Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Final boasts highest ratings of the year

Saturday’s “Strikeforce: Heavyweight Grand Prix Final” held the promotion’s highest ratings of 2012. Both fights on the main card drew in 463,000 Showtime viewers according to MMAjunkie.com
This represents a steady rise from this year’s earlier events: “Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine” (January 2012): which drew in 344,000 viewers and “Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey” (March 2012) which was taken in by 431,000.
Both Headlining Fights went the distance with lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez defeating

Strikeforce Results Recap: Cormier and Melendez victorious in San Jose

Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier is in the books, and we saw some great action tonight, especially in the two main bouts. In the World Heavyweight Grand Prix Final, Josh Barnett and Daniel Cormier spent the first round in striking exchanges with Cormier coming out on top. Barnett hurt Cormier with a knee towards the end of the first. In the second, Cormier landed some good strikes before scoring a single leg takedown on Barnett. He landed some ground-and-pound and Barnett was unsuccessful with a few

Ronda Rousey: If the person doesn’t tap you keep going

On Saturday Strikeforce crowned a new Women’s Bantamweight Champion. Ronda Rousey took the title from Miesha Tate via an armbar that forced Tate to tap before the first round came to an end. The submission victory was Rousey’s fifth in five professional MMA fights, all coming in the first round and all coming via armbar.
The armbar left Tate’s arm twisted in what can kindly be called an unnatural angle prior to her tap.  There were some that said the referee should have stepped in

Kajan Johnson: I’m the kind of guy that likes to push the pace and bring it every second (Exclusive Interview)

The fight scene in my hometown of Vancouver is a very small world. Everyone seems to know everybody and we always seem to bump into someone we know all the time. I first met “Ragin” Kajan (pronounced Kay-Jaan) Johnson on my birthday at a popular night club last year. He was talking to my muay thai coach and they were discussing Kajan’s last fight from MFC 27 last November. I became a fan boy when I saw him at the club because he put on a hell of a performance against Ryan Healy and

Get to Know AKA – Exclusive Interview with Javier Mendez (Part 2)

For those that are not very familiar with the name, Javier Mendez is the founder, owner, and head trainer of the American Kickboxing Academy. Javier first made his name in the Martial Arts world as a two-time ISKA World Kickboxing Champion. After his illustrious career in Kickboxing was finished, he opened up AKA and became one of the top coaches in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts. Some of the greatest fighters to have ever lived have called the American Kickboxing Academy their home.
Frank Shamrock,

Get to Know AKA – Exclusive Interview with Javier Mendez (Part 1)

For those that are not very familiar with the name, Javier Mendez is the founder, owner, and head trainer of the American Kickboxing Academy. Javier first made his name in the Martial Arts world as a two-time ISKA World Kickboxing Champion. After his illunstrious career in Kickboxing was finished, he opened up AKA and became one of the top coaches in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts. Some of the greatest fighters to have ever lived have called the American Kickboxing Academy their home.
Frank Shamrock, BJ

King Mo joins the American Kickboxing Academy

Muhammed Lawal better known as King Mo is one of the most accomplished freestyle wrestlers to ever make the jump to Mixed Martial Arts. Mo was a Division One NCAA All-American wrestler for Oklahoma State University and at one time was even the number one ranked wrestler in the US in the -96kg division. When the King failed to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympic games, he took his skills from the mat, and applied them to MMA.
He flew to Japan, made his debut at Sengoku 5, and has never looked back since.

Maximo Blanco: My name is Maxi, and I’ll do my talking in the Octagon (Exclusive Interview)

“The Max Murderer” Maximo Blanco is a star in the world of Japanese Mixed Martial Arts. The 27 year old Venezuelan first made his name in the world of Combat Sports as a freestyle wrestler. He won a bronze medal in the 60kg division at the 2007 Pan American games and earned a scholarship to wrestle at the college level in Japan.
After failing to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic games, he made the jump into Mixed Martial Arts by being recruited by Sengoku, and began training at the