“If Gilbert Melendez isn’t sick of lesser opposition, my real name is BA Baracus.”
Part 2 of my MMA Catch-Up Week, as this time, I talk about Strikeforce’s last card of a rather bonkers 2011 for them, as I take a look at Melendez vs Masvidal from Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, California. On the card, Billy Evangelista vs KJ Noons at Lightweight, Gegard Mousasi took on Ovince St. Preux at Light Heavyweight, Cyborg Santos defended her Women’s Featherweight Championship against Hiroko Yamanaka (Slightly, lop-sided?), and Gilbert Melendez defended his Strikeforce Lightweight Championship against Jorge Masvidal. It’s Strikeforce, on The Harrison Analysis!
Billy Evangelista (11-1-1) vs. KJ Noons (9-3) (Lightweight Division)
Round 1: Noons comes out throwing a pair of kicks to Billy’s lead leg. Noons shoots and takes Evangelista down. Evangelista bounces back up and breaks though. Evangelista clinches with Noons against the fence. Evangelista tries a standing guillotine but Noons escapes. Noons looks to escape the clinch but Evangelista takes his leg for a single, but Noons defends and breaks. Noons now working the jab. Both men trade some leg kicks. They trade some knees. Evangelista with an uppercut and also gets a left hook. Evangelista clinches and lands some good shots on Noons. Noons with a leg kick, follows with a good combo of punchs too. Evangelista ties up Noons to end the round. (10-9 Evangelista. Controlled the round despite being taken down, landed the better shots.)
Round 2: Noons starts off the round aggressively and tries some flurries. Afterwards, Noons starts to circle away, as well as landing a leg kick. Noons now lands a straight right. Evangelista actually smiling as it lands, ha. Noons shoots, but he’s stuffed. They exchange in the pocket but Billy lands one flush on the chin. Noons ducks and shoots again but that gets stuffed as well. They trade hook shots. Evangelista attacks the lead leg of Noons with a leg kicks. Noons comes off the cage and lands a knee. Evangelista tries to lock up Noons but he escapes, taking a bit of damage in the process. Evangelista dirty boxes Noons against the fence as the round ends. (10-9 Noons. Close, close round, but I’d take Noons aggression to win the round.)
Round 3: Evangelista stalks Noons to start this critical third round. Billy lands a straight right on Noons and Noons gets one back. Noons catches Evangelista again, near the back of the head. Noons gets a head kick to land too. Uppercut from Noons now. Evangelista leg kicks Noons. Noons doing a great job of evading Evangelista’s rushing jabs. Evangelista ties up Noons and pushes him against the fence. He goes for a standing Darce but Noons gets free. Another uppercut from Noons lands. Noons flicks his jab and is actually talking with Evangelista. They trade punches in the clinch and Evangelista cracks one on Noons late on as the fight ends. (10-9 Noons. Played to his strength and won the round, and probably the fight, 29-28 Noons to me)
Winner: KJ Noons va Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Harrison’s Analysis: Really enjoyed this one. Loved that Noons and Billy had a gentleman’s agreement in the third to just stand and bang for us the fans, how selfless! Noons won, just at the right time, as he was considering retirement if he didn’t get the win on this one. Now he could get next crack at Melendez, either that or the trilogy fight with the currently injured Josh Thomson. Goodie? ★★★ ½
Gegard Mousasi (30-3-2) vs Ovince St. Preux (11-4) (Light Heavyweight Division)
Round 1: OSP starts off with leg kicking the lead leg of Mousasi. Tries a spinning back kick but misses. Mousasi starts off with a body kick. Mousasi comes in, delivers a combo and backs away. Mousasi lands another shot. OSP keeps backing off here. He kicks at Mousasi who catches it and takes OSP down. Mousasi hammering away from the closed guard. Mousasi in half guard, dropping elbows down now. Mousasi moves to side control. OSP tries to escape but Mousasi wrestles him back to half guard. Mousasi tries the kimura, but OSP rolls through and gets on top of Mousasi. Mousasi reverses back and hammers away on OSP again. Mousasi has a crucifix mount here, OSP getting mashed, but the round ends. (10-9 Mousasi. Once it hit the ground, ALL Armenian, all day)
Round 2: OSP shoots and gets Mousasi against the cage but Mousasi reverses and lands on top. Mousasi from half guard, throwing some elbows. Mousasi in complete control, OSP, can’t get out, referee declares mercy and stands them up (For No Reason). OSP delivers a body kick but it’s caught, but OSP is still shoots and gets Mousasi on his back. OSP in side control but Mousasi is able to shuffle out. OSP tries to shoot again but its stuffed as the round ends. (10-9 Mousasi. Complete control while standing, and had majority of control on the ground.)
Round 3: Mousasi has OSP on his knees and pressed against the cage. OSP manages to stand and drags Mousasi down. OSP now in side control. He moves to full mount and gets shots in on Mousasi but he escapes. Mousasi gets OSP down and takes his back. Mousasi trying for the rear-naked choke. OSP gets out and drags him back down, getting on top of Mousasi. Mousasi escapes and gets the mount on OSP. OSP escapes and lands a hammer fist. OSP has Mousasi pinned against the fence by OSP, ending the round with a D’arce attempt. (10-9 OSP. Got the ground control on Mousasi for the majority of the round, but Mousasi 29-28 to me.)
Winner: Gegard Mousasi via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Harrison’s Analysis: You know what was weird about this? How Mousasi suddenly became so much more effective as a wrestler, especially as he got taken down almost at will by Keith Jardine in his last Strikeforce encounter. What’s also weird was that Mousasi pretty much talked himself OUT of a title shot for the vacant Strikeforce 205 belt, after being really down on himself after what was an impressive win over a highly touted prospect. Someone in his camp needs to try and raise his spirits a little, he looks like someone’s run over his dog or something. Good performance by The Dreamcatcher. ★★★
Cristiane Santos (Champion, 10-1) vs Hiroko Yamanaka (12-1) (Women’s Featherweight Championship)
Round 1: Yamanaka comes in, gets cracked, drops like a ton of bricks, and Cyborg wins! No seriously, that was it.
Winner(?): Cristiane Santos via Knockout (Roid Rage, 18 seconds of Round 1)
Harrison’s Analysis: What else is there to say about this? Santos was dominant, complete mismatch, but no-one of it matters because Cyborg got popped for steroids. Might as well scrap the entire Strikeforce Featherweight Division as no-one else will matter at this weight, and the new women grabbing the headlines, Ronda Rousey, is dropping to Bantamweight to fight 135 Champion Miesha Tate. Whatever, next!
Gilbert Melendez (Champion, 20-2) vs Jorge Masvidal (22-6) (Strikeforce Lightweight Championship)
Round 1: Here we go. Melendez comes out jabbing to start. Melendez trying to land some combos against a backing Masvidal. Melendez lands a couple of good jabs. Melendez lands with a counter from a Masvidal hook. Masvidal is taunting Melendez and he gets popped in the jaw for his trouble. Melendez jabs and slides under Masvidals guard to land an uppercut. Masvidal misses another knee but lands a right. Melendez catches Masvidal’s kick and trips him to the ground. Melendez goes for a armbar but Masvidal defends and gets back to his feet. Masvidal throws a kick to end the round. (10-9 Melendez. Hexagon control and landing more effective strikes won him the round.)
Round 2: Round 2 starts similarly with the first, Melendez popping the jab consistently. Masvidal evades well but doesn’t and can’t come back with anything or substance. Masvidal lands a leg kick and Melendez gets a straight left. He lands another one for good measure. Melendez continues to land at will on Masvidal, who’s gone to amost Yushin Okami levels of timidness. Melendez lands a body shot but Masvidal alnds a solid counter. Masvidal lands a knee. Melendez comes forward and Masvidal evades, backing away. Melendez lands a body kick to end the round. (10-9 Melendez, see above.)
Round 3: More of what we’ve seen so far in Round 3. If it sounds like not much is happening, you’d be right. Melendez keeps attacking, Masvidal is evading for the most part. Melendez ups his aggression and lands a couple of good combos. Masvidal lands a flying knee, Melendez shrugs it off. Masvidal now coming forward a bit on Melendez. Melendez evades most of Masvidal’s offense and lands with a couple of shots to end the round. (10-9 Melendez, Masvidal’s best round of the fight, did good late on, but Melendez still with most of the aggression)
Round 4: See the openings of Rounds 2 and 3 to get an idea of what happened here. Masvidal lands a good counter though. Double jab and a sweet right hook combo from Melendez. Melendez jabbing away and landing on Masvidal, who just doesn’t seem to be in this one. The interesting thing though, is that Melendez’s eye has been swollen, nearly shut by Masvidal’s shots. Body kick by Masvidal lands, as the round ends. (10-9 Melendez. See above)
Round 5: Melendez and Masvidal have turned this into a boxing match. Couple of takedown attempts by both men come up short. Melendez and Masvidal trade and circle in the cage. Masvidal is trying to come up with a homerun shot finish this fight via KO, but nothing’s happening for him. Masvidal tries for a flying knee and eats punches coming down as he misses. Punches flying in the final minute, Masvidal goes for takedown shot and runs out of time, ending the fight. (10-9 Melendez. His fight from start to finish. 50-45 Melendez)
Winner and still Strikeforce Lightweight Champion: Gilbert Melendez via Unanimous Decision (50-45, 50-45, 49-46)
Harrison’s Analysis: Not a very interesting fight. Jorge Masvidal, like many contenders, talked a big game, but always seemed like second best in the cage, looking timid and unsure of himself. Melendez did what he needed to do, but for a guy who’s a Top 3 in the World at Lightweight, he didn’t seem too convincing performance wise. He said that maybe he needs more challenges from the UFC to come in, and he’s right, especially considering he’s beaten EVERYONE of note in Strikeforce’s Lightweight Divison. With the company in the miss that it is, I can understand why they haven’t brought him over…Yet. But they need do, problem is, he’s probably the company’s biggest remaining draw. Flat Main Event. ★★ ½
Harrison’s Final Analysis on Strikeforce: Melendez vs Masvidal
The performances on paper didn’t do the card its real justice, to me at least. The highlight was the tainted Cyborg Santos’s outing ending in about 20 seconds, everything else was rather unspetacular, besides the very good opener between Noons and Evangelista. Only watch if you’re a hardcore Melendez fan. I’ve been Andre Harrison, thanks for reading, and Sayonara!
Harrison’s Strikeforce (Melendez vs Masvidal) Rating: 6.5 out of 10 – Decent
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