Ronda Rousey's vicious Armbar on Miesha Tate

Check out Ronda Rousey win the Strikeforce Bantamweight Title courtesy of this sick and viscous armbar. 

Nate Marquardt Signs with Strikeforce

Just eight months after a furious Dana White released him from the UFC due to testing at elevated levels of testosterone, Nate Marquardt is back with a Zuffa-owned MMA organization.

On Tuesday's episode of UFC Tonight, Fuel TV reporter Ariel Helwani broke the news that Marquardt has signed a deal to fight for Strikeforce, which was purchased by the UFC promoter last year.

When he was released from the world's premier MMA organization for spoiling his UFC on Versus 4 main-event fight with Rick Story just moments before the fighters were scheduled to hit the scales, it appeared Marquardt's ties with Zuffa had been severed permanently.

"He failed his medicals," White announced in a Twitter post immediately after news broke that Marquardt had been removed from his bout with Story. "Not only his he out of this fight and out of the main event on Versus. He will no long be with the UFC."

However, approximately one month ago, White hinted at a change of heart regarding Marquardt's future. In an interview where he showed no interest in bringing back fellow UFC middleweight castoff Anthony Johnson, White left the door open to a Marquardt return to one of Zuffa's organizations.

"I don't dislike Nate," White told MMA Fighting. "I like Nate very much. We'll see what happens."

Though he had worked out a deal with British organization BAMMA after his release from the UFC, Marquardt has still not competed since a win over Dan Miller at UFC 128.

After BAMMA was unable to secure a fight for Marquardt in the nearly six months that he was contracted by the organization, the former UFC middleweight title contender asked for a release from the promotion so that he could get his MMA career back up and running.

One month later, Marquardt is a member of Strikeforce, home to other UFC castaways like Josh Barnett and Paul Daley.

It is not known whether Marquardt will have a chance to return to the UFC, but this is certainly a golden opportunity for the 32-year-old to reclaim his career and return to competing against some of the best fighters in the world.

King Mo Lawal Drug Test Positive for Steroids, Denies Taking Anything

Popular Strikeforce fighter Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal has tested positive for an anabolic steroid, As reported by Keith Kizer, Executive Director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

Lawal recently defeated rising light heavyweight talent Lorenz Larkin at Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine on Jan. 7 in Las Vegas.

While numerous other athletes on the fight card were tested and came up clean, Lawal tested positive. The all the following athletes were tested: Luke Rockhold, Keith Jardine, Robbie Lawler, Muhammed Lawal, 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 athletes tested negative for prohibited substances, except Mr. Lawal who tested positive for Drostanolone,” wrote Kizer in an email.

Lawal, when contacted, denied having knowingly taken a steroid. “I never took nothing,” he said. “Drostanolone, I don’t even know what that is!”

No disciplinary sanctions have yet been applied to Lawal, but Kizer said “The matter has been referred to the Attorney General’s office for issuance of a complaint for disciplinary action.”

Kizer also stressed that each case is handled on its own merits, but that “9 to 12 months has been the most common suspension in the past, along with a major fine” typically equating to 30 to 50 percent of the fighter’s purse.

Fedor Emelianenko possible as Strikeforce's 'plus-one' Heavyweight for New Champion

The Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix will come to a conclusion, and the entire division then will be sent to the UFC.



But first, the tournament champion – either Josh Barnett or Daniel Cormier – will get one more Strikeforce fight against an opponent to be determined.

While Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said some of those options were eliminated when the UFC gobbled up a handful of Strikeforce fighters for upcoming cards, one famous Russian remains a possibility.

Following Saturday's "Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine" event in Las Vegas, Coker discussed the upcoming conclusion of the heavyweight tournament and the possible return of eliminated tourney fighter Fedor Emelianenko. The eight-man tournament began nearly a year ago, and if Cormier's hand is healed in time, it could conclude at a March event in Ohio.

"I'd like to get the tournament done," Coker said. "We started this in February (of 2010). I was hoping at most it'd take us a year. ... But we'll get it done."

The tournament, of course, is closing on a bit of a confusing note. When then-heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem was pulled from the tourney (and ultimately signed by the UFC), officials shot down the possibility of the tourney winner getting the vacant belt. Then to add another head-scratcher to the situation, officials said the tourney winner will fight one more time before being moved to the UFC.

Coker said there is a reason for that.

"Showtime and Strikeforce put a lot of resources behind this heavyweight tournament," he said. "I think it was a historical day in New Jersey last year with all eight guys there. I think that lineup was impressive. I think we had an amazing heavyweight division. [Showtime] put a lot of resources behind it, and so did Strikeforce. So they felt like, 'Look, let the tournament final happen and have one more fight. That kind of puts an exclamation (point) on the division for Strikeforce.' And then let them go to the UFC and have some good fights there."

Recently, Strikeforce fighters such as Fabricio Werdum (eliminated in the tourney opener), Chad Griggs (tourney reserve), Shawn Jordan and Lavar Johnson have been booked for UFC fights. Admittedly, that affected Coker's plans for the "plus-one fight" planned for the tourney champion.

"I had a few ideas, but they were just booked for UFC fights," he said.

But when asked about Emelianenko, who lost his final three Strikeforce fights and recently has been fighting overseas, Coker left open that possibility. Emelianenko has won his past two bouts (over Jeff Monson and Satoshi Ishii), and while polarizing, he's still a draw.

So could Emelianenko fight the tourney winner?

"That's interesting," Coker said. "I'm not sure what Fedor has planned. I haven't spoken to M-1. I know (M-1 executive) Steve Bash was in the audience tonight, but we haven't had that conversation yet."

While Emelianenko recently has expressed interest in competing the UFC, UFC president Dana White has cast some doubt. In a recent TMZ video, he said the former PRIDE champion "sucks," and his struggles in negotiating with the fighter's representatives are well-documented. But a win over the grand-prix champion certainly could justify a UFC contract for Emelienanko.

Rockhold knocks out Keith Jardine and other Strikeforce results

With a first-round knockout of former UFC contender Jardine, Rockhold validated his championship and legitimized Strikeforce's middleweight division.

Some said, coming off of a draw against Gegard Mousasi, Jardine was undeserving of a title fight. Unfortunately for Jardine, those critics may have been in the right, as he couldn't match Rockhold's speed at 185 pounds.

Rockhold and Jardine traded shots through most of the first round, but the younger and more athletic Rockhold was able to overwhelm "The Dean of Mean" in the final minute of the opening round. After being dropped twice, Jardine ceased to defend himself.

In his post-fight interview with Showtime's Mauro Renallo, Rockhold requested a fight with a UFC middleweight contender. With such an impressive performance against Jardine, Rockhold is more than willing of having that request fulfilled.

The Strikeforce: Luke Rockhold vs. Keith Jardine full results are below:

Luke Rockhold vs. Keith Jardine

Luke Rockhold defeated Keith Jardine by technical knockout (punches) at 4:26 of the first round.



Robbie Lawler vs. Adlan Amagov

Robbie Lawler defeats Adlan Amagov by technical knockout (flying knee and punches) at 1:48 of the first round.



Muhammed Lawal vs. Lorenz Larkin

Muhammed Lawal defeated Lorenz Larkin by technical knockout (punches) at 1:32 of the first round.



Tyron Woodley vs. Jordan Mein

Woodley defeated Mein by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27).



Tyler Stinson vs. Tarec Saffiedine

Saffiedine defeated Stinson by split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28).



NahShon Burrell vs. James Terry

Burrell defeated Terry by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28).



Gian Villante vs. Trevor Smith

Villante defeated Smith by technical knockout (punches) at 1:05 of the first round.



Ricky Legere vs. Chris Spang

Legere defeated Spang by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).



Estevan Payan vs. Alonzo Martinez

Payan defeated Martinez by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

Strikeforce Rockhold vs. Jardine

Strikeforce Rockhold vs. Jardine happens this Jan 07, 2012 at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, Nevada

The fight card as follows:

MAIN CARD (Showtime)
Champ Luke Rockhold vs. Keith Jardine
Adlan Amagov vs. Robbie Lawler
Lorenz Larkin vs. Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal
Jordan Mein vs. Tyron Woodley
Tarec Saffiedine vs. Tyler Stinson
PRELIMINARY CARD (Showtime Extreme)
Alonzo Martinez vs. Estevan Payan
Nah-Shon Burrell vs. James Terry
Trevor Smith vs. Gian Villante
Ricky Legere vs. Chris Spang

Weigh-In results below:

Former UFC fighter Keith "The Dean of Mean" Jardine drops down to Middleweight to challenge Luke Rockhold for his Middleweight Title in Strikeforce's first event in 2012.

"Cyborg" Tests Positive for Anabolic Steroids

The world of mixed martial arts was rocked today with the announcement that Cristiane Santos tested positive for anabolic steroids.

According to MMAJunkie.com, "Cyborg" has been suspended for one year and fined $2,500 by the California State Athletic Commission for testing positive for stanozolol metabolites following the defense of her Strikeforce Women's Featherweight Championship title against Hiroko Yamanaka on December 17th.

Her win over Yamanaka at the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego has also been overturned on account of her positive test. Santos has the right to appeal the suspension.

CSAC executive officer George Dodd said about the suspension:

"Our primary concern is for the health and safety of fighters. Anabolic agents and other banned substances put not only the users of those agents at risk, but their opponents as well. The commission simply will not tolerate their use."

Santos is widely considered to be the best female fighter in the sport and earned $66,000 for the Yamanaka knockout that took her just 16 seconds to pull off. The victory had been Santos' 11th straight overall and fifth since joining Strikeforce. It was Santos' third successful title defense and her first foray into a fight in 18 months, on the heels of a prolonged contract dispute.

Santos had long been suspected of "doping" in some form or fashion but had not tested positive until December.

Strikeforce Champ Miesha Tate to Defend Her Title Against Ronda Rousey

Strikeforce 135-pound women's champion, Miesha Tate, will return to action and defend her belt against the undefeated Ronda Rousey.

The pair are slated to lock horns on March 3, 2011 from the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

Tate has been out of action since she took the belt from Marloes Coenen in July. For the last month, it was unclear whether she would face former title holder Sarah Kaufman (who defeated Tate in 2009) or take on the fast-rising Rousey.

Following her latest win over Julia Budd, Rousey called out Tate inside the Strikeforce cage. Tate followed with an interview stating that Rousey hasn't earned a title shot, which led to a heated exchange on Twitter. With news of the title tilt, it appears that Rousey's efforts have paid off.

Rousey is 4-0 as a professional (and was 3-0 as an amateur). The former Olympic Judoka has ended all of her bouts with first-round, first-minute armbar submissions. The bout with Tate will be Rousey's first appearance in the 135-pound weight class.

Entering the bout, Tate is riding a six-fight winning streak, including wins over Coenen, Hitomi Akano, and Bellator champ Zoila Gurgel. Three of those wins have come by submission.

This a good bout for women's MMA and here's guessing with two very talented ladies, we are in for a good fight.

Strikeforce still kicking in 2012

After UFC parent company Zuffa LLC purchased competitor Strikeforce in March, many felt the Las Vegas-based juggernaut would assimilate the promotion, as it had done with the WEC and Pride Fighting Championships in years past.

Instead, it appears Strikeforce will continue to operate under the Zuffa umbrella through 2012. Its broadcast deal with Showtime set to expire in roughly three months, Strikeforce is now close to reaching a renewal deal with the premium cable network, according to UFC President Dana White.

However, before the promotion embarks on yet another year of mixed martial arts competition, Strikeforce will close out 2010 with its offering at the Valley View Casino Center on Saturday in San Diego. Here are five reasons to care about the Strikeforce “Melendez vs. Masvidal” prelims.

Fedor returns to fight in Japan

Fedor Emelianenko has long been a draw on the Japanese fight scene. Following his recent losses in Strikeforce, the once untouchable Russian has been on a rebuilding campaign and the latest stop will be a return to Japan.

M-1 Global and Dream officials on Monday announced that Fedor will return to the Land of the Rising Sun on Dec. 31 to face Olympic gold medalist in Judo Satoshi Ishii.

The bout headlines the Fields presents Fight for Japan Genkidesua!! Oomisoka!! 2011 event at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, and airs in North America on HDNet.

“Fedor has been in great shape, and is ready for what we think will be a hard and competitive fight,” said M-1 Global Director of Operations Evgeni Kogan in announcing Fedor’s return to Japan after a three-year absence.

Fedor (32-4-1) is coming off of a victory over Jeff Monson on Nov. 20 in Moscow. The victory was the Russian’s first since losing three consecutive fights under the Strikeforce banner to Dan Henderson, Antonio Silva, and Fabricio Werdum.

A world-class athlete and a proven competitor, Ishii could prove a stern test for Fedor, although he’ll be giving up a tremendous amount of advantage to him in the experience department when it comes to MMA.

Ishii has only six bouts under his belt as a mixed martial artist, although he’s performed well en route to a 4-1-1 record. He holds victories over Jerome LeBanner and Ikuhisa Minowa, but neither is in the same league as Fedor. Ishii will have to rely upon is stellar experience as a Judoka to help make up ground in the fighting department.

Fedor vs. Ishii currently headlines a list of 11 bouts at Genkidesuka!! Oomisoka!! 2011 that features a card made up primarily of MMA bouts, but also includes mixed rules and pro wrestling bouts.

Luke Rockhold to Defend Strikeforce Middleweight Title Against Keith Jardine

I'm sure this bout will raise many eyebrows. But it appears that Strikeforce will continue into the next calendar year, as an event scheduled for January 7 now has three fights announced, including a very questionable main event.

Newly crowned middleweight champion Luke Rockhold will make his first title defense against former UFC light heavyweight Keith Jardine, who will be making his middleweight debut, according to mmaweekly.com.

Rockhold won the title when he defeated Ronaldo Souza in an epic back-and-forth war, which ended with scores of 50-45, 48-47, 48-47.

Jardine will be coming into the fight after a long layoff. His last fight was back in April, when he fought to a draw with Gegard Mousasi. Mousasi had one point deducted for an illegal upkick.

This has got to be one of the most questionable matchmaking choices for Strikeforce, giving a title shot to a fighter coming off a draw in a fight he would have lost, and who wasn't even on his way up.

Especially since the UFC took over, it was assumed that the matchmaking and everything else would take a step up.

However, Jardine gets the nod, and this fight will likely be the main event for Strikeforce 38 on January 7.

Other bouts on the card include Miesha Tate vs. Sarah Kaufman and Ronda Rousey vs. Alexis Davis.