Jake Shields def. Robbie Lawler via Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 2:02 via Round 1
In the main event, Gracie Jiu-Jitsu prevailed over striking yet again as Jake Shields submitted Robbie Lawler via guillotine choke. Although Shields appeard to be out of his element while the fight was still on its feet, he continues to look impressive in every fight he is in. It looks like we may get a chance to see him face Riggs at a future Strikeforce event for the vacant welterweight championship. Lawler took a huge step down in this fight. He will likely be eliminated from talks about a potential interim middleweight championship clash with Nick Diaz. The real question, however, is what will Strikeforce do next with  middleweight division.

Brett Rogers def. Andrei Arlovski via KO at :22 in Round 1
A lot of people gave Brett Rogers very little chance in this fight, but he managed to prove the naysayers wrong by knocking Andrei Arlovski out cold with a three hook combo. Some people may question this to be an early stoppage, but after closely looking at the replay, Arlovski was clearly out on his feet before he collapsed to the ground. Hopefully, Rogers will now move on to take on Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem. I'm not sure what will happen Arlovski as his boxing future is definitely in question right now after that poor performance. This is the second fight in a row in which his chin has failed him.

Nick Diaz def. Scott Smith via Submission (Armbar) at 1:41 in Round 3
Nick Diaz faced off against middleweight Scott Smith and yet again prevailed in a decisive submission victory. Although Diaz was extremely dominant on the feet throughout the entire fight and was able to rock Smith on numerous occasions with hard body shots and overhand rights, he was unable to land that one knockout blow that he was looking for. In the third round, Diaz took the fight to the ground and was eventually able to lock in a rear naked choke, forcing Smith to submit. During the post-fight interview, Diaz revealed that he would like to move back down to welterweight, but after two dominant performances against hard-hitting middleweights, it's hard to imagine that he won't take a shot at the interim championship against another prominent middleweight. Smith will have to regroup and come back. A possible rematch with Benji Radach is certainly a possibility.

Joe Riggs def. Phil Baroni via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
After the uneventful opener of the televised card, Joe Riggs and Phil Baroni put on a fairly entertaining scrap. After a few early takedowns, Riggs controlled most of the action by outstiking Baroni. In the second round, Riggs locked in a triangle choke that appeared to almost end it, but Baroni was able to escape and the action resumed. By the third round, a very fatigued Baroni was barely able to keep his hands up and Riggs finished strong with his kicks and boxing skills. Although Riggs was originally turned down as an opponent for Jake Shields and a shot at the vacant Strikeforce welterweight title, he can now be considered a somewhat worthy challenge for any of the top five welterweight after his dominant performance. Baroni, on the other hand, needs to go back home and think about what's next and what's best for his career. My guess is that he'll head back to the PFC to challenge for the welterweight championship.

Mike Whitehead def. Kevin Randleman via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Both Kevin Randleman, making his return to the cage after a long layoff, and Mike Whitehead were hoping to make a name for themselves with a win over each other, but neither really seemed to do so. Although Whitehead won the fight by outwrestling Randleman on the ground and controlling the standup action, he did little to prove that he's good enough to have his name mentioned with the other top light heavyweights. Ironically, it was Randleman who created the highlight of the fight as he connected with a massive left hook in the third round that dropped Whitehead to the mat. Unfortunately for Randleman, by that time, fatigue had set in and he was unable to capitalize.

UNDERCARD RESULTS

  • Jesse Finney def. Josh Baumgartner via submission (kimura) 1:55
  • Mike Kyle def. Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante via KO 4:05 of Round 2
  • Booker DeRousse def. James Wade via TKO (strikes) 4:06 of Round 1
  • Tyron "Tabasco" Woodley def. Sal Woods via submission (north-south choke) 4:20
  • Lucas Lopes def. Scott Ventimiglia via disqualification knee to a downed opponent) 3:26
  • Pat Benson def. Dave Cochran via submission (armbar) 2:18