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Photo Courtesy of MMAFrenzy.com

Gilbert Melendez put his lightweight title on the line last night against a very game Jorge Masvidal, but El Niño made it clear why he is in many peoples minds the top lightweight in the world. Melendez scored 50-45 on two score cards and 49-46 on another showing the world how legit his striking game is. In the co-main event Cris “Cyborg” Santos made quick work of Hiroko Yamanaka , by knocking her out in just 16 seconds.

Thanks to our good media friends at MMAWeekly, Strikeforce/Showtime, FightingFamous and StudioMMA for providing us some great post fight interviews.

Strikeforce is set to invade the Valley View Casino in San Diego, California tonight. The main event will have Gilbert Melendez put his lightweight title on the line against Jorge Masvidal, with Cris “Cyborg” Santos taking on Hiroko Yamanaka in the co-main event. Also on the card is former light heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi vs. Ovince St-Preux.

The prelim bouts are set to begin at approximately 5pm  PT/8pm ET with the main card starting at  at 7:30pm PT/10:30pm ET (on Showtime).

Full results below…

Main Bouts (Showtime):
Gilbert Melendez def. Jorge Masvidal by Unanimous Decision (50-45,50-45,49-46)
Cris “Cyborg” Santos def. Hiroko Yamanaka by KO (Strikes) at 0:16 of Round 1
Gegard Mousasi def. Ovince St-Preux by Unanimous Decision (29-28,29-28,29-28)
K.J. Noons def. Billy Evangelista by Unanimous Decision (29-28,29-28,29-28)

Preliminary Bouts (non-televised):
Caros Fodor def. Justin Wilcox via knockout (punches) at 0:13 of Round 1
Roger Bowling def. Jerron Peoples KO (Strikes) at 0:42 of Round 1
Devin Cole def. Gabriel Salinas-Jones by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Eddie Mendez def. Fernando Gonzalez by Split Decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29)
Herman Terrado def. Chris Brown by Submission (Armbar) at 4:05 of Round 3

Today (Dec.15) Strikeforce and Showtime Sports called for a special media call to make a special announcement.

Just minutes before the conference call began the organizations sent out a press release detailing the partnership agreement between the two companies.

The call featured Stephen Espinoza, UFC President Dana White and Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker.

Below are highlights from the call. Special thanks to MMANation.com

Dana White:

• “I’m fired up about this deal and I’ve got the guys who are fighting in Strikeforce fired up about it as well.”
• Has “no idea” if the heavyweight roster will move to the UFC.
• Gilbert Melendez is “f***ing excited” to stay in Strikeforce. Will continue to stay in Strikeforce regardless of how many times he defends his belt.
• Not sure if a Showtime pay-per-view would take place, but won’t count it out.
• Coker runs the day-to-day, White is involved in big picture. White will be at all Strikeforce events as well.
• “Let’s cut the bull****, me and (Ken) Hershman aren’t friends with each other.” He is extremely excited with the new Showtime regime.
• “I love getting involved with networks… taking things and building them. There’s only so many guys that can fight in the UFC. We’re going to take these guys, build these stars, and get this going.”
• “No clue” about crossover for fighters in Strikeforce and UFC.
• There is a ton of talent out there for them to build these “incredible divisions”.
• With UFC and Strikeforce combined, White has 40 shows on his plate. “My schedule next year is going to be ridiculous. People don’t even think it’s going to be humanly possible, but I disagree.”
• Strikeforce is not a secondary brand. The champions will be considered highly-regarded.
• When asked about Strikeforce fighters receiving ”Fight Night” bonuses: “We’ll see, I don’t have those answers yet but I would have to say yes.”
• Showtime wanted to have one final heavyweight fight post-tournament before the division was disbanded.
• “There’s nothing wrong with being a feeder league, but that’s not what this thing’s going to be.”

Scott Coker:

• Strikeforce is going to focus on lightweight, welterweight, middleweight, light heavyweight and women’s divisions.
• After heavyweight grand prix, the winner will fight a top-ranked heavyweight (possibly in the UFC) and then Strikeforce will do away with the heavyweight division.
• Will continue to run two women’s divisions.
• Fights in December and January will eventually lead to title fights for welterweight and light heavyweight divisions.
• Not sure how the events will be spaced out.
• Cormier vs. Barnett will hopefully take place at the end of the first quarter of 2012.
• Haven’t decided the next opponent for Miesha Tate.
• Ronda Rousey would like to fight in both weight classes.

Stephen Espinoza:

• Deal kicks off January 7th with Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine.
• Prelims to air live on Showtime Extreme.
• Maintaining the same broadcast team to commentate the fights.
• Six to eight events this year, options for additional events beyond that.
• No more Challengers series.
• The events will work organically, whenever the timing works for both Showtime and Strikeforce.
• It is a possibility that the deal with M-1 may have hit the brakes because of this announcement. “Strikeforce is our primary focus.”
• “It would not surprise me at all” to see Gina Carano return to fighting at some point.
• Strikeforce will air on Super Channel in Canada.

NEW YORK (Dec. 15, 2011)— Showtime Networks Inc. and world championship mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion STRIKEFORCE^® have entered into a new broadcast agreement to continue producing live MMA events on the premium television network, SHOWTIME. The agreement was announced jointly today by Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports^®, Dana White, UFC^® President, and Scott Coker, STRIKEFORCE CEO.

Under the new agreement, SHOWTIME will produce and televise up to eight live events. STRIKEFORCE athletes such as lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez, middleweight champion Luke Rockhold, women’s featherweight champion Cris “Cyborg” Santos, women’s bantamweight championMiesha Tate and other world-class MMA fighters will continue to compete for the organization on SHOWTIME.

The new deal kicks off during the network’sFree Preview Weekend, Saturday, Jan. 7, as champion Rockhold defends the STRIKEFORCE 185-pound title against dangerous veteran Keith Jardine at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, live on SHOWTIME at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Notable STRIKEFORCE contenders such as Robbie Lawler, “King Mo” Lawaland Tyron Woodley are also set to compete on the televised card, which—as part of Free Preview Weekend—will be available in more than 60 million households nationwide across SHOWTIME, SHOWTIME HD™ and SHOWTIME On Demand^®.

Beginning with the Jan. 7 card, SHOWTIME will also televise undercard fights for all STRIKEFORCE events live on SHOWTIME EXTREME. The live SHO Extreme preliminary telecasts will afford network subscribers with expanded live fight coverage by up to two hours and provide invaluable exposure for the sport’s next generation of STRIKEFORCE contenders.

Under the new deal, the World Grand Prix Heavyweight Tournament champion will be determined when Josh Barnett battlesDaniel Cormier. The winner will compete again on SHOWTIME under the STRIKEFORCE banner in the months to follow.

“Since its advent on SHOWTIME in 2007, live mixed martial arts has always performed well with our subscribers, particularly in the younger demographics,” said Espinoza, who now heads the division of the network responsible for programming live boxing, studio shows from National Football League and NASCAR as well as multiple sports documentary series. “As the one and only premium network in the MMA business, we are proud to renew our commitment to the sport and to our partners at Strikeforce.  This agreement ensures that we can continue to deliver the edge-of-your-seat programming that each live MMA event produces in the New Year and beyond.

“This exciting announcement could not have come at a better time,” he continued. “During our nationwide Free Preview Weekend a whole new crop of MMA fans will have the opportunity to sample the Strikeforce brand free of charge.”

“We’re excited about this renewal with SHOWTIME and I expect to put on some big STRIKEFORCE events next year,” White said.  “I never thought I would say this, but I am very much looking forward to building STRIKEFORCE and working very closely with SHOWTIME.”

“SHOWTIME has been a great TV partner for us and we’re happy to renew our agreement with them,” Coker said. “Together, we’ve put on some really amazing events and we’re going to keep doing that with this new deal. We have a great core of talented fighters on our roster and MMA fans are in for a real treat.”

Photo by MMAmania.com

Las Vegas, Nevada – STRIKEFORCE^® announced today that it will host an exciting middleweight championship bout in the fight capital of the world, Las Vegas, Nev., on Saturday, Jan. 7, when champion Luke Rockhold battles UFC^® veteran Keith Jardine in the night’s main event, live from The Joint inside Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

STRIKEFORCE®: ROCKHOLD vs. JARDINE will air live on SHOWTIME® at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

“What a way for STRIKEFORCE to kick off the New Year!” said STRIKEFORCE CEO Scott Coker. “We’re happy to give fans in Vegas the chance to see the STRIKEFORCE middleweight title defended by one of the hottest young champions in the sport in Luke Rockhold when he takes on, quite possibly, the toughest and most unorthodox fighter in all of MMA, Keith Jardine. Fans at Hard Rock should expect an exciting standup battle in the main event on January 7.”

The Jan. 7, fight card will also feature two up-and-coming fighters taking on former champions when Robbie Lawler faces Adlan Amagov in a middleweight bout and “King” Mo Lawal takes on undefeated Lorenz Larkin in a light heavyweight bout. Also on the televised portion of the card, Tarec Saffiedine and Tyler Stinson will clash in a welterweight bout. A fifth yet-to-be announced fight will air on the SHOWTIME portion of the event.

Tickets for STRIKEFORCE^®: ROCKHOLD vs. JARDINE go on sale Saturday, Dec. 10 at 10 a.m. PT and are priced at $104, $79, $54 and $39. Tickets will be available at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino box office or online at www.thejointlasvegas.com. Tickets are also available online at www.TicketMaster.com, by phone at 800-745-3000, and at all Ticketmaster outlets.  Ticket prices do not include service charges.

UFC^® Fight Club^™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Friday, Dec. 9 beginning at 10 a.m. PT until 12:00 p.m. PT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com.

After capturing the STRIKEFORCE middleweight championship by defeating Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza in September, Luke Rockhold (fighting out of San Jose, Calif.) makes his first title defense against one of the toughest in the business in Jardine. A product of the famed American Kickboxing Academy, Rockhold (8-1) is surrounded by some of the most experienced fighters in the world, who should help in providing a well-balanced training camp and gameplan in order for the 26-year-old to defeat his veteran opponent.

“Jardine is a big name who’s fought a lot of tough guys in this sport,” Rockhold said. “I’m not going to sleep on him or this opportunity. This isn’t just another fight for me, I’ve wanted my chance to prove I’m a champion and a five-round title defense is the way to do it. We’re going to prove to fans in Las Vegas what we’ve got over here in this division. You can expect this fight to be nothing short of spectacular.”

Keith Jardine (fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) is widely considered one of the toughest and most unorthodox fighters that the sport has ever seen. “The Dean of Mean,” who trains at Greg Jackson’s MMA, is a UFCveteran holding wins over Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin and Brandon Vera.  The Ultimate Fighter^® season 2 contestant would like to cap off his impressive résumé with a world championship.

“I’ve completely rededicated myself to this sport,” said Jardine, whose record currently stands at 16-10-2. “I’ve sacrificed a lot to be where I am and I want to make the most of it. A title shot against Rockhold is a huge opportunity that I’m not going to waste. Luke’s a tough kid and he beat a tough opponent in ‘Jacare’. but he doesn’t fight like I do and he’s never had an opponent push him like I will. This will end with me imposing my will on him in a way he’s never seen.”

With a record of 18-8, 1 NC, Robbie Lawler (fighting out of Gilbert, Ariz.) is a veteran of STRIKEFORCE, UFC and PRIDE, and captured the middleweight championship during his time in EliteXC. A frequent training partner of UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes, “Ruthless” often relies on his dominant wrestling knowledge to control his opponent and secure the victory, though he also holds knockout victories over Frank Trigg, Matt Lindland and Scott Smith.

Though new to MMA fans in the U.S., Adlan Amagov (fighting out of Fairfield, N.J.) has had an extremely successful career in Russia. Only 25 years old, “Borz” currently trains under the tutelage of Mike Constantino at AMA Fight Club alongside UFC standouts Jim and Dan Miller, as well as Charlie Brenneman. Owner of a 9-1-1 record, Amagov knows what a victory over the more experienced Lawler can do for his middleweight title hopes and is looking to keep his winning streak intact by utilizing his effective striking and Sambo skills.

One of the most vocal and recognizable personalities in the sport, “King” Mo Lawal (fighting out of San Jose, Calif.) steps back into the cage for the first time since September when he knocked out Roger Gracie in the final seconds of the first round. The former NCAA Division I wrestler also bears heavy hands, having ended six of his fights via KO to bring his overall record to 8-1. The former STRIKEFORCE light heavyweight champ is ready to put gold back around his waist, but must first get through undefeated rising prospect Lorenz Larkin (fighting out of Riverside, Calif.), whose record currently stands at 12-0. In his career, “The Monsoon” has scored eight knockout victories and hopes his ninth comes on Jan. 7.

At just 25 years old with a record of 11-3, Tarec Saffiedine (fighting out of Temecula, Calif.) has no doubt made a name for himself in the welterweight division, engaging in wars with Tyron Woodley, Scott Smith and James Terry. A versatile fighter who trains with UFC star Dan Henderson, “Sponge” has put the division on notice that he wants the belt more than anything. His title hunt continues when he takes on 21-7 Tyler Stinson (fighting out of Kansas City, Kan.). “The Evolution” was last seen knocking out Eduardo Pamplona at the 0:15 mark of the first round in July at STRIKEFORCE^®: FEDOR vs. HENDERSON. Expect Stinson, a proven striker, to go for a similar ending in this bout when these two meet in Las Vegas.

For more information or the latest STRIKEFORCE news, visit www.strikeforce.com. All bouts live and subject to change.