to MMA Nation late Tuesday morning.

Drostanolone, generally referred to as Drolban or Masteron, is a common steroid in the realm of bodybuilding due to its ability to increase muscle capacity while simultaneously limiting the addition of body weight. As such, the drug is often used by athletes in the midst of cutting cycles.

Lawal (9-1), one of Strikeforce's few marketable light heavyweights, cruised through Larkin en route to a second-round TKO win at Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine. The 31-year-old's victory vaulted him into title contention for the vacated Strikeforce 205-pound strap.

According to NSAC reports, Lawal earned $95,000 for his work.

Strikeforce fighters Luke Rockhold, Keith Jardine, Robbie Lawler, Tyron Woodley, Tarec Saffiedine, Tyler Stinson, Nah-Shon Burrell, James Terry, Gian Villante, Trevor Smith, Ricky Legere, Chris Spang, Estevan Payan and Alonzo Martinez all tested negative for banned substances, according to NSAC officials.

Lawal has the right to appeal his failed test.

Strikeforce Rockhold Vs. Jardine Medical Suspensions: Luke Rockhold Out For Six Months

2012-01-10T15:54:30Z

The Nevada State Athletic Commission released the official list of medical suspensions for last Saturday's Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine event. Ten fighters from the card received suspensions, with four landing sentences upwards of six months.

Surprisingly, middleweight headliner and Strikeforce champion Luke Rockhold faces the steepest penalty despite blasting through Keith Jardine in just four-and-a-half-minutes. The 27-year-old will be suspended until July 6th unless his right hand can be cleared by a physician.

Similarly, main card fighters Tarec Saffiedine and Tyler Stinson could ride the pine until July 6th due to fight-related injuries. Saffiedine must have an MRI or x-ray of his left elbow be and cleared by a physician, while Stinson will be required to clear his left thumb and right knee with a physician.

Undercard participant James Terry also will be sidelined until July 6th unless both his shoulders can be cleared by an orthopedic doctor.

Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine took place on January 7th at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The complete list of medical suspensions can be read below. (via MMA Weekly)

Luke Rockhold - Must have right hand cleared by a doctor or he is suspended until July 6.

Keith Jardine - Suspended until March 8 with no contact prior to Feb. 22.

Adlan Amagov - Suspended until Feb. 7 with no contact prior to Jan. 29.

Lorenz Larkin - Suspended until Feb. 7 with no contact prior to Jan. 29.

Tarec Saffiedine - Must have an MRI or x-ray of his left elbow and be cleared by a doctor or he is suspended until July 6. He faces a minimum suspension until Feb. 22 with no contact prior to Feb. 7 due to a left eye laceration.

Tyler Stinson - Must clear his left thumb and right knee with a doctor or he is suspended until July 6. He faces a minimum suspension until Feb. 22 with no contact prior to Feb. 7 due to a right eye laceration.

James Terry - Must have both shoulders cleared by an orthopedic doctor or he is suspended until July 6.

Trevor Smith - Suspended until Jan. 29 with no contact prior to Jan. 22.

Estevan Payan - Suspended until Feb. 7 with no contact prior to Jan. 29 due to a right eye laceration.

Alonzo Martinez - Suspended until Feb. 22 with no contact prior to Feb. 7 due to a laceration on the bridge of his nose.

Is 'Giving A Fighter Every Opportunity' To Fight Back Even Legal?

2012-01-09T19:04:59Z

After Saturday's Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine, both Muhammed Lawal and Trevor Smith publicly made their displeasure known about the refereeing abilities of Kim Winslow. Fighters complaining about referees is nothing new, but what's different is that while Smith might be upset he lost, Lawal was unhappy with how the referee let him win.

Long story short, Lawal thought Winslow let Lorenz Larkin take too many unanswered punches. Looking back at the footage, he's clearly correct. Lawal even asked referee Winslow why she let the fight go as long as she did given her vantage point to see the action was clear and unobstructed. Her response? Lawal describes their short conversation as follows: "She said 'well, I wanted to give him every opportunity to bounce back. If it takes for him to be asleep, that's what it is...She's never taken a punch before, so it's easy for her to say that."

Lawal couldn't possibly be more correct. The most predominant issue with MMA referees are their lack of awareness for rules or improper enforcement of said rules. Winslow case seems to be neither making it more problematic.

The central issue with Winslow's view is there's no command or requirement in the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts that declares a referee's responsibility is to evaluate whether a fight should or should not be stopped based on if the losing fighter has been awarded every conceivable chance to mount a comeback. It's flat not there. It doesn't exist and yet appears to be a popular maxim among referees. Why? It sounds charitable, right?

The problem is since it doesn't legally exist, there are no guidelines explaining how to properly enforce it. That's also precisely where charity turns into savagery. The idea of giving a fighter every opportunity sounds like justice, but it can result in a referee who will be too accommodating of punishment.

What do the Unified Rules actually mention? Not much. Referees' only guidelines appear to be "13:46-24A.12 Stopping a contest: The referee and ringside physician are the sole arbiters of a bout and are the only individuals authorized to enter the fighting area at any time during competition and authorized to stop a contest."

However, we have a sense of what counts for defending yourself: Intelligent defense. That's also a problematic term, but it has at least some measure of explanation: "An intelligent defense minimizes the potential for damage while providing the opportunity for taking back the offense."

No matter how sticky the above definition, there is no serious way to describe what Larkin was doing when being rough up by Lawal as approximating what 'intelligent defense' sets out to be. What kept Larkin in the fight was an invented guideline predicated on detectable consciousness.

It's all right to give fighters every opportunity to win within the parameters 'intelligent defense' - namely, that they're taking steps to minimize damage. That alone won't solve the issues of dubious stoppages, but if a fighter's only sin is to remain conscious enough, do the really charitable thing: worry less about their chances and more about their health.

Strikeforce Results, Kevin Iole, Greg Savage, Robert Sargent On 106.7 The Fan's MMA Nation

2012-01-09T01:27:01Z

We'll be talking to a lot of MMA journalists today. Strikeforce talk. Cyborg talk. All the good stuff.

We're on tonight: 9 to 11 p.m. ET. Here's how you can listen:

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Tonight on the show, we'll discuss the results from Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine and:

What's next for Strikeforce middleweight champion Luke Rockhold? More importantly, what should be next for him?
Is it time for Keith Jardine to retire? I say yes.
Did Tyron Woodley do enough to earn a title shot?
What's left for Robbie Lawler to accomplish?

To help us break down we'll talk to Sherdog.com's Greg Savage and Yahoo! Sprorts' Kevin Iole.

We'll also talk the positive steroid test from Cris Santos and what it means for her, Strikeforce, and the women's 145lbs division. To help us dig deeper, MMARising.com's Robert Sargent will join us.

And, of course, we'll take your calls TOLL FREE: 800-636-1067

MMA Nation will air from 9:00 p.m. ET to 11:00 p.m. ET on 106.7 The Fan.

Be sure to follow me on Twitter: @SBNLukeThomas. Email here.

Strikeforce Results: Luke Rockhold Crushes Keith Jardine, Calls Out UFC Fighters

2012-01-08T21:00:18Z

Strikeforce middleweight champ Luke Rockhold made no secret that he didn't think UFC veteran Keith Jardine deserved an immediate title shot in his first middleweight fight. He went out and proved his point in the cage with a brutal first round stoppage.

Official result: Luke Rockhold defeats Keith Jardine by TKO (referee stoppage) at 4:26 of round 1.

Jardine (17-10-2) looked drawn and withered at the weigh-ins on Friday. He's 36 years old and probably needs to either retire or move back up to light heavyweight. At 205lbs, there are several intriguing fights for him in Strikeforce. A bout against Lorenz Larkin, who lost to Muhammed Lawal last night would be one intriguing possibility.

Strikeforce: Rockhold Vs. Jardine
Live Results | Post-Fight News

For Rockhold, he's probably looking at a bout with ex-champ Tim Kennedy. If he can clear that formidable hurdle, he'll probably face Robbie Lawler. After that he'll need to start recycling opponents in Strikeforce's thin middleweight division.

Rockhold said he was in MMA to fight the best after the fight and that the best were all in the UFC. He called on UFC fighters to come to Strikeforce to face him, but seriously, who would take that offer?

Strikeforce Results: Robbie Lawler Obliterates Adlan Amagov At Rockhold Vs. Jardine

2012-01-08T20:00:24Z

Middleweight Robbie Lawler (19-8) continued the trend of proven Strikeforce veterans obliterating the best prospects coming from the Strikeforce Challengers series by crushing Adlan Amagov (9-2-1) at Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine in the first round. Lawler came back from a break necessitated by an illegal knee thrown by Amagov to drop the Russian with a flying knee. He quickly followed up with some cruel ground and pound for the referee stoppage.

Official result: Robbie Lawler defeats Adlan Amagov by TKO (referee stoppage) at 1:48 of round 1.

Lawler, who lost two fights and won none in 2011, needed to get back on the win column. Despite his losses to Tim Kennedy and Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza, Lawler could be in the title hunt with just one more win. That's more a commentary on the thin Strikeforce middleweight division than it is on Lawler's merits.

Strikeforce: Rockhold Vs. Jardine
Live Results | Post-Fight News

With KO power in both hands and both knees, Lawler is a threat to beat anyone in the division.

Amagov will be back to the drawing board after the loss. He didn't look completely outclassed for most of the fight, but it's going to be remembered as a one-sided beat down.

Strikeforce Results: King Mo Lawal Flattens Lorenz Larkin At Rockhold Vs. Jardine

2012-01-08T19:00:15Z

Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal (9-1) proved a point last night by absolutely pasting Lorenz Larkin (12-1) and handing the rising prospect his first pro loss: there's a great big difference between being a long-time title contender and a long-time star of the now defunct Strikeforce Challengers series.

Official result: Muhammed Lawal defeats Lorenz Larkin by TKO (referee stoppage) at of 1:32 of round 2.

Larkin was one of the most promising talents coming out of the Challengers series, a sort of minor league within the minor league of Strikeforce. A skilled Muay Thai kickboxer with speed and athleticism, Larkin had looked very good against lesser competition.

He wasn't facing lesser competition last night. Lawal, one of the most highly decorated amateur wrestlers to ever compete in MMA, is a former Strikeforce light heavyweight champ. Lawal is also a natural 205 pounder where Larkin could easily trim down and make middleweight. The size and strength differential, and the yawning abyss between the respective wrestling abilities of Lawal and Larkin, made this a mission impossible for Larkin.

Strikeforce: Rockhold Vs. Jardine
Live Results | Post-Fight News

Lawal repeatedly managed to clinch with Larkin and apply trip take downs. Larkin has good take down defense but Lawal has world-class wrestling and it wasn't an even struggle. Once on the ground Lawal took his time in the first round, content to stay in guard and score points if not damage.

In the second round, Lawal got his right hand free, got some elevation and really battered Larkin senseless. Referee Kim Winslow, fresh off a premature stoppage in Gian Villante's win over Trevor Smith on the undercard, let Larkin take several punches more than necessary.

Lawal complained about the late stoppage immediately, but after the decision was announced he told announcer Mauro Ranallo that WInslow told him she liked to give fighters every chance to recover and that he could respect that.

Lawal will now be at the front of the line to fight for Dan Henderson's vacant Strikeforce light heavyweight title. Larkin will be back to the drawing board, and hopefully looking into diet plans and a move down to 185 pounds. Lawal just signed a new four fight deal with Strikeforce even while complaining about not being allowed to move up to the UFC.