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Scheduled to air:
Welterweight title: Nick Diaz vs. K.J. Noons
Women’s Welterweight title: Sarah Kaufman vs. Marloes Coenen
Gesias Cavalcante vs. Josh Thomson
Andre Galvao vs. Tyron Woodley
Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Noons 2 coverage
The Showtime broadcast is live. First fight up shortly.
Andre Galvao vs. Tyron Woodley – Round 1 – Both men looking to trade on the feet early. Galvao tries to shoot in and eats a big punch from Woodley. Woodley following up with some more punches as Galvao desperately tries to pull him to the ground and the fight is stopped as Galvao has stopped intelligently defending himself. Dominant, clear, quick win for Woodley. Tyron Woodley wins by TKO (punches), round 1.
Sarah Kaufman vs. Marloes Coenen – Round 1 – Kaufman paws with the jab early and she looks tiny next to Coenen. They exchange right hands and now Coenen with a 1-2. Kaufman gets inside and lands a right hand but she is having a little trouble with the height difference early. Jab by Kaufman lands. hey trade and Kaufman drives Coenen into the cage. Coenen tries to throw a standing elbow and Kaufman slips it and they trade knees to the body and legs now. Coenen now drives Kaufman into the cage and lands a knee before Kaufman reverses. Kaufman is doing a good job of keeping position but there isn’t a ton of action other than knees to the legs. They’re restarted again. Kaufman with a nice jab. The round ends and Kaufman took it 10-9.
Round 2 – Coenen is looking to be the counterpuncher but she’s not pulling the trigger fast enough. Kaufman again puts Coenen’s back into the cage and again they look to be stalling out there other than knees to the legs. Again they’re restarted. Kaufman with a nice right hand counter. Back against the cage they go. Coenen with a light knee to the head. Head kick missed by Coenen. Nice throw by Coenen but Kaufman manages to reverse and end up on top. Kaufman with some ground and pound and Coenen almost locks up an armbar and the round ends. 10-9 Kaufman.
Round 3 – Takedown by Coenen and Kaufman sweeps to top. Coenen with some punches from her back as she looks to work a high guard. Coenen doing a decent job of avoiding damage off her back but she eats a few hammerfists and now Kaufman is trying to open up, Coenen locks up an armbar and Kaufman is forced to tap out. It looked like Kaufman may have ended up with an injured arm. Marloes Coenen wins by submission (armbar), round 3.
Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante vs. Josh Thomson – Round 1 – JZ comes forward throwing an overhand right. Head kick from Thomson is blocked. JZ furries in and appears to have accidently headbutted Thomson. JZ pushing him against the cage and working for a takedown but can’t get it. Another accidental headbut and now Thomson looks for the takedown and JZ locks up an arm in guillotine. Thomson looking to survive. JZ really torking the choke and Thomson is trying to ride it out. Thomson throwing punches to the body now and he pops his head out. Thomson opens up with some solid punches from the top now. JZ trying to work a leg up to catch a triangle and Thomson avoids Thomson in side control looking for an arm triangle and it’s in deep. The round ends with the hold locked in. Very close round but I’d give it to JZ close.
Round 2 – JZ opens up and almost catches Thomson but Josh puts JZ’s back into the cage. Thomson with a takedown now and he has JZ’s back. Thomson landing some punches now. Thomson almost locks in another arm triangle but JZ rolls and regains half guard. Thomson looking to get another arm triangle but abandons it landing a few big punches as the round ends. 10-9 Thomson.
Round 3 – Thomson shoots but can’t get the takedown. JZ throws a kick and Josh pushes him into the cage. JZ with a takedown and he ends up on top almost in a full mount as Thomson attempted a reverse. JZ now into full mount. Thomson regains butterfly guard. Thomson attempts the gogoplata and JZ postures through it. Back to standing now with two minutes left. Thomson shoots and eats some big punches and now is on his back with JZ in his full guard. Thomson manages to lock in a guillotine but Cavalcante pops out quickly. The round ends with JZ on top throwing a few punches. 10-9 JZ gives him a 29-28 win on my card but the first round was so close we’re clearly going to a split decision.
Judges Scorecards: 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27 all for Josh Thomson. Josh Thomson wins by unanimous decision.
Nick Diaz vs. KJ Noons – Round 1 – Leg kick right away by Diaz. Noons misses a big lunging hook. Jab lands for Dias and another. Noons using decent head movement to avoid early. Hook lands hard for Noons and a solid uppercut but Diaz with a takedown into side control. A few shoulder strikes from Diaz. Noons manages to get back to standing without taking too much damage. Nice right hand by Diaz. Noons is having trouble finding his range to strike. Diaz tries for a takedown and Noons shakes it off. Jab by Noons. Body shots by Noons but he eats to to the head. Both men trade big punches. Noons with two big punches as the round ends and it was still a clear 10-9 Diaz round. Replay clears up that Noons was knocked down early more than taken down.
Round 2 – Big left hook by Noons. Slick left hand by Diaz. Hard right by Diaz. Diaz shoots and can’t get the fight down. Noons opening up a little more this round and finding success. Jab and a right hand by Diaz and now Noons with a three jab combo. Nice leg kick by Diaz. Diaz is bleeding pretty badly over his right eye. Knee to the body by Noons. Hard body shots by Noons as he eats a few to the head. Right hand from Diaz. Nice three punch combo from Noons. He’s doing much better this round and doing damage. Knee to the body by Noons and a hard body shot. Nice flurry from Diaz and he looks to lock up Noons but KJ gets away. Head kick by Noons as the round ends. 10-9 Noons round.
Round 3 – Diaz shoots for the single and Noons avoids. Right hand by Diaz. Right hand by Noons and he goes to the body. Left hook lands hard for Noons and Diaz hits him with three hard shots for his trouble. Both men trade jabs. Noons with a nice combination and Diaz with a hard right. Diaz is landing at a good rate this round. Noons with a flurry of body punches. Diaz potshotting a little now. Noons looks to be getting tired and fading here. 10-9 round for Diaz.
Round 4 – Diaz throwing, and missing, a variety of kicks early. Diaz throws and misses and Noons lands in return. Now Diaz comes back with two solid punches. Overhand right by Diaz lands. Right hand by Diaz lands hard and Noons lands two soft return punches. Overhand right by Noons lands after he eats two from Diaz. Two nice jabs from Noons. Left hook from Noons. Nice jabs and a straight right by Diaz. Both men trade hard shots in tight to the head and body. Noons starting to land now. Knee from the thai clinch lands for Diaz and a hard right hand. The round ends and I had it close 10-9 Noons. The last round will decide it.
Round 5 – Noons with a hard punch and Diaz shoots and Noons manages to stay up. Right hand from Diaz. Head kick from Diaz. Diaz getting the better of the first minute. Noons missing with some big punches but he manages to avoid the takedown. Leaping left hook by Noons. Diaz with a knee to the body. Diaz is pulling away with a minute left. Both men throwing hard as the round end. 10-9 Diaz gives him the win by a round.
Official scorecards: 48-47, 49-47, 49-46 all for Nick Diaz. Nick Diaz wins by unanimous decision.
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