Strikeforce Diaz-Cyborg: Nick Diaz Submits Feisty 'Cyborg', Retains Title

As tears flowed down the cheeks of Strikeforce Women's Champion Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos, Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz celebrated his second-round submission win over Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos with multiple middle fingers and verbal jabs outside the cage.

The official time read 4:50 of the second round as Diaz earned his ninth straight win and second consecutive title defense.

"I respect the way he fights," said Diaz in his post-fight interview. "He doesn't play around. He came out here and fought me. He comes out and tries to get the knockout for you guys."

Cyborg certainly wasn't playing around as he constantly tore into the Cesar Gracie student with inside leg kicks.

Instead of checking the kicks, Diaz continued to stalk Cyborg and load up on a high volume of punches. The strategy eventually paid off as Diaz landed a hard left hand that had Cyborg reeling near the end of the first round.

"I figured I'd put pressure on him, and he'd have to do something. If he didn't want to take more punches, he'd have to take me down," said Diaz.

The takedown finally came late in the second round. Cyborg, who is also a black in BJJ, was seemingly in a world he didn't belong as Diaz quickly transitioned to an armbar and locked up the finish with only 10 seconds left in the round. Even in victory, Diaz was critical of his performance.

"I should've checked those kicks a little better, but I started to settle down," Diaz said. "I think he tried to put everything in those first two rounds."

With this win, the outcry for Diaz to face stiffer competition will only get louder as he continues to call out pound-for-pound greats like Georges St. Pierre and Anderson Silva.

Diaz is a clever business man. The MMA world has paid him great attention leading up to this fight due to his bold comments about UFC Welterweights and Jason "Mayhem" Miller.

As a Strikeforce Champion, Diaz knows he won't get to compete against guys like Georges St. Pierre, Josh Koscheck, and Jon Fitch, but this won't stop him from calling them out.

His recent comments to the media have helped him maintain relevance in a division dominated by UFC Welterweights.

"I fight for Strikeforce. This is Showtime baby. I'll fight anybody," said Diaz.

Could a showdown with Paul Daley or Mayhem Miller be next? We can only hope.

"Jacare" Wears Down Robbie Lawler, Retains Middleweight Title

The only thing "Ruthless" in this bout was Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza's top control as he defended his Middleweight Title against Robbie Lawler.

It was nearly a short night for the champion as Lawler forced the action early and floored him after a flurry of knees and punches.

Jacare was able to stall out from bottom for some much-needed recovery time before referee John McCarthy forced the bout back on the feet.

After the reset, Jacare immediately nabbed a takedown and began to work from top. The story of this fight was Jacare's ability to press Lawler against the cage and consistently drag the fight to the ground.

"I came prepared for everything," Jacare said through a translator. "I had a great coach and great training partners."

Lawler's tenacity and ability to scramble out of dangerous positions against a world-class grappler like Jacare has to be commended.

In the second round, Jacare pulled off a couple of beautiful armbar transitions, and Lawler's perseverance shined through as he fought out of every submission attempt.

The H.I.T. Squad member's scrappy effort came to an end in the third round when Jacare transitioned to his back and locked up the body triangle, finishing with a rear naked choke at 2:00 of the third round.

"I'll fight whoever Strikeforce brings," stated Jacare, who extended his win streak to four. "I can't wait to fight again."

Herschel Walker Crushes Scott Carson

It was like a cow brought for slaughter as 1982 Heisman Trophy winner and former NFL star Herschel Walker manhandled Scott Carson en route to an impressive TKO stoppage at 3:13 of the first round.

"Walker-mania" was running wild after Carson landed an early head kick, which the 48-year-old fighter answered with an angry scream and a jarring left hand. Smelling blood, Walker pounced on the downed Carson and began to land unanswered punches.

"I was okay. I took a kick. I think I was getting too excited. In an MMA fight, you shouldn't do that," said Walker, who improved his MMA record to 2-0. "Javier [Mendez] told me to be on offense. I've got to be on offense and control what I'm doing in the cage."

Walker's excitement ended up being a nightmare for Carson, who was floored for a second time with a massive left hand after attempting to get back to his feet. Referee Dan Stell jumped in immediately to save Carson from further damage.

"MMA is my true love. All those guys at AKA (American Kickboxing Academy) are my family. I've got to thank Scott Carson, the fans, Showtime, and Strikeforce for giving me a chance," Walker said.

Roger Gracie Makes Quick Work of Trevor Prangley

In typical Gracie fashion, 10-time World Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Champion Roger Gracie put on a masterful display of grappling and netted a first-round submission win over veteran Trevor Prangley.

Gracie's growing confidence in his standup showed early as he utilized a nice jab and inside leg kicks. The possibility of being taken down seemed to take away from Prangley's game as he was stiff and tentative in the exchanges.

"I think everything happened as planned. I knew he was heavy-handed, and I had the reach. So, I played with jab," said Gracie.

After peppering Prangley on the feet, Gracie shot in and secured the double-leg takedown. Prangley tried to scramble back to his feet, but Gracie was always a step ahead in the transitions.

It didn't take Gracie long to transition to the back of the South African fighter and lock in the fight-ending rear naked choke.

This is a big win for Gracie in defeating a notable guy like Prangley, who is coming off a win over Keith Jardine at Shark Fights 13.

As MMA's first family, a fighter can easily become lost in all of the hype and pressure that comes with the Gracie name. With the support of his family, Roger is carving his own path.

"People say there is a lot of pressure in carrying the Gracie name. Yeah, the Gracie name is heavy, but when you've got your family behind you, it's another wave pushing you forward," said Gracie.

Nick Diaz defeats Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos by submission (armbar) at 4:50, R2

Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza defeats Robbie Lawler by submission (rear naked choke) at 2:00, R3

Herschel Walker defeats Scott Carson by TKO at 3:13, R1

Roger Gracie defeats Trevor Prangley by submission (rear naked choke) at 4:19, R1

Nate Moore defeats Nathan Coy by KO at 0:25, R2

Isaiah Hill defeats Bobby Stack by submission (triangle) at 1:02, R1

Ron Keslar defeats Eric Lawson by submission (armbar) at 1:57, R1

Germaine de Randamie defeats Stephanie Webber by KO at 4:25, R1

James Terry defeats Lucas Gamaza by TKO at 3:26, R1

Jenna Castillo defeats Charlene Gellner by KO at 3:57, R2

(SportsHaze Original)