In the co-main event of the Strikeforce: "Barnett vs. Cormier" fight card that took place last night (Sat., May 19, 2012) at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California, Gilbert Melendez retained his lightweight championship with a split decision victory over Josh Thomson.

And completed their trilogy by going up 2-1 in the process.

It didn't come without some controversy, however. Indeed, the fight was a hotly contested bout over five rounds and 25 minutes of action that saw quite a few ups and downs, too many swings in momentum to count.

Ultimately, the judges awarded the fight to Melendez by scores of 48-47, 47-48 and 48-47.

As is usually the case in close contests like this, the fine folks at Fight Metric quickly released their report to show the statistical analysis on top of what we all witnessed ourselves. The report agrees with the two judges who scored the bout for Melendez, although it shows how very close it actually was.

Get striking, grappling and performance ratings after the jump.

First, the striking:

As you can see, Melendez was better everywhere and if you look at the round-by-round breakdown, there isn't a single one that is scored in favor of Thomson. But that's just one aspect of the fight, of course.

Onto the grappling:

"El Nino" was successful on five of his 10 takedown attempts, though he did very little once he got Thomson to the floor. "The Punk," meanwhile, scored just two takedowns but is credited with a pass to back mount and two submission attempts.

Remember that fourth round where he very nearly ended the fight? Yeah, that was his big one.

After looking at both and breaking down all five rounds, the performance ratings were razor thin:

Thomson was that close to winning the lightweight championship. It was a close fight, there's no questioning that, but the stats would seem to back up the judges.

Do you Maniacs agree? Or did you think Thomson should have been given the nod?

For a more detailed breakdown of their fight click here and for complete Strikeforce: "Barnett vs. Cormier" results and blow-by-blow coverage of all the night's action click here.

Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier wasn't the best card ever, but it was pretty decent. Daniel Cormier truly arrived as a top heavyweight with a mostly one-sided victory over Josh Barnett to claim the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, and it will definitely be interesting to see what they do with him next. On the other hand, Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez just barely squeaked by nemesis Josh Thomson in a performance that clearly hurt his stock a bit. Where he goes from here will be just as interesting, and no, it will not be to the UFC.

Let's take a look at the events this evening.

• Barnett said in his post-fight interview that he broke his hand in the first round, which obviously affected him a bit. It's no excuse, but I wonder if things would have gone any differently if that didn't happen. I wasn't exactly enamored with Cormier putting it on cruise control in the fifth, just holding Barnett against the cage and circling away a lot without engaging. I get why, but it still irks me a bit when guys do that.
• Melendez made it clear in the post-fight interview that he was in a no-win situation by taking this fight, and he was 100% right. A finish would have been the only way to really make a statement. Instead, he barely won and was in clear danger at one point. Thomson is crafty and those trips are truly works of art, but there's no way that anyone can call Melendez the number one lightweight in the world after that fight tonight. And a possible fourth fight would be even worse for him.

Much more after the jump.

SBN coverage of Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier

• The disorganized post-fight interview after Melendez vs. Thomson was all kinds of weird.
  
• I've always been a fan of Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante, and I'm not quite sure why. He's a nice guy and a tough fighter, and he absolutely blasted Mike Kyle tonight. That knee was deadly and taking that slam while continuing to hold onto the guillotine was excellent. It's pretty clear that Feijao should meet Gegard Mousasi for the vacant Strikeforce light heavyweight title as soon as possible.
  
• Chris Spang surprised me. After getting handled in his last fight, he took his time early in tonight's bout with Nah-Shon Burrell, then just lit him up when he had him hurt. I couldn't believe how many knees it took to put Burrell down, but it seemed like the ref wasn't going to to stop it until he did. I'm not a big fan of fights getting stopped when a guy is still standing, but that certainly looked like a good time for it.
• Gesias Cavalcante started strong and faded badly late once again. I'm a big JZ fan, but it's pretty clear he's not going to be a top lightweight any longer. Isaac Vallie-Flagg looked pretty good and while I don't think he's going to be fighting Gilbert Melendez soon or anything, he definitely raised his stock with that performance.
• Guto Inocente looks like someone to watch out for in the future. His striking was on point and he absolutely blasted Virgil Zwicker with everything imaginable. Zwicker showed an absolute iron chin and a ton of heart by taking all that and continuing to fire away with his own offense. They both gassed badly and it was sloppy at the end, but that was definitely my favorite fight of the night.
• Gian Villante seems like a natural next opponent for Inocente with his workmanlike win over Derrick Mehmen. He hurt Mehmen twice in the first and looked good in the bout, but it wasn't an overwhelming performance or anything. He didn't really show a lot of killer instinct.
  
• Yuri Villefort frustrated me. He has a wealth of talent and his submission escapes were really crafty, but he just couldn't stop the takedown. The prospect battle fell kind of flat, and neither looked ready to step up onto a bigger stage.
• I used to like Heidi Androl. I always thought she did a good job on LA Kings broadcasts, but she's absolutely dreadful at handling interviews in Strikeforce. Trying to create drama between Tim Kennedy and Luke Rockhold was awkward, and Ronda Rousey looked like she wanted to hurt her (again). She's got to go.

Mixed martial arts has always had a strong connection with professional wrestling, owing its sports entertainment rival a debt of gratitude not only for much of the financial success the UFC has witnessed over the last decade but also for the sport's very existence. Recent stories have highlighted this relationship while also revealing a trend which sees the two growing even more intertwined.

One of the bigger stories in professional wrestling this year has been the return of Brock Lesnar - and with him "legitimacy" - to the WWE. Where in past years Vince McMahon and company have made a conscious effort to keep the upstart UFC at arms length, current storylines see them embracing Brock's real fighting accomplishments and using it in what may even be described as some sort of meta "WWE versus UFC" plot. His violent and realistic confrontations with John Cena, which always come with an underlying threat that he may at some point decide to fight for real, hearkens to the earlier era of kayfabe.

Bellator and TNA, two companies that share a home on Spike, have taken this fusing of professional wrestling and mixed martial arts to another level with their recent signing of Muhammed Lawal. While other fighters have worked as wrestlers before, during, or after their careers in the cage, King Mo's deal with the two is unique to North American promoters (but not to Japanese). Obviously they are hoping that their joint promotion, and the resulting synergy, will appeal to the numerous crossover fans that the two "sports" share. That events inside the Bellator cage may serve as plot devices for simultaneous TNA storylines, highlights the potential blurring of the lines.

One fighter who has already done what King Mo is attempting is Josh Barnett, who for years alternated between fighting for real and choreographing his combat in the rings of Japan. The mic work he picked up as part of his puroresu experiences has served him well in the lead up to tonight's contest against Daniel Cormier for the Strikeforce Grand Prix championship. Barnett's pro-wrestling background also provides a stark contrast with Cormier, who brings with him what is generally viewed as a more "legitimate" wrestling resume, having reached the uppermost echelons of amateur (or "real") wrestling.

Of course, Barnett would probably take offense to this comparison, having, in recent interviews, seen fit to defend professional wrestling's effectiveness as a training ground for combat:

... I feel really proud of a professional wrestling lineage, I feel pride in trying to re-connect those Amateur Wrestling roots to the combat aspects of wrestling, and also the history and the lineage of where Professional Wrestling came from. It's not fake, you know? I can't stand it when people go "Oh, but it's fake, right?" ... It's not fake! You can call it whatever you want, but don't say it's fake. I'm not joking out there, I'm not playing around, it's not a game to me. It's real, and I take it very seriously because I'm trying to show everything that we have as athletes out there in the ring, trying to show all the emotions and aspects that go into a fight and a struggle between two competitors.

... Pro Wrestlers used to be considered some of the toughest guys in the world back in the day. It didn't matter if they were out there working, their pedigree was otherwise, and anybody that wanted to step up to them learned the hard way.

Coincidentally, parallels can be found between all three of these stories and a contest nearly a century ago, one that saw many of the same conflicts present. "Kayfabe" versus reality. "Worked" bouts versus real "shoots". Amateur Olympic wrestling versus professional catch-as-catch-can. All of these were present in the match between Nat Pendleton and John Pesek, one of the last great "shoots" in professional wrestling.

In the early 1920's, Ed "Strangler" Lewis was the dominant force in professional wrestling. Along with athletic superstars like Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsey, Lewis' exploits made front-page headlines in the newspaper sports sections. Lewis and his partner/manager, Billy Sandow, maintained a powerful headlock on the lucrative heavyweight crown. Along with their associates, they were cleaning up at the box office around the country.

- "Catch Wrestling" by Mark S. Hewitt

This was the era of what would later be referred to as the "Gold Dust Trio", a "Trust" that solidified control of professional wrestling in the United States. It was they, according to Marcus Griffin in the 1937 book "Fall Guys: the Barnums of Bounce", who were responsible for introducing the terms "shoot" (referring to a real match) and "worked" (denoting one where the wrestlers were merely putting on a show for the audience) and it was they who introduced the fast-paced, acrobatic "Slam Bang Western Style Wrestling", thereby destroying the public's interest in traditional wrestling.

"Practically overnight Billy Sandow became the coast-to-coast wrestling Czar, and he cracked the whip over meat tossers and promoters alike in the style expected of royal rulers."

(It should be noted that the name "Gold Dust Trio" wasn't coined until 1937 when Marcus Griffin's muckracker came out and that his book is the only source that identifies "Toots" Mondt as a member of the "Trust")

It was in 1923 that promoter Jack Curley attempted to get back into the big leagues of professional wrestling. A successful boxing and film promoter, he had also been, a decade earlier, one of the big shots of the mat game, having been the man who put together the biggest professional wrestling event in history: the 1911 match between Frank Gotch and George Hackenschmidt that was witnessed by over 30,000 fans in Chicago's Comiskey Park and by millions more in theaters around the World. He had since been cut out of the business by Sandow, Lewis, and their allies and was desperate to get back in.

To do so, Curley would have to take on the Trust, and to do that he needed a wrestler that would not only be able capture the public's interest, but one talented enough to also be able to legitimately capture the belt. A tall order, indeed, but Curley had the perfect man for such a task. One Nat Pendleton.

via 1.bp.blogspot.com

Pendleton had all the traits necessary for the job: handsome, strong, and one hell of a wrestler. Born in 1895, in the heartland of wrestling, Iowa, the 200 pound plus grappler had twice been the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association champion (in 1914 and 1915) and twice been crowned the AAU champion before representing the United States at the 1920 Olympic games in both Freestyle and Greco-Roman. There he took the Silver in Freestyle after the referee controversially overturned the judges decision in the final match.

Confident in Pendleton's abilities, Curley looked to challenge the Trust, starting with the Boston Market. There he and Pendleton ridiculed the current state of wrestling and their "merry-go-round" antics, claiming that Pendleton could throw anyone, including the Trust's biggest star and current champion, Evan "The Strangler" Lewis. Paul Bowser, the member of the Trust who ran Boston and was thus feeling the heat, looked for help in derailing the pairs scheme. Enter the "Nebraskan Tigerman", John Pesek.

via stat.ameba.jp

Pesek was a notoriously skilled, tough, and, when necessary, brutal wrestler, who specialized in all the holds that had been banned from the amateur game: double-wrist locks, strangleholds, head and body scissors, toe-holds, and slams, He also served as the Policeman for the Trust, a job description that required him to keep other wrestlers in line and to protect the champ from any potential "Trustbusters". Pesek had served in this capacity on many occasions, most famously a couple of years earlier in a contest against Marin Plestina at Madison Square Garden, when the giant Serbian was making hay about the top wrestlers being afraid to face him in a legitimate contest. Pesek was sent in to shut him up by whatever methods necessary.

According to a New York Times reporter at the scene:
Pesek resorted to his foul work soon after the match started. His favorite trick was gouging. The Nebraskan had a penchant for digging the thumb of his left hand into the right eye of Plestina, and he followed this course in such exaggerated measures as to compel Referee Fleeson to caution him in the first five minutes...
...Between applications of this hold, as the men struggled on their feet, Pesek gouged repeatedly. Tiring of gouging, Pesek resorted to butting, and several times jolted Plestina's head back as the Nebraskan dove in head first...
...Pesek butted and gouged, gouged and butted, and the crowd's temper rose with each successive butt and poke of the thumbs...

Eventually, with the crowd threatening to riot if Pesek's fouling was not stopped, Referee Fleeson disqualified the Tigerman and awarded all three falls to Plestina. Afterwards both Pesek and his manager were banned from ever again competing in New York, but they had been successful in their assignment. A tamed Plestina now went along with whatever the Trust asked, less he be forced to undergo another lesson.

This was the man Pendleton would be facing.

The whole fascinating story of their contest was chronicled in the pages of the Boston Post and is reprinted below (having been retrieved from "Wrestling as We Liked It" Vol. 1 No. 68, by J. Michael Kenyon)

WINNER TO TAKE ALL IN MATCH
(Boston Post, January 21, 1923)
For the first time in many years, either in this city or elsewhere, two
wrestlers will battle on Thursday night under a bonafide agreement wherein
 the winner takes all.

And the taking of all will mean, not only 50 per cent of the gate receipts,
but a purse that may total well up toward $10,000.

The principals are to be Nat Pendleton of New York, the ex-Columbia College
champion and claimant of the Olympic title, and an "unknown" grappler, the
latter to represent Paul Bowser of this city.

The main requirements of the contest are that Bowser's "unknown" shall throw
Pendleton twice in 75 minutes or admit defeat; also, that he shall weight not
more than 190 pounds the night of the battle.

The mat will be placed on the stage of the Grand Opera House and will be
surrounded by ring ropes, as signs point to a melee that is likely to border
on the furious. "Cyclone" Burns, the veteran wrestler and coach at Tech, who
understands the game all the way and whose honesty has never been questioned,
has been selected to referee the affair.

Irrespective of how the contest on Thursday night may result, it is to be
followed by another fray the night of Feb. 15, on which occasion Pendleton
has engaged to throw Paul Bowser twice in 75 minutes or forfeit a big part of
the gate and all of the purse.

While the wrestling bouts of the last few weeks in particular have been
drawing some big houses in this city, that of Thursday appears likely to break
all record for the Grand Opera House. Already the Howard Theatre management,
under whose direction Paul Bowser has arranged the tourney, has received
requisitions for tickets from New York and Philadelphia, to say nothing of a
big home demand.

There is a chance that Bowser may change his original plan and make known the
identity of his protégé before the night of the battle. There has been much
speculation for weeks as to just who the chap may be, with the general trend
favoring George Kotsonaros, Renato Gardini and John Pesek, all having been
mentioned.

Should it be one of these three or another grappler altogether, whoever he is
he will have his work cut out for him on Thursday night. Pendleton makes the
boast of never having had his shoulders put to the mat, and as he weighs a
good 200 pounds, is a finished matman and can remain on the defensive the
entire 75 minutes if he so pleases, it is going to be one big proposition to
throw him.

The history of handicap matches of late in this city has been the defeat of
the challenger, George Calza, failing to throw Kotsonaros and Joe Stecher
missing out in his endeavor to toss Calza.

PENDLETON PUTS UP $2,000 TOWARD PURSE
(Boston Post, Sunday, January 21, 1923)

The big mat battle between Nat Pendleton of New York and Paul Bowser's
"Unknown," set for Jan. 25 at the Grand Opera House, was clinched last night
beyond question.

Pendleton wired to Jack Conway $2,000, which he wishes to be added to the
purse offered by the Howard Theatre, stating that he planned to wire $2,000
more before Thursday.

Bowser has agreed to contribute a like amount to the purse, dollar for dollar,
before 12 o'clock midnight, Tuesday.

The conditions of the match require Bowser's "Unknown" to throw Pendleton
twice in 75 minutes or forfeit the entire purse, gate receipts, etc.

JOHN PESEK WILL BE THE 'UNKNOWN'
(Boston Post, January 25, 1923)
By Doc Almy

They're going to "shoot" tonight, Nat Pendleton of New York vs. John Pesek of
 Omaha, Neb.

Not with "gats," of course, but "shoot" is the term applied when two wrestlers
mean business without fancy trimmings.

And at the Grand Opera House tonight, Pendleton and Pesek have plenty of
incentive for meaning business, for the chap who loses merely gets three
cheers.

All of the rest, a purse amounting to $7,000 and the entire end of the gate
receipts set aside by the Howard Theatre management for the matmen, goes to
the victor. No provision is made even for paying the carfare home of the
vanquished warrior.

It's a mutual agreement: nothing one-sided about it. It's all down in the
articles drawn up for the contest, several of which, those pertaining to the
rules governing tonight's fray, appeared in the Boston Post of Wednesday.

The main feature of tonight's fray is this: Pesek, under the agreement made
for him by Paul Bowswer, manager of the wrestling at the Grand, must put
Pendleton's shoulders to the mat twice in 75 minutes, pin falls of three
seconds duration, or be declared the loser. All that Pendleton has to do to
win is keep his shoulders off the mat for one hour and a quarter and, if he
succeeds, he connects with all the cash in the house and goes home with it.

Gouging, kicking, biting, hair-pulling and all that sort of stuff is barred,
and the matman that starts any of it tonight has a chance of bowing himself
off the mat and out of the cash. "Cyclone" Burns, the veteran Boston wrestler
and referee, in his day considered one of the best matmen in the East, and
whose honesty has never been questioned, will be the third man on the mat
tonight.

He will punish by disqualification any funny business by either of the
 contestants. It would gbe well for the men not to try to pull anything on the
"Cyclone," for he had just as soon as not toss either offender off the mat.The
chap who is disqualified loses.

Concerning Pesek, he has the name of being a rip-snorter when under full head
of steam. He weighs under 190 pounds, one of the requirements placed on him
tonight, but for all of that, it is fact and not fiction that he has the big
leaguers of the matmen flock, from Ed Lewis, the champion, down along, all
stepping on their own feet. By close followers of the game, it may be recalled
that Pesek provided the "bout on the level" that Joe Marsh had so long been
seeking for his protégé, Marin Plestina, it having been the plaint of manager
and man that everyone wanted the latter to "lay down." Pesek met Plestina in
New York and again in Chicago and not much has been heard from Plestina since.

"My man is not a foul wrestler or unnecessarily rough," declared Pesek's
 manager, Max Baumann, yesterday, "but when an opponent fouls him, he will not
tamely submit to it. Wladek Zbyszko tried that stuff, foul holds, and finally
Pesek, after warning him a dozen times, whacked him on the jaw for a down and
out. The next time they met Pesek threw him twice, two beautiful thuds to the
mat, both in 29 minutes."

Paul Bowser thinks that Pesek will score the first fall tonight within 15
minutes, but there are plenty who do not agree with him. Pendleton knows
wrestling, has been training for weeks for the fray tonight and as he has
merely to act on the defensive, should be able to avoid anything like a quick
defeat. It has been demonstrated in this city within a month that handicap
matches usually result in a victor for the chap on the defensive.
In one of the preliminary matches tonight will appear Stanley Stasiak, the
giant Pole, who is trying to coax George Calza into a match with him. He
declares that he can tie the big Italian boy into a bow knot.

FACTS CONCERNING TONIGHT'S BOUT

Place -- Grand Opera House.
Time -- 8 o'clock.
Principals -- Nat Pendleton, New York, vs. John Pesek, Omaha, Neb.
Weights -- Pendleton, 202 pounds; Pesek, 190 pounds.
Rules -- Police Gazette, catch-as-catch-can.
Conditions -- Pesek must throw Pendleton two three-second pin falls in 75
minutes to win.
Referee -- "Cyclone" Burns of Boston.
Purse -- $7,000, contributed by wrestlers and Howard Theatre management. Added
to the purse will be 50 per cent of the Grand Opera House gate receipts,
bringing the total up to more than $8,500. Winner takes everything.

Second match -- Feb. 15, in Boston, when Pendleton agrees to throw Paul Bowser
twice in 75 minutes, winner-take-all, under foregoing conditions of rules,
purse, etc.

PESEK WINNER OVER PENDLETON
(Boston Post, January 26, 1923)
By Doc Almy

John Pesek of Omaha, Neb., defeated Nat Pendleton of New York, former ex-
Columbia and Olympic champion, two straight falls, in their handicap match at
the Grand Opera House last night.
The first fall was won by the Westerner in 35 minutes and 20 seconds, and the
second in 5 minutes and 32 seconds, less than 41 minutes of actual time.

To the victor went 50 per cent of the gate receipts, amounting to about
$2,000, and in addition, the purse amounting to $6000, the largest amount of
spare cash ever corralled by a grappler in this city.

Both falls were incidental to a toe hold, Pendleton resigning in the first
round to save his right leg from being broken when Pesek put on the inside leg
and toe grip, made famous by the late Frank Gotch. In the second round, a
crash to the floor damaged Pendleton's right arm, and, a moment later, when
Pesek began to put pressure on the right ankle, which had been injured at the
time of the first hold, Nat gave up the battle.

The handicap time for the match was 75 minutes, Pesek being obliged to throw
his man twice in that time or acknowledge himself defeated.

"Cyclone" Burns refereed the fray, but had little to do other than to watch
that neither man committed a foul. Neither attempted any rough stuff, however,
and the fray was battled out on its merits, both men wrestling clean
throughout, with never even a caution from the arbiter.

Pendleton had a majority of the more than 3,000 spectators that crowed the 
theatre to the doors with him, and when he had held Pesek off for more than
half an hour and seemed likely to evade defeat, the fans gave him round after
round of cheers.

While at times the New Yorker took the aggressive, he was the challenged and
consequently kept pretty much to the defensive. He knew that Pesek's best and
most dangerous hold was a double wristlock, also, that the Nebraskan would not
hesitate to put on a wicked toe hold if the opportunity presented.
Consequently, the bulk, of his work was to guard against these two grips.

Within the first five minutes Pesek, by working his man into the ropes, which
was one of the big points in his attack, succeeded in getting behind, and,
bringing Pendleton to the floor, got on the double wrist-lock from the side. It
was a wicked one and in the battle to escape, Pendleton and his tormentor
rolled about the mat. Pesek got a head scissors in addition to the wrist and
it looked mighty bad for the ex-Columbian. Nat bridged, however, until Pesek
loosened up a bit, and then rolled out of it and escaped.

Once later in the match Pesek got the same hold and again Pendleton broke it,
the fans cheering him madly. From attacks on the wrists, Pesek shifted to the
toe, getting what appeared to many as a leg scissors, which seemed unlikely to
amount to very much. John knew what he was doing, however, and so did Nat, and
for the time the New Yorker thwarted the attempt.

Finally, after they had been at it for about 35 minutes, Pesek got the right
toe, and at the same moment, Pendleton clapped onto Pesek's foot. It was a
case of a double toe hold. Pesek kicked his foot free, doubled Pendleton's
right leg over his own and put on the pressure. In a moment the leg would have
been broken.

"Stop, stop," called Pendleton, resigning the fall. He had saved his leg but
lost the first fall. He was helped to his corner by William Wanzer, who was
acting as his manager in the absence of Stuart Robson, that mentor being ill
in New York.

After 10 minutes' rest, the bout was resumed, but was a bit one-sided because
of Nat's badly strained right ankle. In a roll, Pesek came down to Nat's right
arm, injuring that. It was then but a matter of a few minutes, Pesek getting
hold of the damaged foot. Nat resigned the fall to end the match.

Following the bout it developed that Pendleton was not the only injured man. 
Pesek, with a right thumb torn and bleeding and his right arm swollen from
blood poison, an attack which came on three weeks ago, was in agony from the
moment the fray began. He went onto the mat against the orders of two
physicians to show the fans that he was game, though by the articles he was
obliged to.

"Pendleton was shipped on here by Curley," declared Max Baumann, manager of 
Pesek, "because he thought Nat could whip Pesek and that would get my man away
from the two Zbyszkos, whom Pesek has been worrying all over the country. I
want to say right here and now that Pesek has thrown Wladek Zbyszko twice in
less than 28 minutes, the second fall in one minute and a half, and can do it
 again.

"What's more, he can throw and challenges to meet him, any many that Curley
can find. Pesek will treat them one and all as he did Pendleton here tonight,
only his hand will be right next time and he will do it quicker.

"And this goes for George Calza of New York, also, only in his case, we will
wager any part of $5,000 and wrestle winner take all that Pesek throws him
twice in 75 minutes. We will take this match on any time within two weeks."

Pendleton was pretty well broken up over the affair. "I knew what I was up
against," he said, after the out, "that I had a dangerous man."

"However, I did not fear him. I guarded against his pet holds, and, as you
know, broke his wristlock several times, something few grapplers have been
able to do. Unhappily, however, I forgot my foot and that cost me the match. I
am satisfied that Pesek is not my master on the mat and later on will
challenge him for another contest. Tell the wrestling fans that my match with
Paul Bowser for Feb. 15 is on and that I will be back here again and will be
the victor next time."

In the preliminary bouts, Louis Andrews threw Frank Wilson 26 minutes with a
double arm lock and Stan Stasiak beat Jack Taylor in 1 minute and 30 seconds
with a double wrist lock.

[An interesting side-note relating to the injured thumb and blood poisoning Pesek reportedly entered the ring with. According to Bowser this injury was self-inflicted:
"This Pesek turns out to be a very shrewd fellow. Just in case he loses, he feels he should have an alibi so what does he do? So help me, he puts his thumb on a table and smacks it with a hammer, breaking it up into little pieces, just so he will have a good excuse if he gets licked."]

With Pendleton's loss Curley's dreams of returning to the top of the wrestling business were destroyed. As the Brooklyn Daily Eagle elegantly summed it up, "Pesek did manage to claw and chew up Curly financially by the simple method of throwing down Curley's one best bet, Nat Pendleton, the former Olympic champion." Within a month Curley was announcing his retirement from the business:
It was with a voice trembling with emotion that Curley took his farewell of the grapplers. According to a witness, "Curley paid the sport a glowing tribute and declared that he has never known it to be in a healthier condition than now." It is because of its extreme health that Curley is leaving it. In the days when it was unhealthy and attracting money, Curley could not feel justified in separating himself from such a condition. But now that the grapplers are strong and husky from not being overburdened with wealth, Curley feels that he can say au revoir, if not goodbye, to the men with whom he has been associated so many years.

For his part, Pendleton stuck around a few more years but was never allowed to become a major star by the powers-that-be. Eventually he left the wrestling business for Hollywood where he had a semi-successful film acting career.

In the end it was the Trust, and the new model of professional wrestling it represented, which had won. Its control of the business was now absolute, making impossible any return to legitimate contests. Ironically enough, in the aftermath of the match, it was Pesek and his manager, Bauman, who took to taunting and challenging the top wrestlers of the Trust. Unfortunately, Pesek had been too effective in his role as Policeman and the Trust members could now afford to ignore his challenges. Worse yet, when a few years later Pesek managed to arrange a match with the champ, Joe Stecher, which he then turned into a "shoot" and won, the "sport" was at a point where the referee could simply overturn the results and freely reward the victory to the loser.

The era of "shoot" had passed. At least for the time being.

The Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix tournament is finally over.

It started back on Feb. 12, 2011, when Antonio Silva shocked the world by beating Fedor Emelianenko into a pulp to force a stoppage in the quarterfinals. Earlier in the evening, Sergei Kharitonov knocked out Andrei Arlovski in the first round to advance on the other side of the bracket.

Then on June 18, 2011, Alistair Overeem won a bizarre fight against Fabricio Werdum while Josh Barnett ran through Brett Rogers to set up the semifinals. Sadly, "The Reem" was cut from Strikeforce not long after this and headed for the UFC in the winter.

All was well, because his replacement, Daniel Cormier, would go on to become the tournament champion.

He knocked out "Bigfoot" Silva in the first round of their semifinal contest on Sept. 10, 2011, while Barnett submitted his second straight opponent to lead to their showdown that went down earlier tonight (Sat., May 19, 2012) at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California.

Cormier dominated the fight, showing off his wide range of skills and silencing any and all remaining doubters. Despite his age and relative lack of experience, this man is a beast who can seriously go once the cage door closes. The future holds one last fight under the Strikeforce banner before a move to the Octagon and the greener pastures of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

Allow me to channel Bart Scott while also speaking for everyone when I say -- can't wait.

For a detailed breakdown of Cormier's unanimous decision win over Barnett click here and for complete Strikeforce: "Barnett vs. Cormier" results and blow-by-blow coverage of all the night's action click here.

The finals of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix finally went on - with Josh Barnett, the favorite from that half of the bracket, facing Daniel Cormier, an alternate who was not even supposed to be in the tournament. Cormier put on a star-making performance and came out with the decision victory - although both men obviously could compete with the elite of any heavyweight division in the world.

The first round saw Daniel Cormier outstriking the much more experienced Josh Barnett, although both men landed significant blows.

In the second round, Cormier took Barnett down after some crisper boxing from Josh made him think twice about engaging on the feet. Cormier's elbows made a mess of Barnett's face and he evaded the leglock and armbar attempts as well.

A high altitude slam off a single leg was the best part of Round 3. Cormier tossed Barnett completely upside down after some relatively even striking trades. As befitting his nickname (The Warmaster), Barnett kept going and never broke mentally. Cormier slowed as the round wend on, but did enough to take it on most unofficial cards.

In Round 4, Cormier displayed his excellent fight instincts by shifting seamlessly throughout all phases of the MMA game. Barnett fired back in an astounding display of resiliency, but again lost the round.

Fifth round had Daniel Cormier easing down into cruise control, defending all of Barnett's attempts to get what would have been one of the greatest comebacks of MMA history started. In the end, Cormier took all five rounds and has vaulted from an alternate to this Grand Prix to its winner and perhaps one of the top five heavyweights on the planet. Barnett looked impressive in defeat as well and as a whole, this fight rocked.

The Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix FINALLY concluded tonight (Sat., May 19, 2012) at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California, as Josh Barnett met Daniel Cormier in the finals to determine who went home with the tournament belt.

Barnett got here by submitting both Brett Rogers and Sergei Kharitonov via arm triangle while Cormier entered as an alternate in place of Alistair Overeem and knocked out Antonio Silva in the first round. And more than one year after it started, a winner was crowned.

Congratulations, Daniel Cormier, the honor is yours.

It's fitting, really, that an alternate was the man to ultimately win the fractured tournament. In reality, he deserves the victory, though, as he absolutely outclassed Barnett throughout five rounds of action. He was better in the standing exchanges, a better striker, was better wrestling and even showed solid submission defense.

Take a bow, "DC," this one's all yours.

Cormier showed his highly improved striking game early, landing both kicks and punches that appeared to make Barnett extremely uncomfortable. He also looked faster and more powerful than his opponent.

They worked some in the clinch with Barnett landing some solid knees but Cormier looked very comfortable in there with the vested veteran. In fact, he was in control until the final 20 seconds when Barnett landed a knee and a big follow up punch that had Cormier aggressively trying to clinch to avoid further damage.

Barnett was more aggressive to open the second round while Cormier stayed patient and picked his spots. Both men found success at various points, with Barnett's weapon of choice, a knee, doing solid damage when he employed it.

The clinch game was mostly a wash, though Cormier was scoring with punches on the way out.

The first takedown of the fight came with 2:30 remaining in the second, as Cormier tripped Barnett and ended up in his full guard. Barnett started throwing submission attempts, working for an arm and a leg but he was taking damage while doing so.

In fact, his face was a crimson mask as the round came to a close.

Round three came and Barnett pushed forward as the aggressor early. He worked for a takedown from a single to a double but Cormier's overhooks stifled that attempt. As pointed out by the commentators earlier in the evening, Cormier has never been taken down under the Strikeforce banner.

Barnett didn't become the first to do so here.

They went back to exchanging and Cormier continued showing off his new-found skill. Suddenly, Cormier used a single leg high crotch to send Barnett flying through the air with a big slam takedown right into side control.

Wow.

Barnett managed to get back to his feet without much issue but it made for a dramatic visual and showed more of Cormier's skill set.

He teased another slam but instead landed a big head kick later that stunned Barnett. "The Warmaster" covered up against the fence but was subjected to big shots against the cage. He recovered enough to answer with a big uppercut that halted the onslaught but Cormier remained aggressive by taking his back standing up.

The round came to a close with both men simply recovering in the clinch.

Round four opened and Barnett had a sense of urgency that wasn't evident previously. He pushed forward and started working those big knees again but Cormier was able to keep a good distance and maintain the range he wanted the fight at.

This led to more head kicks that were landing enough to create the sickening slap sound but not enough to put Barnett on his butt. "The Warmaster's" only offense came by way of knees rushing in and even a spinning back fist in this round.

Cormier again worked a single leg takedown and got it but Barnett snatched a leg lock. The submission attempt failed and Cormier ended up back on top in full guard, once again in control of the contest.

The referee stood them back up where they closed the round clinched against the cage.

One more to go and Cormier was firmly in control.

Round five was academic. Barnett needed a finish but Cormier was far too game to let it happen. It's too bad there was so little buzz for this event because this was the star making turn for Cormier, who turned in an outstanding performance.

Just one more bout and he's UFC bound, folks. What do you think about that?

Remember, too, to check out MMAmania.com's complete coverage of the Strikeforce: "Barnett vs. Cormier" event by clicking here.

As with every major show, Bloody Elbow will be here to bring you live results, play by play and commentary for Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier. Our live coverage will start with the prelim card on Showtime Extreme (8 p.m. ET) through the Showtime main card (10 p.m. ET) so make sure to make Bloody Elbow your home for this event.

This post will cover live results and thoughts for the Showtime main card.

The main card features four bouts. The show will kick off with a welterweight bout between Nah-Shon Burrell and Chris Spang, and will be followed by a light heavyweight battle between strikers Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante and Mike Kyle. The co-main event is for the Strikeforce lightweight title, which champion Gilbert Melendez meets Josh Thomson for the third time. The main event will decide the winner of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, and veteran Josh Barnett meets the undefeated Daniel Cormier.

Make sure to come back during the event and share your thoughts as the event goes down.

Nah-Shon Burrell vs. Chris Spang

Round 1: Pretty measured first minute. Burrell finally opened up a bit and connected with a combo. Spang came back with an outside leg kick. Side kick to the stomach from Spang, then a head kick. He came charging in but ate a left hook from Burrell. They clinched against the fence with Spang looking for a takedown. Spang with two knees and a standing elbow. Good uppercut from Burrell. Spang dropped Burrell with a punch then swarmed him. He landed a solid dozen knees with the thai clinch. Over and over and over came the knees, can't believe Burrell's still standing. Finally Spang does enough to get Burrell to go down and referee Josh Rosenthal mercifully jumped in and stopped it.

Chris Spang defeated Nah-Shon Burrell via knockout at 1:35 of the first round

Rafael Cavalcante vs. Mike Kyle

Round 1:Feijao strafed him with an awkward punch and landed a solid knee to a ducked-down Kyle that dropped him. Feijao swarmed him but Kyle looked okay. Feijao slapped on a standing guillotine and jumped on him. Kyle held on for a while and tried to slam his way out of it but Feijao held on tight. Kyle had no choice but to tap.

Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante defeated Mike Kyle via submission (guillotine) at 33 seconds of the first round

Gilbert Melendez vs. Josh Thomson

Round 1: Good exchange to start. Thomson use a front kick. Melendez got inside with an uppercut. Thomson got a trip takedown but Gil popped right up. Good counter knee from Thomson. Melendez shot in and got the takedown against the cage. He tried to wrap up the legs with Thomson in a sitting position. Thomson made it up and the they exchanged punches.Thomson changed stances a few times. Melendez landed an uppercut and a nice knee to the gut. Melendez landed a straight right while Thomson looked to clinch. Good knee from Thomson inside. Melendez landed a combination. Gil with a left. Pretty measured first round. Thomson landed a nice combination. Melendez caught a kick and dumped Thomson to the mat at the bell. 10-9 Melendez.

Round 2: They started the second with a little more oomph. Melendez landed a combo and looked for a takedown. Thomson shucked him off and landed a front kick to the face. Left hook landed for Melendez. Gil dug to the body with a solid right. Melendez backed up Thomson against the cage and landed a couple of punches, but Thomson deftly evaded most of them. The pace slowed once again in the middle of the round. Thomson came forward with a solid combination. Melendez landed a body shot and an uppercut. Thomson got poked in the eye, but didn't take much time to get back to it. Melendez landed a counter right and a couple of jabs. Thomson started to brawl a bit. Another body shot from Melendez, and he scooped Thomson up and deposited him on his back against the cage. Thomson got back up but ate three punches on the way. Melendez stuffed a Thomson takedown attempt. 10-9 Melendez.

Round 3: Melendez peppered three jabs in Thomson's face while Thomson threw a head kick. Another head kick was blocked. Melendez with a solid combination. Thomson blocked a takedown attempt but Melendez landed three straight punches. That seemed to fire up Thomson, who came forward with a barrage of strikes. Both fighters landed right hooks. Uppercut from Melendez. Thomson hit a crafty trip, but Melendez rolled backwards and back to his feet. Melendez landed to the body once again. Melendez with a left hook and a jab. Melendez got in close and landed two straight uppercuts, but Josh got free and landed a three-punch combo of his own. Thomson got poked in the eye once again, but there was no break. Melendez sprawled on a Thomson takedown attempt. Melendez landed a left hook. 10-9 Melendez once again.

Round 4: Melendez' eye looked pretty banged up. Thomson with a body kick.Thomson landed a left hook that might have stunned the champ slightly. Melendez scooped Thomson up and deposited him on the mat. Melendez with a nice combination and uppercut. Thomson comes back with a front kick. Gil drops down for another takedown. Melendez contined to walk Thomson down a bit, but couldn't land much. Thomson finally came forward himself with a head kick. Thomson with another trip takedown and he actually got on top of Gil this time. Melendez rolled away but Thomson took his back and sunk in a rear naked choke. Melendez fought it off and got up with Thomson attached to his back and flopped on the ground. It didn't shake Thomson off though. The round ended there. 10-9 Thomson.

Round 5: After some inactivity, Melendez dumped Thomson to the mat briefly and landed some punches. Thomson got back to his feet quickly. Melendez continued to throw the jab and circle around. Thomson charged forward with a nice right hook. And another. Thomson landed two combinations. Melendez responded with a left hook and a jab. Thomson with a nice combo and a head kick. Melendez shucked off a takedown attempt and landed a knee. Thomson rebuffed a Melendez takedown attempt. Melendez poked Thomson in the eye for the third time, and got a warning from the referee. Melendez was bleeding from a cut on the nose. Thomson with a jab and a big combination that ends with two knees. Both fighters missed with hooks. Melendez had another takedown stuffed and Thomson poured it on with some punches. Thomson landed another BEAUTIFUL trip takedown and worked in Gil's guard. The fight ended on the ground. 10-9 Thomson, but I've got Melendez winning the fight 48-47.

Gilbert Melendez defeated Josh Thomson via split decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47)

Josh Barnett vs. Daniel Cormier

Round 1: Barnett started out throwing jabs and slipped on a kick briefly. Barnett landed a left and looked to clinch but got sluffed off by Cormier. Cormier came forward and landed two right hooks. Both men landed big rights. Cormier landed a glancing head kick and a knee to the face. Cormier landed two more punches and a body shot. Barnett with a knee to the body. Barnett got inside and landed two punches while evading Cormier's rights. Barnett with a standing elbow. Barnett charged forward and landed a low kick. Barnett looked to clinch but Cormier pushed him off. Cormier landed four punches in a row. Cormier with a solid leg kick. Barnett with a knee to the body in the clinch. Cormier with another nice two-punch combo.Barnett caught a kick and landed a right hook. He followed it up with a knee that seemed to stun Cormier slightly. Cormier tied him up against the fence. 10-9 Cormier.

Round 2: Barnier started fast with two punches and a kick, but Cormier responded with two right hooks and a combination. Barnett with a kick to the body. Barnett's counters looked crisper than in the first. Barnett landed another standing knee that backed up Cormier. Barnett with a hard kick. Cormier landed a right uppercut in the clinch, then a straight right to the body. Cormier ducked under a punch and took Barnett down halfway through the round. Cormier landed an occasional right hand in Barnett's guard, but Barnett controlled him well. Cormier landed a short elbow that hurt Barnett a bit and cut him. Barnett rolled up for a leglock then an armbar, but Cormier got out. Barnett was bleeding pretty badly. Cormier rode out the rest of the round on top. 10-9 Cormier.

Round 3: Barnett came forward right away with a knee to the body. Cormier landed a right but Barnett landed a solid counter. Barnett looked for a takedown against the cage but couldn't get it. Cormier with a left hook, Barnett responded with an uppercut. Cormier went to the body again. Barnett threw a front kick and a straight right. Wow, Cormier scooped up a single leg and flipped Barnett completely upside down with a slam. Cormier worked in side control. Barnett spun out and got back to his feet. Cormier with another single right hook that got through. The pace slowed for a minute or so. Barnett landed a knee up the middle. Cormier landed a head kick that stunned Barnett and poured it on with knees against the cage. Barnett responded with a solid right hook though. Cormier with the go behind but couldn't get it to the floor. He held Josh against the cage for the rest of the round. 10-9 Cormier again.

Round 4: Barnett started well with a leg kick and a right. Barnett landed a knee to the head when Cormier was leaning over a little bit. Cormier landed his left hook while Barrnett landed a leg kick. Cormier with an uppercut. Cormier went back to the head kick but it was blocked. A right head kick landed, but not solidly. Barnett rushed Cormier against the cage and landed a knee to the body. Barnett missed with a spinning backfist. Cormier took Barnett down again. Barnett looked for a kneebar and got a hold of a leg. Cormier spun out of a heel hook and worked in Barnett's closed guard.Cormier didn't do a whole lot and referee Josh Rosenthal stood the fighters up. Barnett stalked Cormier and landed another knee to the face. Barnett grinded away against the cage to end the round. This one was a lot closer. I'll go 10-9 Barnett by a hair.

Round 5: The fighters shook hands to start the final stanza. Barnett threw a head kick and front kick. Cormier told the ref that there was water on the mat, and there was a brief pause to clean it up. Barnett clinched against the cage and landed a couple of weakish knees to the belly. He landed one to the chin when they separated. Barnett with a left hook. Barnett blocked a Cormier head kick. Cormier circled away from Barnett's attacks and wasn't engaging much. Cormier finally landed a two-punch combo. Barnett missed with a spinning backfist and got taken down. Cormier scooped him up for a slam but Barnett squirmed away and stayed on his feet. Cormier just grinded away against the cage, not really throwing anything, until Barnett landed a glancing elbow. Cormer continued to hold him until the 10 second warning, then circled away for the rest of the fight. 10-9 Cormier, though it was closer than the first three rounds. I've got it 49-46 Cormier.

Daniel Cormier defeated Josh Barnett via unanimous decision (49-46, 50-45, 50-45)

SBN coverage of Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier

In a surprisingly competitive bout to defend the Strikeforce lightweight title, Gilbert Melendez outworked Josh Thomson early on to take the split decision victory and retain his belt.

Rounds 1 through 3 saw Melendez generating more offense and negating most of Thomson's salvos and tactics. The fourth round saw Thomson finally capitalize on a trip and take Melendez's back to threaten a rear naked choke for some time. The fifth round again saw Thomson stay more active and take the round.

Score card controversies could arise over how to score the fourth (10-9 or 10-8, Thomson) or how to score the first round (10-9 Melendez or 10-10).

Melendez moves to 21-2 and has now capped off the trilogy with Thomson with a 2-1 advantage - although with some controversy. His lone other setback was a decision loss to Mitsuhiro Ishida back in 2007 and Melendez avenged that with a third round KO back in 2009. At this point, Melendez has very few Strikeforce-based challengers left in his division.

Thomson drops to 19-5-1 for his career and probably has to be raring for a rare MMA quadrilogy to show that he can indeed beat Gilbert and take that belt for himself.

Click the banner above or right here for up-to-the-minute results and blow-by-blow coverage of Strikeforce: "Barnett vs. Cormier."

MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the Strikeforce main card action RIGHT HERE later this evening (May 19, 2012), beginning at 10 p.m. ET on Showtime. The latest quick updates of the live action will begin to flow earlier than that around 8:00 p.m. ET with the "Prelims" bouts on Showtime Extreme.

If you're going to leave comments and discuss the fights with all the other MMAmania.com readers be sure to do it on the main Strikeforce: "Barnett vs. Cormier" results post and not this one. Comments in this thread are turned off.

Enjoy the show, Maniacs!

The co-main event of the Strikeforce: "Barnett vs. Cormier" fight card taking place tonight (Sat., May 19, 2012) in San Jose, California, featured a lightweight championship showdown pitting titleholder Gilbert Melendez against a man he had met twice before, Josh Thomson.

Indeed, these two tangoed in 2008 and 2009, respectively, splitting those bouts. Melendez wasn't just here to bring and emphatic end to the trilogy, however; he was here to prove once again he's one of the very best lightweights in all of MMA.

He may not have done that in the emphatic fashion he had hoped but he did manage to pull off a split decision victory by scores of 48-47, 47-48, and 48-47 to retain his lightweight championship. The fans in attendance loudly protested this decision by booing boisterously.

Melendez didn't mind, saying "I know some are booing but I got my boys cheering for me. I thought I won most of the rounds." All he needed were two judges to score him three of five and that's exactly what they did.

Early game was patience but Thomson was getting off with fast punches. Melendez played with him there but looked to get the worse of the exchanges. A trip takedown didn't result in anything and they went back to standing.

Melendez shot in for his first takedown and executed a double leg. Thomson used the fence to wall walk and managed to get back to his feet.

Once they reset, the striking exchanges were fairly uneventful. Melendez worked a clinch a few times but it was his late takedown that helped seal the round in his favor.

The second round saw Melendez get aggressive once again, shooting in for a takedown and mixing up strikes. Thomson was getting beaten to the punch consistently but wasn't throwing at nearly the same volume as his opponent.

Again, though, it was mostly slow rolling in the second. That is until an errant eye poke from Melendez seemed to wake Thomson up. Still, "El Nino" was too strong, pushing the action and earning yet another takedown.

"The Punk" tried to steal a late takedown but Melendez defended well and even landed a few elbows towards the end of the frame.

The third round was the best offensively for Thomson, though, as he finally started throwing hands that were finding a home. In fact, contrary to the opening two frames, it was Thomson who was walking Melendez down in key spots. That's not to mention a nice trip takedown, though he failed to capitalize on it.

That spelled trouble, too, considering Melendez finally started landing the lead uppercut he was throwing with such nasty intentions. There was a bit of restlessness from the live crowd after Thomson acted as though he was poked in the eye again but the referee wasn't having any of it and he immediately restarted the match.

By this point, Melendez was comfortable again and pushing forward with punches. Thomson opened that round strong but Melendez may get it on the scorecards for regaining the momentum in the final two minutes or so.

Into the championship rounds and both men still looked relatively fresh. Thomson landed a strong left hand early that looked to startle Melendez but once again, Thomson failed to capitalize on the opening. This led to a quick scoop slam takedown from Gil but they went right back to standing after "The Punk" wall walked back to his feet.

Thomson landed another trip takedown but this time, he came down with Melendez and ended up taking his back with both hooks. he then locked in a body triangle and worked hard for the rear-naked choke with around one minute to go.

Melendez defended with everything he had and managed to make it to the end of the round.

The final round began with the crowd having come to life and the momentum firmly on Thomson's side. There wasn't a ton of urgency early in the final frame, however, with neither man particularly strong in his offense.

Finally, they started working hard and throwing bombs at each other. Takedown attempts from both sides failed. Thomson got aggressive and started getting the better of the exchanges. Both men were still going strong with one minute to go.

Another late takedown from Melendez was stuffed and Thomson started pouring on punches. They reset and Thomson scored another trip takedown with just 30 seconds left. Melendez got busy from his back, throwing punches galore.

Thomson looked like he just wanted to ride out the rest of the bout on top with superior position while Melendez tried to stay busy.

After five rounds, any combination of judges scorecards would have been understandable. Ultimately, they sided with Melendez and he's still the champion.

Anyone still want to see him in the UFC?

Remember, too, to check out MMAmania.com's complete Strikeforce: "Barnett vs. Cormier" results and live coverage of all the night's action by clicking here.

In a light heavyweight bout, Feijao made his return to the Strikeforce cage after seven months off. His opponent had also last fought at that very Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Kharitonov and looked to be hungry to prove his relevance in the LHW division.

Very early in the fight, Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante hit Mike Kyle with a punch and then landed an enormous knee strike on a ducking Kyle. The knee stunned Kyle and Feijao applied a standing guillotine to his opponent.

Kyle tried to slam out of it, but to no avail. The tap came at 0:33 of the first round.

Feijao improves to 12-3 and avenges an earlier second round KO loss to Kyle back in 2009 at Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields. His knees, clinch work and short range finishing ability looks to be very tight.

Kyle drops to 19-9 and looks to be firmly in the wheelhouse of "Go Big Or Go Home" at this point.

Going into this, Chris Spang was a considerable underdog, standing at 4-1 and having dropped a decision to Ricky Legere Jr. back in January. His opponent Nah-Shon Burrell was on a six fight winning streak and looked to be using Spang as a stepping stone. Well... that did not happen tonight.

With a left hook that cracked open Nah-Shon Burrell's defenses, Chris Spang unleashed a vicious Muay Thai-style offensive onslaught to get the finish. Something like a dozen knees landed from the Thai Plum clinch for Spang and somehow Burrell stayed on his feet and even began defending the later blows.

Finally, the knees and the uppercuts from Spang were too much and Burrell went down. At that point, referee Josh Rosenthal stepped in and stopped the fight. The stoppage seemed to be somewhat controversial in how long it took for Rosenthal to step in, but Burrell seemed to be defending himself until slumping to the grown.

Spang improves to 5-1 and Burrell drops to 8-2 for their careers.

The light heavyweights were in action on the main card of the Strikeforce: "Barnett vs. Cormier" event taking place tonight (Sat., May 19, 2012) at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California, as former division champion Rafael Cavalcante took on Mike Kyle.

Considering the lack of a champion in the 205-pound division, this might as well have been an official number one contender bout, though that was never expressly stated. This was also a rematch of a 2009 bout that saw Kyle win via knockout in the second round.

Revenge is sweet.

That's because Cavalcante used a looping overhand right and a huge knee to send Kyle ass over tin cups. He failed to finish with ground-n-pound so instead jumped a guillotine that got the tap shortly thereafter.

Wam, bam, thank you "Mak."

Kyle pumped an early jab but Cavalcante attacked with a big knee that landed flush and had Kyle staggering back. "Feijao" jumped him and landed a few clean blows. He couldn't finish him with the initial onslaught but at his soonest opportunity, he latched onto a tight standing guillotine.

After Kyle attempted to to get out by slamming Rafael to the mat and was unsuccessful, he was left with no choice but to tap after less than one minute of action.

Hope you didn't blink, Maniacs.

Remember, too, to check out MMAmania.com's complete Strikeforce: "Barnett vs. Cormier" results and live coverage of all the night's action by clicking here.

**Due to illness, tonight's edition of Bloody Elbow Radio has been canceled. The show will return at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday.**

Bloody Elbow Radio, presented by Bad Boy, will be LIVE! at 12:30 a.m. ET/9:30 p.m. PT for another edition of the show. Join hosts Matt Bishop and "The DA" Neil Wagner as they review "Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier," which is live from HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., and is headlined by the Strikeforce World Grand Prix Heavyweight Tournament final between Josh Barnett and Daniel Cormier and a Strikeforce lightweight championship bout between Gilbert Melendez and Josh Thomson.

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SBN coverage of Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier

There was a time when the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix tournament was going to take the mixed martial arts (MMA) world by storm. The smaller San Jose based promotion had managed to assemble eight heavyweights with legitimate credibility (for the most part) that rivaled that of Ultimate Fighting Championship's (UFC) 265-pound weight class.

But, like most things in life, nothing ever goes the way you plan it.

Indeed, Fedor Emelianenko was bounced in the first round while Alistair Overeem was released and ran off to the greener pastures of UFC. The two biggest names in the bracket failed out, albeit in differing ways, leading many an MMA fan to simply write off the grand prix as a failed experiment by a promotion in over its head.

The good news in all this is it finally, mercifully, comes to an end tonight (Sat., May 19, 2012) with the Strikeforce: "Barnett vs. Cormier" event that takes place on Showtime from the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California, featuring Josh Barnett vs. Daniel Cormier.

At the very least, it should go out with a bang.

That's because Josh Barnett and Daniel Cormier are undoubtedly two of the most talented heavyweights in the division. The fact that they have yet to move over to the UFC is not a testament to their abilities so much as it's simply an issue of timing.

Gotta finish the business at hand, of course.

The match-up is intriguing on a few levels. Both are strong wrestlers with legitimate credentials in the grappling arts. "The Warmaster" is far better served once they start breaking out submissions but Cormier has shown he can hold his own standing and trading punches.

Just ask Antonio Silva and his gigantic noggin.

What this fight could really come down to is experience. Though Barnett is just one year older than his counterpart, he's just 36 professional fights under his belt to just nine for Cormier. That's a 27 fight gap for all you math wizards out there. Just think of how much a man can learn in that much time inside the cage.

You'll find out tonight.

Last chance for predictions, Maniacs. Who ya' got?