In a triumph of youth over experience, Nick Diaz whipped Frank Shamrock Saturday night in the main event of the Strikeforce MMA show in San Jose. The 25-year-old Diaz controlled the fight throughout, using his superior reach to land punches and his superior Brazilian jiu jitsu technique to dominate the 36-year-old Shamrock on the ground. Shamrock was clearly hurt for much of the second round, and once Diaz got Shamrock on the ground and repeatedly landed strikes, referee Big John McCarthy stopped the fight to protect Shamrock.
"The key was just getting out here, feeling good," Diaz said afterward. "I've been watching Frank Shamrock fight since the beginning."
Despite a great deal of trash talk between the two of them leading up to the fight, they embraced in the cage afterward, and Shamrock said, "I give everything to Nick Diaz. ... Nick kicked my ass tonight. There's no two ways about it. He beat me."
The Diaz-Shamrock match was the final of 10 fights at the HP Pavilion in the first card of the year for the Strikeforce MMA promotion. In terms of pure excitement, the best fight of the night was the middleweight battle between Scott Smith and Benji Radach, a fight that Radach appeared to be dominating most of the way, only to have Smith suddenly level Radach with a brutal third-round knockout punch.
"There were about three times I thought the fight was over," Smith said, before adding of the knockout punch: "I didn't know what I was doing. I just pulled it out of my butt."
Strikeforce Photos
Frank Shamrock, center, is helped by his corner after losing to Nick Diaz in a Strikeforce mixed martial arts fight on Saturday, April 11, 2009, in San Jose, Calif. Diaz won by knockout in the second round.
Jeff Chiu, AP
Nick Diaz makes his way to the cage at the Strikeforce show on Saturday, April 11, 2009, in San Jose, Calif.
Tom Casino, Strikeforce
Frank Shamrock punches Nick Diaz during their match at the Strikeforce show on Saturday, April 11, 2009, in San Jose, Calif.
Tom Casino, Strikeforce
Nick Diaz grapples with Frank Shamrock during their match at the Strikeforce show on Saturday, April 11, 2009, in San Jose, Calif.
Tom Casino, Strikeforce
Nick Diaz, right, kicks Frank Shamrock in a Strikeforce mixed martial arts fight on Saturday, April 11, 2009, in San Jose, Calif. Diaz won by knockout in the second round.
Jeff Chiu, AP
Nick Diaz, top, punches Frank Shamrock during a Strikeforce mixed martial arts fight on Saturday, April 11, 2009, in San Jose, Calif. Diaz won by knockout in the second round.
Jeff Chiu, AP
Nick Diaz punches Frank Shamrock during their match in the Strikeforce show on Saturday, April 11, 2009, in San Jose, Calif.
Tom Casino, Strikeforce
Nick Diaz, top, punches Frank Shamrock in a Strikeforce mixed martial arts event on Saturday, April 11, 2009, in San Jose, Calif. Diaz won by knockout in the second round.
Jeff Chiu, AP
Nick Diaz punches Frank Shamrock during their match at the Strikeforce show on Saturday, April 11, 2009, in San Jose, Calif.
Tom Casino, Strikeforce
Actor Mickey Rourke holds up his phone before Nick Diaz faced Frank Shamrock in a Strikeforce mixed martial arts event on Saturday, April 11, 2009, in San Jose, Calif.
Jeff Chiu, AP
The huge heavyweight Brett Rogers also scored a very impressive knockout victory, beating the previously undefeated (and untested) Ron "Abongo" Humphrey by second-round TKO. The fight was notable for Rogers getting a point deducted in the first round for hair pulling; Rogers said after the fight that he hadn't meant to pull Humphrey's hair, but that his gloves were getting caught in Humphrey's dreadlocks.
In the night's only women's fight, Cristiane "Cris Cyborg" Santos used her huge size advantage (she showed up seven pounds overweight at Friday's weigh-in) to manhandle (womanhandle?) her opponent, Hitomi Akano. Cyborg won a one-sided third-round TKO, but how impressed can we be with a fighter who beats a smaller opponent?
Aside from Cyborg failing to make weight, the biggest disappointment of the Strikeforce show was the interim lightweight title fight between Gilbert Melendez and Rodrigo Damm. Strikeforce's real lightweight champion, Josh Thomson, was supposed to fight Melendez but had to pull out with an injury. Damm was the best replacement Strikeforce could find on short notice, but he's nowhere near good enough to be in a title fight, and Strikeforce shouldn't have pretended that he was. Melendez beat him by second-round TKO.
For full results, click here. I've also been tweeting about Strikeforce if you want to follow me on Twitter.
Baby Boom in Sports
Frank Shamrock took a break from training recently to spend time with his daughter Nicolette. Click through to see photos of sports stars with their children.
Tom Casino, Strikeforce
Tiger Woods poses with daughter Sam, wife Elin and new son, Charlie.
Dom Furore, Woods Family
Tiger Woods kisses his son, Charlie Axel.
Dom Furore, Woods Family
Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and daughter Harlyn Quinn meet with President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Michelle Obama
Saul Loeb, AFP/Getty Images
NBA star Kobe Bryant with his wife Vanessa and daughters Natalie and Gianna
Andrew D. Bernstein, NBAE via Getty Images
Softball superstar Jennie Finch with her son Ace
Christian Petersen, Getty Images
Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Hines Ward with his son Jaden
Jonathan Ferrey, Getty Images
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart with his son Cole Cameron
Victor Decolongon, Getty Images
Baseball star Alex Rodriguez with his ex-wife Cynthia and daughters Natasha and Ella
Chris Gordon, WireImage/Getty Images
NBA star Brandon Roy and his son Brandon
Sam Forencich, NBAE via Getty Images
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-12-2009 @ 12:18AM
Frederick said...
Great fight I am happy for Diaz. He also showed great class at the end
from the announcement of the fight I was going for Diaz, just had the feeling he was the superior mma fighter.
Reply
4-12-2009 @ 12:23AM
mike said...
Overall good show. Four of the five fights (not Melendez-Damm) were entertaining. Nowhere near as good a show as a UFC pay-per-view, but worth a couple hours of time and a Showtime subscription.
Reply
4-12-2009 @ 6:29AM
YOU on AGAIN !! said...
give it up frankie it's over for ya!
Reply
4-12-2009 @ 8:40AM
Ian said...
I have no respect for the Diaz brothers. They remind me of kids who would fight someone for no reason their who life and are now getting paid for it. Trouble making fighters that never have to grow up.
Reply
4-12-2009 @ 10:51AM
eddie said...
frank keeps claiming that ken an tito are washed up way past there prime, he should look in the mirror , he looked old an slow against diaz, hey frank dont embarrass urself anymore , devote ur time to ur daughter an wife , ur done !!!!1
Reply
4-12-2009 @ 11:14AM
Frederick said...
Frank's last quality win for me goes back to 98 or 99 and even that win I have problems considering a quality win it was against a very young tito ortiz
4-12-2009 @ 11:15AM
Kat said...
Is it just me or are MMA athletes WAY classier than most other professional athletes? I mean, yeah, there's a lot of trash-talking, just like with any sport but, at the end of the day, there's usually a lot of respect there. Of course, I don't follow many other sports closely, so maybe I just haven't noticed *shrug* Anyway, great fight, although I don't like the reporter's crack about beating up a smaller opponent. I'm small myself and usually find that an advantage in fighting (you sacrifice reach, but you've usually got the edge in speed, plus there's less of you to hit).
Reply
4-12-2009 @ 11:52AM
bchevcamz28 said...
i love it shamrock is aloser like the other a hole shamrock
Reply
4-12-2009 @ 12:19PM
jim1blos said...
I guess it would take an ahole and a loser to know
4-12-2009 @ 11:55AM
billy said...
its great to see and egomamiacal meglomaniacal self worshipping dolt get his behind whupped.frank is done.
Reply
4-12-2009 @ 11:55AM
bchevcamz28 said...
shamrocks are punks and will always be punks,,,,,,,,,,,
Reply
4-12-2009 @ 11:56AM
TheHulk said...
Can someone reply to me and tell me what happened to the Nick Diaz/UFC relationship...
Why isn't he in the UFC & his brother is???
Reply
4-12-2009 @ 1:34PM
M13 said...
This is just speculation, but it probably has to do with Nick Diaz using marijuana and being open about it. It wouldn't make the UFC look good. Furthermore, during the TUF season 5 finale, Nate voiced his displeasure about Nick not being allowed into the building to watch his brother fight. I think that had to do the controversy about Nick's fight with Takanori Gomi, where it all started.
4-12-2009 @ 12:18PM
jerryrayw said...
So long Samrock
Reply
4-12-2009 @ 12:56PM
paul said...
good fight ! diaz is in his prime just like frank was ten years ago time to bow out frank i always liked you better than your big mouth brother ken
Reply
4-12-2009 @ 5:48PM
zhiff said...
I'd like to see Diaz and Kung Lee go at it before Lee gets much older. That would be interesting
Reply
4-12-2009 @ 7:43PM
retrojoke said...
Nick Diaz is a confident fighter and has never been tko,ko'ed- of course he was going to win.
Needs to put a rematch vs kj noons. The only fighter i have seen that was outclassing Nick.
Reply
4-12-2009 @ 10:36PM
blonde2chica said...
ok I would like to see St. Piere move up in weight like B J did and fight the Spider. Who else would like to see that fight ?
Reply