King Mo KO’s Larkin, Rips Ref Winslow

King Mo needed just one minute and thirty-two seconds to put away dynamic striker Lorenz Larkin on Saturday night. King Mo had little problem scooping up Larkin and tossing him to the mat. Then he administered a beating on Larkin, one that he thinks shouldn’t have been as bad as it was. He thought referee Kim Winslow’s stoppage was entirely too late, and let her know about it in the cage.

Here’s a gif of the final moments:

In the post-fight interview with Mauro Ranallo, King Mo said he respected Winslow’s decision after speaking with her about the stoppage. Apparently he had a change of heart, as he ripped Winslow in an interview with MMA Junkie:

“I’m going to put it like this: The commission, they need to do something with [Winslow],” Lawal said. “Let her take a fight or something and give her a bad ref.”

“Let [Winslow] fight ‘Cyborg,’ and let’s do a late stoppage with her,” Lawal said. “I watched her almost get Jan Finney killed by ‘Cyborg.’ I think maybe the tables need to be turned. Put me in there as a ref, and I’ll just do a terrible job like her.”

The image above clearly shows nine strikes from King Mo that are barely contested. On some of them his arms are completely down. It’s definitely one of the worst late stoppages I’ve seen.

Julia Budd’s Arm Snapped by Ronda Rousey [Video]

Ronda Rousey is taking the world of MMA by storm — or perhaps by armbar. Friday night she added another win via armbar submission, and almost took Julia Budd’s arm home with her as a trophy.

Rousey now has 6 wins in her career: 4 pro and 2 amateur. All of them have come by way of armbar. What’s interesting is that in her last bout she actually let go of a hold on Sarah D’Alelio, telling the ref to stop the bout because D’Alelio verbally tapped. It was a bit controversial, but there was none of that this time. She simply snapped Budd’s arm when she refused to tap. Budd will be on medical suspension for six months unless she is cleared by a doctor before then.

Here is a look at the snap on loop.

MMA Fighters Playing Golf?

This ought to be good — MMA fighters taking it to the golf course to strike the white orb.

C’mon Cung Le! Don’t you know you have to wear a collared shirt out on the links! They don’t allow ‘Clinch Gear’ tees. But, it was all for charity, so it’s cool. Too bad they didn’t show more of these guys shanking and duffing it. Hitting some worm burners. That would have been great.

Daniel Cormier KOs Big Foot Silva [gif]

Daniel Cormier finished off Antonio “Big Foot” Silva in a big way on Saturday night, propelling himself into the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix finals. He’ll face Josh Barnett, who took care of Sergei Kharitonov. Overeem’s leaving the tournament may have been the best thing for fight fans. Cormier gets his chance to shine and Overeem goes to the UFC to battle Brock Lesnar. Awesome.

Cormier certainly has no problem adding a few for good measure. Do you think he should have backed off? Or was it right for him to throw down on Silva two more times after he was knocked down?

Shonie Carter Doing Work — as a Reporter

Check out “Mr. International” Shonie Carter doing work at the Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson post-fight presser. Dig that boa he’s wearing.

I’d love to see a rematch. I think Fedor wants one, and I know the fans do.

Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson – All Fighters Make Weight

Every fighter is on weight for Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates. The main event will feature legends Fedor Emelianenko and Dan Henderson, and also features a five-round title fight between champion Marloes Coenen and Miesha Tate in the women’s bantamweight division.

Local fighter Gabe Salinas Jones will be on the prelim card against Bryan Humes. Humes hasn’t fought in over a year, losing via decision to Paul Buentello at Shark Fights in May of 2010. Humes holds a professional record of 6-1 and sources tell us he will be cornered in part by APFC promoter Rich Seldal.

Salinas-Jones has never lost as a pro or amateur, although he did have a loss in Greece that is not reflected in his record because it was a non-sanctioned event. Salinas-Jones is getting to be that rare breed — a heavyweight with a slick ground game. 3 of his 4 pro wins have come by way of submission.

Here are the weigh-in results:

Main card
Fedor Emelianenko (223) vs. Dan Henderson (207)
Marloes Coenen (135) vs. Miesha Tate (135)
Robbie Lawler (185) vs. Tim Kennedy (185)
Paul Daley (171) vs. Tyron Woodley (170)
Scott Smith (171) vs. Tarec Saffiedine (170)

Prelims
JZ Cavalcante (155) vs. Bobby Green (155)
Eduardo Pamplona (170) vs. Tyler Stinson (171)
Julie Kedzie (136) vs. Alexis Davis (136)
Derek Brunson (186) vs. Lumumba Sayers (184)
Bryan Humes (266) vs. Gabe Salinas (260)

Rich Franklin & Jorge Gurgel Enjoy a Romantic Ice Bath

UFC light heavyweight Rich Franklin and his teammate Jorge Gurgel enjoy a lovely, romantic ice bath together, complete with candles. Is it wrong for two MMA fighters in nothing but compression shorts to get together after a sweaty workout in small tub of ice water? No way, Jose.

Somehow I get the idea that a lot more ladies are going to be visiting this post. But alas, Jorge is married. I think Rich is single though. Go for it ladies!

Celebrating the 4th, MMA Style

Looking at the famous 4s in MMA history…

UFC 4: Revenge of the Warriors
	UFC 4 was an 8-man tourney back in 1994. No weight classes or weight limits. No time limits, rounds or judges. Royce Gracie beat Dan Severn with a triangle choke to win the tourney. Gracie had to get by local fighter Keith Hackney (Hackney’s Combat Academy) in the semis to get to Severn.
WEC 4: Rumble Under the Sun
	WEC 4 took place in Connecticut in 2002. Jeremy Horn won the main event by subbing Aaron Brink in the 1st round. Kurt Pellegrino (pictured) beat Mac Danzig for the WEC Lightweight Title. Mike Swick won in just his 3rd professional fight, as did local fighter Jeff Curran, who beat Bao Quach by decision.
Pride FC 4
	Pride FC 4 was held back in 1998 at the Tokyo Dome in Japan. “The Smashing Machine” Mark Kerr remained undefeated with his 10th straight win, a TKO of Hugo Duarte. Marco Ruas’ corner threw in the towel in his bout, giving Alexander Otsuka his first professional win. Igor Vovchanchyn KO’d Gary Goodridge, and Rickson Gracie beat Nobuhiko Takada by an armbar near the end of the first round.
King of the Cage 4: Gladiators
	King of the Cage 4: Gladiators was held in June of 2000. Co-creator of KOTC Tedd Williams won via keylock in round 1. Marvin Eastman defeated Quinton “Rampage” Jackson by unanimous decision. Duane “Bang” Ludwig beat up Shad Smith, whose corner called it quits for him in round 1. And the late Jeremy Williams needed less than one minute to win by armbar.
Strikeforce: Triple Threat
	Triple Threat was the fourth MMA event held by Strikeforce. Gina Carano beat Elaina Maxwell for her 3rd straight win as a pro. Ruben Villareal’s corner stopped his fight against Paul Buentello in round 2. Cung Le beat Jason Von Flue by TKO after a huge knee opened up a gash over Von Flue’s left eye. Bobby Southworth won the Strikeforce LHW belt by beating Vernon White via unanimous decision.

Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Predictions

by Tim Stroud

The Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix will continue Saturday at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, TX. The Grand Prix will pair two more quarterfinal match-ups with Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum and Brett Rogers vs. Josh Barnett.

In the first two quarterfinal fights, we saw Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva defeated Fedor Emelianenko by TKO (doctor stoppage) and Sergei Kharitonov beat Andrei Arlovski by KO to advance to the next round. If the fights on Saturday are anything like these two, we are in for a treat.

In the first two fights, Strikeforce decided to have a fourth judge on hand in case a fight ended in a draw. Since then, Zuffa, LLC purchased Strikeforce and decided to make a change. If either of the two quarterfinal fights ends in a draw, then there will be a sudden death round to find the winner. I think that this is a huge improvement because the fighters will get another opportunity to win and not leave it up to a fourth judge.

Here are my predictions for all five main card fights.

Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum

Overeem and Werdum have fought once before. They met each other at the Pride 2006 Openweight Grand Prix. Werdum took the victory by submission (Kimura) in the second round. Werdum is currently on a four fight win streak and he’s coming off the biggest win of his career, when he defeated Fedor Emelianenko on June 26, 2010. However, Overeem has won 9 of 10 (one no-contest) and is the Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion. Werdum has a chance if this fight goes to the ground, but I see Overeem using his superior striking to win and advance to the next round.

Pick – Alistair Overeem

Brett Rogers vs. Josh Barnett

Rogers is coming off a rough stretch where he has only won once in his last three fights. Barnett has an impressive 26-5 record, but his biggest knock is that he has tested positive for anabolic steroids three times. Rogers can KO anyone at any time and Barnett likes to take guys down and get a submission, but he also has some power in his punches. If Rogers can stay on his feet, then he has a great shot at landing the knock-out shot, but I don’t see it happening. Barnett will use his experience and skills to take this fight to the ground and make Rogers tap.

Pick – Josh Barnett

KJ Noons vs. Jorge Masvidal

Noons and Masvidal is an intriguing match-up. They both rely on their boxing skills, but in different ways. Noons loves to throw the leather and get after his opponent, while Masvidal is more of a counter striker. Noons is coming off a tough decision loss to Nick Diaz, while Masvidal is coming off of a decision win. I see this fight staying on the feet and Noons will stop Masvidal for the win, and possible title opportunity.

Pick – KJ Noons

Daniel Cormier vs. Jeff Monson

Here we have a battle of ground specialists. The undefeated Cormier and Monson are both wrestlers, but Monson is also a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. Monson has a wealth of experience and has faced a lot of top fighters in MMA. This will be Cormier’s eighth fight and he hasn’t faced anyone as talented as Monson. With that said, I think Cormier uses his superior wrestling to take the veteran down and win a decision. This will be Cormier’s biggest win to date.

Pick – Daniel Cormier

Valentijn Overeem vs. Chad Griggs

Overeem, the less talented brother of Alistair, has a ton of experience, but just a 29-25 record. Overeem can strike and submit, but he is not great at either. Griggs, best known for defeating pro wrestler Bobby Lashley, is a no nonsense fighter. Griggs throws a lot of punches and he doesn’t back down. I see Griggs going right at Overeem and getting a KO or TKO in the first or second round.

Pick – Chad Griggs

Tim Stroud is a Kentucky-based writer. Follow him on Twitter @TheEntityMMA

RYAN COUTURE, STRIKEFORCE CHALLENGERS ON JUNE 24

Ryan Couture may have initially been noticed due to his famous dad and surname. But anyone who saw him battle Lee Higgins in February knows that he is a legit fighter. He’ll enter the cage again on June 24th, when Strikeforce Challengers takes in place in Washington.

In the main event lightweight Caros “The Future” Fodor (8-2) of nearby Kirkland, Wash. defends his home turf when he meets the hard-hitting James Terry (10-2), a protégé of middleweight star Cung Le.

The night’s co-feature is equally explosive, as Woodinville’s Ryan Couture (2-0), the son of UFC^® Hall of Famer Randy Couture, looks for his third straight victory when he battles undefeated Matt Ricehouse (4-0).

STRIKEFORCE Challengers also features Lorenz “The Monsoon” Larkin (10-0) taking on Gian Villante (7-2) at light heavyweight, a middleweight bout between Antwain Britt (11-5) and UFC^® veteran Danillo Villefort, as well as a women’s 145-pound contest between Julia Budd (1-1) and Germaine de Randamie (2-1).

“Washington has become a hotbed for mixed martial arts and we’re excited to head back to Kent with this exciting card featuring local stars Caros Fodor and Ryan Couture,” STRIKEFORCE CEO Scott Coker said. “Our Challengers events have delivered some outstanding fights and we expect nothing less on June 24.”

Caros Fodor (fighting out of Kirkland, Wash.), a 27-year-old former Marine, has won three straight STRIKEFORCE bouts, including a third-round TKO of David Douglas in April. Now, the grappling ace seeks his ninth professional win when he meets James Terry (fighting out of Livermore, Calif.) at ShoWare Center. A training partner of former middleweight champion Cung Le, the 30-year-old Terry is riding a three-fight win streak of his own. He would like nothing more than to spoil Fodor’s homecoming by scoring a knockout victory on June 24.

Ryan Couture (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.), the son of UFC pioneer Randy Couture, returns to his native Washington with hopes of carrying on his legendary family name. Two straight submission wins have kicked off Couture’s career, and now the 28-year-old faces the toughest test of his career when he locks horns with up-and-comer Matt Ricehouse (fighting out of St. Charles, Mo.) in 155-pound action.

Perhaps no fighter heads to Kent with as much momentum as undefeated light heavyweight Lorenz Larkin (fighting out of Riverside, Calif.) The 24-year-old Larkin has finished eight of 10 opponents, including a knockout of Scott Lighty in his STRIKEFORCE debut in April. “The Monsoon” hopes to keep his streak alive when he enters the cage against 25-year-old Gian Villante (fighting out of Bellmore, N.Y.), whose seven victories have all come by way of stoppage.

Former UFC competitor Danillo Villefort (fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) makes his STRIKEFORCE debut on June 24 in search of his fifth consecutive victory. The American Top Team product, known for his slick submissions and heavy hands, expects a war when he meets knockout artist Antwain Britt (fighting out of Virginia Beach, Va.). The 33-year-old Britt has 11 victories, nine of which have come by knockout, and looks to fuel a run in the 185-pound division by besting Villefort.

An outstanding women’s 145-pound content pits Julia Budd (fighting out of Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada) against Germaine de Randamie (fighting out of Utrecht, The Netherlands). Nicknamed “The Jewel,” Budd is a devastating kickboxer with the ability to finish any and all opponents. Her bout with de Randamie could be a slugfest, as “The Iron Lady” has won two straight fights, including a brutal knockout over Stephanie Webber in January.

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