Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey Main Card Live Blog

Josh Thomson vs. K.J. Noons (Strikeforce)

Prelims begin at 8 p.m. Eastern on Showtime Extreme

Strikeforce is in Columbus, Ohio, for tonight’s Tate vs. Rousey card. HeavyMMA will provide live round-by-round and fight-by-fight coverage of the main card’s five fights on Showtime.

Tonight’s card takes place at the Nationwide Arena. The main event features a women’s bantamweight title fight between champion Miesha Tate and top contender Ronda Rousey, plus a co-main event between lightweights K.J. Noons and Josh Thomson.

The main card airs at 10 p.m. Eastern on Showtime.

Ronaldo Souza vs. Bristol Marunde
Round 1: Souza takes the center and lands a straight right. Marunde answers with a left. Front kick from Souza is caught by Marunde, and he tries to counter with a strike. Souza over the top with a left that just misses. Good right from Souza, the former middleweight champ. They briefly clinch, and a right hook from Souza lands. He gets the takedown and takes Marunde’s back and looks for a rear naked choke. Marunde turtles up and Souza starts landing some big shots. The ref warns him for a headbutt to the shoulder blades. And then, after some ground and pound, the ref stops the fight and gives Souza a warning for strikes to the back of the head. Marunde gets a reprieve and gets to stand back up. But Souza drops him immediately. He can’t finish him, but is in easy control here. They clinch up and though Marunde is able to turn things around on the fence, it’s an easy 10-9 for Souza.

Round 2: Big winging right from Marunde isn’t there. But a moment later, he backs Souza up with aa decent combo, then catches Souza with a right. But Souza lands some kicks, a couple jabs, then a gorgeous spinning back kick that looks to land pretty flush on Marunde. Somehow, he stays standing, though. Souza easily gets the fight to the ground, but Marunde does a nice job shrugging him off to get back to his feet. Marunde staying in the pocket pretty nicely. Good left hook from Souza. Couple nice jabs from Souza, and Marunde answers with a nice leg kick. Good right from Souza, and then a body kick. Overhand right lands, and Marunde misses with his counter. Souza lands a big takedown with 10 seconds left. It’s a 10-9 second for Souza on the HeavyMMA card.

Round 3: Easy takedown for Souza, and he tries to work his way around to side control with Marunde up against the fence. Marunde bleeding, and Souza takes his back and looks to get his hooks in to end this thing. He traps an arm, and that’s going to do it. Arm triangle will do the trick.

Result: Ronaldo Souza def. Bristol Marunde, submission (arm triangle), 2:43 Round 3

Scott Smith vs. Lumumba Sayers
Round 1: Sayers with a right, and then Sayers pretty quickly shoots in and gets an easy takedown. He’s got a hook in and starts to land some big shots from the back trying to flatten Smith out. But he lets him up, then tags him with a 1-2. Smith lands a couple good shots. But Sayers picks him up. And he holds him up, then turns him over and lands a giant slam. Smith is going to look for a guillotine, but it’s not there. And Sayers is going to be able turn it around and get a guillotine of his own. And it’s tight, and that’s it. Smith quickly taps for his fourth straight loss.

Result: Lumumba Sayers def. Scott Smith, submission (guillotine), 1:34 Round 1

Paul Daley vs. Kazuo Misaki
Round 1: Good kick from Daley. Misaki throws a left jab. Daley keeping the center of the cage, bouncing around. Daley jabs, but Misaki throws a nice right that backs Daley up a little. The two trade jabs. Good left from Misaki, answered by a Daley kick – but Misaki catches it and takes Daley to the floor. Daley gets back to his feet pretty quickly, but Misaki lands a nice teep. Misaki looks smooth and unafraid to stand inside. He lands a combination, then clinches up and dodges just away from a flying kick from Daley. Nice right from Daley, then a left. Good shots from Misaki, though, that back Daley up. Daley covers up and blocks a flurry from Misaki. Daley shoots with 40 seconds left and gets a takedown. Misaki ties up Daley’s head from guard. Daley lands some body shots, then postures up and gets some good strikes in. It’s a close first round, but HeavyMMA is going to give it to Misaki 10-9.

Round 2: Misaki comes forward 30 seconds in with a body kick and some good jabs. Another body kick lands. Misaki looking for a judo throw, but he can’t get it. Big right from Daley misses. Misaki lands a nice left, then a jab. Daley shoots and gets a takedown about halfway through the frame. He doesn’t do much with the position, but lands some body shots from Misaki’s guard. Misaki escapes, but Daley takes his back. Not for long, though, as Daley slides off and Misaki gets top  position. Daley won’t be able to do any scoring from here. And with 17 seconds left, the ref stands them up. It’s a 10-9 Round 2 for Misaki on our card.

Round 3: Daley with a kick, then gets backed up with a Misaki kick. Misaki misses with a nice right. Daley not looking overly ambitious about ending the fight. But he ducks under a right and Daley uses it for a nice takedown. Big elbow looks to have really opened up Misaki right above the eye, and with 3 minutes left the doc will look at it. He says it’s fine. Daley lands a nice left hook, then again shoots but comes up empty. Flying knee from Misaki is partially blocked. Big right from Daley just misses. Misaki has Daley backing up, even though Misaki is drenched in his own blood. Daley gets another takedown, but it’s right back up for Misaki. Misaki comes forward again, Daley goes for a takedown again. It’s not there. Daley gets a 10-9 third on our card, but we have Misaki winning 29-28.

Result: Kazuo Misaki def. Paul Daley, split decision (30-27 28-29 29-28)

K.J. Noons vs. Josh Thomson
Round 1: Noons rushes forward, and Thomson lands a nice kick. Noons lands a jab. Flying heel hook attempt from Thomson, then a spinning kick. Couple teeps from Thomson. Thomson looks for a trip takedown. It’s not there. Noons goes for one of his own, but Thomson wins the battle and gets on top. The action stalls out as Thomson won’t let Noons back up, and Noons unable to wall walk with his legs being tied up by Thomson. The crowd isn’t into it. It’s a 10-9 first round for Thomson on the HeavyMMA card.

Round 2: Superman punch from Noons. A Thomson head kick has him slipping and Noons goes down and looks for ground and pound. But Thomson has no problem getting on top and starts working from there. It’s more of the same, and it’s far from exciting. And at 2 minutes, Keith Peterson stands them back up. Not much action to close out the round , though. HeavyMMA again goes 10-9 for Thomson.

Round 3: Pretty quick takedown for Thomson, and he sinks in an arm triangle.  He won’t finish it off, but Thomson controls the fight like crazy from up top. You don’t see much here because not much hapnened – Thomson continued to win the fight with ease. It’s 10-9 for Thomson on the heavy card and the fight for him 30-27. 

Result: Josh Thomon def. K.J. Noons, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Miesha Tate vs. Ronda Rousey
Round 1: Tate pounding quickly. But Rousey with a quick takedown. She moves over to side control, then postures up. Mounted crucifix. And guess what? She goes for an armbar. But Tate recovers. She gets on top. She goes for Rousey’s back. Rousey already in the longest fight of her career. Tate has Rousey’s back. Rousey gets back to her feet, though. Rousey with a slam, but Tate keeps the back. Rousey escapes out the back door and gets to her feet. Tate will kick, then gets back up. SHe clinches up and Rousey looks for a judo throw. North-south momentarily. Rousey with a 1-2 once they get back to the feet. Good left from Tate. But Rousey latches on and gets a beautiful hip toss. Rousey in side control, then moves in to full mount. Tate gives her back and she’s going to get an arm. And that’s going to be it. Tate’s arm is virtually destroyed. It’s seriously messed up. Tate has to tap.

Result: Ronda Rousey def. Miesha Tate, submission (armbar), 4:27 Round 1