Strikeforce Lawler vs Shields Fight Results & Recap

> View historic Strikeforce results listed online here by Pro Fighting Fans and check out the Strikeforce Fight Card for the August 15, 2009 event!

On Saturday night June 6th Strikeforce held its first show at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri. The fight card was full of exciting bouts, both on the undercard and the main card. All together the card featured nine stoppages out of eleven fights; only two went to a decision.

The main card showcased both past and present talent, as some fighters looked on the incline while others simply showed their age. Mike Whitehead looked solid with a decisive win over veteran Kevin Randleman who simply looked gassed. Joe Riggs also was dominant but unable to finish an aging Phil Baroni in a unanimous decision victory.

Three of the best fights were saved for last. Nick Diaz was in rare form in using his technical striking and full tank of gas to secure his 6th career submission win late in the third round against Scott Smith. Brett “The Grim” Rogers wasted little time in knocking Andrei Arlovski out of contention for another shot at the heavyweight title.

The main event provided fireworks but didn’t live up to the expectations of the pre-fight hype. Jake Shields proved to be too much for heavy-handed Robbie Lawler with his perfectly planned game plan. He ended his 4th straight fight with a 1st round guillotine choke against the H.I.T. Squad product.

Mike Whitehead vs. Kevin Randleman

Mike Whitehead did his damage on his feet, landing combinations to both the head and body of his opponent Kevin Randleman, in securing the unanimous decision win in the first television fight on the main card.

Randleman didn’t go down without trying, as he was the aggressor early on, landing a big right hand forcing Whitehead to the ground in the 1st round. While on the ground Randleman was solid as usual, reversing positioning and being able to escape back to his feet. He wasn’t successful however in keeping the fight on the ground where he had the distinct advantage.

The 2nd round swung more in Whitehead’s favor as he was able to connect on a right hook which set up a takedown. He was also able to disrupt the breathing of an already tiring Randleman for the majority of the round. Randleman barely made it back to his feet before the end of the round.

The 3rd round proved to be a little too late for Randleman after arguably losing the first and second rounds. Randleman looked great in the 3rd however as he dropped Whitehead with a straight right hand then added some ground and pound strikes. Whitehead was able to get back to his feet as Randleman tried to catch his breath. The 3rd round ended with Whitehead being the aggressor as his counterpart was left barely standing.

Whitehead (24-6) has now won his last two fights and fifteen of his last sixteen overall, dating back to his UFC days. With his streak of wins, Whitehead looks to take a significant step up in competition his next time out. Randleman (17-13) looked solid in most areas other than his conditioning, an area in which Whitehead clearly held the advantage. Since he has come back from a suspension and a major kidney injury, “The Monster” has gone 1-1.

Phil Baroni vs. Joe Riggs

Joe Riggs looked solid in dishing out the majority of the punishment against Phil Baroni but wasn’t able to finish “The New York Bad Ass”, instead winning via unanimous decision after three one-sided rounds.

The 1st round was almost all Riggs as he started with kicks to the body of Baroni. After taking his opponent to the mat, “Diesel” almost stopped the fight with a rear naked choke early in the round. Baroni was able to squeeze out of the submission attempt and eventually get back to his feet. The only damage that Baroni would deliver in this initial round was when he landed a couple straight punches to end the 1st.

The 2nd round was much of the same, beginning with leg kicks and a takedown by Joe Riggs. Baroni again got back to his feet and used his strength to take Riggs down. It didn’t last long as Riggs quickly returned to his feet and landed a series of punches to Baroni’s face as the 2nd round ended.

The final round was Riggs’ round yet again, dominating it with knees, punches and elbows. He was able to connect on basically everything that he threw at Baroni, who was barely standing and unable to show any head movement. Before the final bell ended Baroni finished with some well-timed punches which were not enough to secure a knockout. To put the icing on the cake Riggs finished the final round with another takedown.

All three judges awarded Riggs (30-10) an overwhelming 30-27 unanimous decision victory. He has now been successful in his last two bouts while improving his Strikeforce record to 3-2. Baroni (13-11), who had a three–fight win streak snapped, remains winless in two attempts for the Strikeforce promotion.

Nick Diaz vs. Scott Smith

Nick Diaz continues to charge forward in his MMA career with another impressive stoppage victory over an equally dangerous opponent. Diaz separated himself from Smith by dominating him in every area of the fight then finally finishing it with a 3rd round submission.

The fight began with a rapid pace as Diaz landed a left-right combination that put Smith on notice. Smith clinched with Diaz but the punishment didn’t stop as Diaz connected with short punches and elbows. Smith was able to push Diaz against the fence and land one power punch which was followed with an effective counter from Diaz. Smith wanting to try a different approach, took Diaz to the canvas late in the round but wasn’t able to hold him there. Diaz made it back to standing position and returned the favor by taking Smith down as the first bell sounded.

The 2nd round had a faster pace with both fighters trading punches right off the bell. Smith looking for a break pushed Diaz up against the cage. Diaz landed a head-body combination that obviously hurt Smith. Smith landed another power punch followed by another clinch. Diaz fought off Smith in the clinch and landed another head-body combination that dropped Smith as the 2nd round bell rang.

Smith crawled to his stool but valiantly came back out for the 3rd and final round. Both fighters traded punches until Diaz separated with a body shot that put Smith on his knees. At this point Diaz was able to sink in his arms and secure a fight-ending rear naked choke.

Diaz (20-7) has finished his last five opponents in impressive fashion. This is his first submission since an August 2006 UFC-win against Josh Neer. He is now separating himself from the rest of the Strikeforce contenders. His next opponent should be a fighter brought in specifically for him. Smith (16-6) has his two-fight win streak stopped by Nick Diaz. His first loss after wins against Terry Martin and Benji Radach brings his Strikeforce record to 2-1. He is still in solid position to fight top contenders for the promotion.

Andrei Arlovski vs. Brett Rogers

Only 22 seconds were necessary in this highly-anticipated heavyweight bout. Many figured that Rogers would crumble in his first appearance against a top-level opponent. It was Arlovski who crumbled after Rogers rushed him and introduced his power to the “Pit Bull.”

Arlovski only was able to throw one strike, a weak low kick five seconds into the bout that didn’t faze the gigantic Rogers. Rogers shrugged the kick off then rushed Arlovski throwing three consecutive punches at his head. That would be all he needed, connecting on all three as well as one more when Arlovski fell limp to the ground. “Big” John McCarthy stopped Rogers from delivering anymore unneeded damage to Arlovski, who looked stunned afterwards.

Rogers (10-0), who demanded respect with his fists and his mouth, would surely get the next crack at the heavyweight title that Alistair Overeem holds. He has nine knockouts to go along with one submission on his resume, proving that he is ready for the next step. The former UFC heavyweight champ Arlovski (15-7) has now lost two fights in a row, getting knocked out cold in both fights. It is the first time he has lost two in a row since late 2006 when he lost two fights to Tim Sylvia for the UFC.

> Brett Rogers vs Andrei Arlovski video

Strikeforce Main Event – Robbie Lawler vs. Jake Shields

In what was supposed to be one of Strikeforce’s most competitive fights in history, the fight failed to produce that outcome. Instead, Shields had the same strategy he did against mid-level fighters and finished Lawler only a little over two-minutes into the fight with a guillotine choke.

Jake Shields started the fight by throwing a series of low kicks to Robbie Lawler’s legs. Keeping him off-balance with the kicks, he managed to get the accomplished wrestler to the mat. Lawler immediately returned to his feet and put Shields against the cage. He also dished out a series of body punches. Shields escaped the punches and tagged Lawler with a kick, putting him on his heels. After the first kick, Shields added another punch combination followed by a body kick that put Lawler on the ground. At this point Shields began to sink in a guillotine while pulling guard. Trying to work himself free, Lawler stood up and attempted to slam Shields away from the guillotine choke. It didn’t work as Shields hung on and forced the fight-ending tap out.

By Nick Russell
ProFighting-fans.com Staff Writer

Main Strikeforce Lawler vs Shields Bouts:

• Jake Shields defeats Robbie Lawler via Submission (Guillotine Choke) - Round 1 @ 2:02
• Brett "The Grim" Rogers defeats Andrei Arlovski by KO - Round 1 @ 0:22
• Nick Diaz defeats Scott "Hands of Steel" Smith via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) - Round 3 @ 1:41
• Joe “Diesel” Riggs defeats Phil “New York Bad Ass” Baroni by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Mike Whitehead defeats Kevin "Monster" Randleman by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Preliminary Strikeforce Lawler vs Shields Bouts:

• Jesse Finney defeats Josh Bumgarner via Submission (Kimura) - Round 1 @ 1:55
• Mike Kyle defeats Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante by KO - Round 2 @ 4:05
• Booker DeRousse defeats James Wade by TKO (Strikes) - Round 1 @ 4:06
• Tyron “Tabasco” Woodley defeats Sal Woods via Submission (North-South Choke) - Round 1 @ 4:20
• Lucas Lopes defeats Scott Ventimiglia by Disqualification (Knee to Downed Opponent) - Round 1 @ 3:26
• Pat Benson defeats Dave Cochran via Submission (Armbar) - Round 1 @ 2:18