Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey Live Results and Play by Play

Results, Top Story

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Join us 10 p.m. ET Saturday night for the main card of Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey, featuring Miesha Tate vs. Ronda Rousey, K.J. Noons vs. Josh Thomson, Paul Daley vs. Kazuo Misaki, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza vs. Bristol Marunde and Lumumba Sayers vs. Scott Smith.

Middleweight bout: Ronaldo Souza vs. Bristol Marunde

Round 1: Straight right from Souza with a nice straight right as he’s showing some great footwork and body movement early on. He grabs the clinch and lands a couple solid knees. He’s really looking good so far in the standup as he’s looking for the clinch early on. Left hook misses as he’s going for the clinch with it; it’s something Anderson Silva does, overthrowing the hook and using it to lock in the Thai Plum. Wild exchange as Jacare hit’s a drag takedown from behind then uses his foot on the cage to take back. Has the hooks in but Marunde is using wrist control really well to keep Souza off his beck, Souza is looking for that rear naked choke and both men know it. Marunde is looking to ride out the time as he;s not defending himself well. Referee breaks it up as Souza hit him in the back of the head and we get a standup. Big right from Jacare and Marunde is down. Souza pounces and goes for a guillotine but doesn’t have it locked in. He loses it and Jacare grabs back in a scramble, Marunde stands up but Souza drags him back in a sit out and is back to hooks in. Souza with knees to the body but Souza rams into the fence. Marunde waits it out and eventually circle back and the two play cage position for the rest of the round. Souza 10-9

Round 2: Wild right from Marunda misses but a nice combination connects. Marunde is way more aggressive this round. Souza connects with a beautiful front kick and then an even better spin kick to the face and Marunde is against the cage. Souza drags him to the ground again and Marunde scrambles his way out. Marunde with a nice combination that this nothing but air, second combination connects. Maunde is throwing everything with power as Souza’s speed is something he’s struggling to deal with. If he’s going to throw he might as well throw something with gas on it. Souza grabs the clinch again and hit’s a nice knee to the face. Some light exchanges as Marunde with a nice counter. Some nice striking exchanges as Souza is using his left to connect to the body. Souza is flashing the jab a lot as Marunde connects with a nice leg kick. Souza with another nice body shot and then hits with a big overhand right. Souza’s big overhand is connecting regularly but Marunde is showing a nice shoulder roll when exchanging. Souza with a nice double leg takedown to finish the round, grabs a leglock but can’t finish it as time expires. 10-9 Souza, 20-18 Souza

Round 3: Jacare with a nice single and Marunde in an open half guard. Souza is doing some light ground and pound right now as Souza is using his hips to keep Marunde where he wants them. A nice elbow from him and Souza pushes him against the fence. A nice knee to the body as Souza is grinding on him right now. Marunde is fighting defensively, trying not to get finished right now. Marunde looks for a switch but can’t connect with it, stands and Souza grabs his back. Souza with a nice drag sit down to get him to the mat. Jacare grabs his back again and gets his right hook in. He’s looking to get the other one in but Marunde is defending it well. Souza gets side control and gets an arm triangle from half guard and Marunde taps out. Souza wins via submission (arm triangle) at 2:48 of the third round.


Middleweight bout: Scott Smith vs. Lumumba Sayers

Round 1: Sayers with a nice combination to start and the another, big right from Smith misses. Sayers misses an overhand right but double legs him down HARD. Smith gives up his back and Sayers gets both hooks in, then lets him go and unloads with some nice strikes. Smith grabs a rear naked choke and Sayers with a MASSIVE slam on him. Sayers grabs a guillotine of his own and Smith taps. Sayers wins via submission (guillotine choke) at 1:34 of the first round.


Welterweight bout: Paul Daley vs. Kazuo Misaki

Round 1: Misaki looks for the takedown but Daley with a strong right leg kick. Daley is using a pawing jab to gauge distance as Misaki is using footwork to dictate position. Both men are throwing but neither is connecting as this is an extended range finding session from the two. Daley throws a leg kick and Misaki grabs a takedown, grapevines the legs with and gets Daley against the cage. Daley gets back to his feet but eats a push kick during the escape. Nice exchange from the two and Misaki grabs the clinch, goes for the takedown but Daley defends it well but eats a number of knees for his efforts. Big left from Daley connects but Misaki with a nice right to Daley. Misaki with a nice flurry as Daley backs up into the cage. Daley grabs a takedown of his own and Misaki in closed full guard. Misaki is looking to work rubber guard as he moves his right leg into mission control. Daley backs off and unleashes some big shots from the top, then gets swept as Misaki gets top control as the round ends. 10-9 Misaki

Round 2: Some light exchanging to start as Daley is really tentative coming in. Daley is lowering his body more but Misaki with a nice knee to the body, Daley grabs a body lock and puts Misaki against the cage. Daley is fighting for a takedown and goes for it for a while but lets go as Misaki defends it beautifully. Leg kick misses on the scramble out. Flurry from Misaki as Daley looks a little lost out there so far. Misaki with some nice lefts, a jab and then a straight, then follows it with some right jabs. Daley grabs a double leg and gets the takedown, Misaki in closed full guard. Daley with a nice elbow to start but Misaki controlling his hands to prevent further strikes. Misaki goes back to trying for rubber guard again but Daley is working some solid body shots. Misaki initiates a scramble and Daley grabs his back but doesn’t have hooks in. Misaki rolls him over and grabs top control; he just used a quick hip check and Daley flew off. Misaki is working some ground and pound but referee stand it up with 10 seconds left in the round. Round ends with some light exchanges. 10-9 Misaki, 20-18 Misaki

Round 3: Misaki with a nice leg kick to start as Daley is still tentative. He throws a couple of range finding jabs but Misaki with a nice counter right. Wild left from Misaki misses but he lands a body shot but Daley connects with a nice counter. Daley gets another double leg and lands in Misaki’s closed full guard. He’s trying to smother and use short elbows right now as Misaki is bleeding from the forehead. Daley stands up and referee goes to look at the cut. Misaki is ok, even though he’s covered in blood, and the crowd loves it. Misaki presses as soon as the fight is restarted and Misaki defends a takedown attempt from Daley. Great exchange from the two against the cage and Daley is a bit gassed right now. Misaki throws a crazy flying knee that hits body as he’s stalking Daley down now. Misaki is walking through a number of punches from Daley right now, as Daley backs up from the fighter. Misaki defends a takedown well as Daley gets him to his knees but can’t keep him down as Misaki pops right back up. Misaki with an empathic flurry to finish the round as Daley goes for another takedown as Daley quit the takedown as soon as Misaki went for a throw. 10-9 Misaki, 30-27 Misaki

Official Decision: 30-27 Misaki, 29-28 Daley and 29-28 Misaki … Misaki wins by Split decision


Lightweight bout: K.J. Noons vs. Josh Thomson

Round 1: Thomson with a nice front kick that doesn’t hit but lands one that does. Nice right hook to follow. Noons with a pair of jabs as Thomson goes for a flying heel hook that doesn’t connect. Noons inside but backs off when Thomson goes for a body lock takedown. Noons is wading in and backing out as soon as Thomson goes for the takedown. Noons with some nice combinations that partially connect and a head kick that is blocked by hands. Noons is darting in and out and a flurry from the two winds up with a beautiful drag takedown as Thomson runs the pipe and gets him down. Thomson presses Noons against the cage as Thomson is just laying on him and not really doing much with it. Noons creates a bit of space but Thomson bring him back to the ground. Noons gives up his back and then onto his back again. He’s looking to hold on and get a standup at this point. Thomson isn’t doing much outside of light striking to stay busy enough to be on the ground. Round ends as Noons grabs a front headlock. 10-9 Thomson

Round 2: Noons positions back into the cage and he’s throwing wildly. Superman punch misses but Noons is being really aggressive. Thomson with a head kick and slips, Noons goes for the takedown but reverses position and scramble winds up with the Thomson pressing Noons against the cage. He finishes the double but Noons wall walks up but Thomson presses him back in a seated position against the cage. Thomson isn’t doing much with the position until Noons tries to get back up. Thomson almost grabs rear control but Noons goes right back onto his hip. Thomson is working the position game in Noons’ full closed guard right now. Thomson is content to work in closed guard right now working with hammer fists as Noons is looking to get a stand up. Thomson with a nice posture up but the ref stands them up. Noons with a number of good strikes as he’s chasing down Thomson who’s just walking backward at this point. Noons is trying to bait him into a slugfest but Noons stops a takedown as Thomson looks a bit gassed right now. Noons goes for a takedown of his own and Thomson reverses to one of his own. Thomson is just laying on him some more right now until he unloads a big right and then goes back to laying on him. He’s got the leg grapevined and is content to lay it out. Thomson 10-9, 20-18

Round 3: Noons back him down again as Thomson is backing off anytime Noons strikes. Thomson catches an uppercut into a trip takedown as he grabs an arm triangle in half guard. Noons is trying to muscle his way out instead of answering the phone to create space but eventually gets out of it. Noons gives up his back in the process right now as Thomson has his right hook in as he’s working for position instead of the submission. Noons tries to scramble out but winds up on his back again as Thomson gets in half guard again. Thomson with a couple of nice hammerfist as Noons looks to be exhausted right now. Thomson is grinding on him right now as he’s not doing much to advance position. He’s doing just enough to be prevented from being stood up. Noons eventually tries to scramble out but Thomson maintains positions, postures up and lands some good strikes from top. Noons is seated against the cage and grapevines the legs, postures up and lands some body strikes. Back down with 15 seconds left as Thomson is just going to ride out Noons for the win. Which is what he does as the round ends. 10-9 Thomson, 30-27 Thomson

Official decision: 29-28 Unanimous Decision victory for Josh Thomson


Women’s Bantamweight Championship bout: Miesha Tate (c) vs. Ronda Rousey

Round 1: Tate comes out with wild striking and Rousey grabs a takedown and moves into side control. Rousey looks for the arm bar and backs out of it, gets into cross side and grabs an arm bar and Tate gets out of it. Tate grabs back and Rousey stands up and Tate drags her to the ground. Rousey gets to her feet and a crazy flip gets the two back to the ground. Tate goes for a rear naked choke but can’t lock it in. backdoor escape from Rousey and she’s not letting Tate up. Eventually does and Rousey grabs the clinch, looking for a throw. Trip takedown gets her to the floor but Tate rolls through it . Break apart and Rousey with a nice combination. Tate with a nice combination and a hip toss from Rousey as she lands in a headlock. Rousey gets into side control and grabs mount and then Tate grabs back. She rolls through in an armbar and Tate taps as her arm dislocates. Rousey wins via submission (arm bar) at 4:36 of the first round.