Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine - Main Card Play-by-Play

Questions abound for tonight's Strikeforce events. Will Luke Rockhold retain his championship belt? Does Keith Jardine have a future at middleweight? Can Robbie Lawler get back on the right track or is his career on its last legs? As with most things, the answers lie...in fisticuffs!

Tarec Saffiedine vs. Tyler Stinson

Round 1 - Stinson takes center cage and marches forward with straight punches, everything falls short. Leg kick from Stinson, answered in kind from Saffiedine. Another from Saffiedine, and then a head kick, blocked. And again. Saffiedine with a glancing three-piece. Right hand and a head kick from Saffiiedine. And a front kick to the choppers. They clinch up, and a break-away elbow from Stinson leaves Saffiedine stumbling back. Stinson charges and Saffiedine puts Stinson on his back. Stinson throws up an arm bar before scrambling to his feet. Saffiedine is cut around his right eye. Overhand left from Stinson. Left cross from Stinson, Saffiedine's on his bike. They clinch, and Stinson plasters Saffiedine with another elbow just before the round ends. 10-9 Stinson.

Round 2 - Small mouse under Saffiedine's right eye to start. Leg kick from Stinson. Stinson throwing hands with gusto, but nothing lands yet. A head kick from Saffiedine is blocked. Stinson lands a glancing left and a sloppy head kick. One-two from Saffiedine, and he drives for the take down. Saffiedine works from Stinson's half-guard, Stinson reestablishes full. With Stinson on his back along the fence, Saffiedine works the ribs, shoves an elbow into his face. 10-9 Saffiedine.

Round 3 - A low blow out the gate from Saffiedine slows the action. Ranallo gets to use the phrase "the peninsula south of the equator" for the second time tonight. And we're off. Leg kick from Saffiedine, and a head kick. Saffiedine looks to pick up where he left off, driving for the takedown. After a brief scramble, he settles into Stinson's full guard. Scant ground and pound from Saffiedine. Stinson has a small cut under his right eye. With a minute left, they're stood up. Stinson eager for the kill shot with head kicks and big lefts. Sure enough, in the closing seconds he bounces a hook off Saffiedine's head, but it's not enough to put him down. 10-9 Saffiedine.

Winner: Tarec Saffiedine, Split-Decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)

Tyron Woodley vs. Jordan Mein

Round 1 - Mein takes the center of the cage. Leg kick from Woodley. Mein wary of the takedown, Woodley careful not to hang around in striking distance. Woodley lunges forward and puts the body lock to Mein, and a single leg, but Mein keeping his balance. They struggle for control along the fence, with Woodley keeping a firm grip on that leg. Ref calls for the break, and they're back to feeling each other out. Lunging uppercut lands for Mein, and Woodley counters with a body lock and takedown. From half-guard Woodley works some light ground and pound. Mein nearly scrambles free, but Woodley reestablishes control along the fence. Woodley postures up for an elbow and Mein takes the opportunity to scramble back to his feet. Woodley ducks under a one-two and clinches up as the round comes to a close. 10-9 Woodley.

Round 2 - Leg kick from Mein is nearly caught by Woodley. Woodley backs Mein up with a big right. He clinches up and again finds himself in Mein's half-guard. Mein reestablishes full guard. A couple shots to the body, a short elbow from Woodley, but mostly he's fighting for control. Mein with some Girls-Gone-Wild-barely-legal-style elbows to the top of Woodley's head. Woodley just riding top-control. Mein considers a guillotine, but there's nothing there. Stop the presses: questionable refereeing here in the second. 10-9 Woodley.

Round 3 - Mein with a glancing knee as Woodley again dives for the takedown. He lands in Mein's full guard, pinning him against the fence. Mein inches his way to the center of the cage, hoping to use the extra real estate to reverse position, but nothing doing. Mein with punches to the head. Woodley with the odd punch here and there. The referee stands them up, finally. Woodley again shoots, and they struggle with over-under hooks against the fence. A few uppercuts to the body from Mein. Woodley with a knee, misses. A knee from Mein and a short hook the body as the round ends. 10-10. Woodley had superior control, but did little to nothing with it.

Winner: Tyron Woodley, Split Decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)

Muhammad Lawal vs. Lorenz Larkin

Round 1 - Lawal with a jab and a single leg, landing in Larkin's full guard. A right hand lands once, twice from Lawal. Larkin alternately trying to tie Lawal up and shove him off, but Lawal holds position. More ground and pound from Lawal. Referee stands them up, perhaps prematurely. Right straight from Larkin falls short. Larkin looking winded in the last minute of the round. He lunges forward with a pair of errant left hooks as the round ends. 10-9 Lawal.

Round 2 - Lawal with a high single. Larkin, on one leg, throws a few glancing uppercuts before Lawal finally puts him down. Lawal postures in full guard and begins to level right hands into a hapless Lorenz Larkin. After a more than a dozen flush punches the referee stops the bout.

Winner: Muhammad Lawal, KO at 1:32 of Round 2

Robbie Lawler vs. Adlan Amagov

Round 1 - Lawler barrels forward with hooks, Amagov ducks under for a takedown. Lawler pops back up to his feet, but Amagov has back control and drags the fight back to the mat. Amagov lands in half-guard, and as Lawler scrambles to his knees Amagov levels an illegal knee to Lawler's brow. The referee stops the action and takes a point from Amagov. Back at the center of the cage, Lawler leaps forward with a flying knee. It glances off the head, leaving Amagov tumbling to the mat. Lawler follows up with punches to his prone opponent, bringing an end to the fight.

Winner: Robbie Lawler, TKO at 1:48 of Round 1

Luke Rockhold vs. Keith Jardine

Round 1 - Jardine with a pair of leg kicks to start. And a third. Rockhold with a kick to the head and another to the body. They clinch along the fence, Rockhold with over-under hooks. They trade knees to the body. They break and Jardine circles the cage. A spinning back sidekick to Jardine's breadbasket wipes the smile off his face. Rockhold buckles Jardine with a left, and Jardine answers with a right. Leg kick from Jardine. Roundhouse from Rockhold. Jardine tries an overhand right, left straight, falls short. Leg kicks from Jardine. Rockhold lands a right behind Jardine's ear, again buckling him. Rockhold with another pair of rights, puts Jardine on his knees. A dazed Jardine tries to climb to his feet, only to be put back down as Rockhold makes like a jackhammer. The ref steps in as Miletich complains of a late stoppage, but I don't think it was all that bad.

Winner: Luke Rockhold, TKO at 4:26 of Round 1