Strikeforce Diaz vs. Daley Results: Lessons Learned and Questions Answered
Showtime's stacked fight card featuring two championship fights is in the books with some big results for the winners.
In the main event, champion Nick Diaz took on powerful slugger Paul Daley for the Strikeforce welterweight championship.
In the co-main event, Strikeforce lightweight champion and top 10 lightweight fighter Gilbert Melendez defended his title against Japanese fighter Tatsuya Kawajiri.
Other fighters featured on tonight's card were Gegard Mousasi, Keith Jardine, Shinya Aoki and Lyle Beerbohm.
Paul Daley Can Make Weight
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In three of Paul Daley's (27-10-2) last seven bouts, the fighter from the UK was overweight and didn't make the official welterweight limit of 170 pounds.
It was a question going into tonight's main event whether Daley could make the weight when he stepped on the scale Friday evening. He did and was on weight.
Even though the fight didn't go his way, he showed he is dedicated enough to do the work needed to fight the best fighters outside of the UFC.
He will get another shot in Strikeforce, but his comments about Dana White, the UFC and Scott Coker will make things tough for him to get on the good side once again.
Keith Jardine May Have the Best Resume in the LHW Division
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The UFC veteran proved once again why he is one of the fan favorites in his bout with Gegard Mousasi; a fight he accepted on nine days' notice.
"The Dean of Mean" Keith Jardine fought through three rounds against a top light-heavyweight to earn a majority draw.
It wasn't the victory Jardine was looking for and needs, but it adds another name onto his record of champions and legends in the sport.
Jardine has fought all of the very best in the light-heavyweight division. Some of the names include Quinton Jackson, Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin, Stephan Bonnar, Wanderlei Silva, Ryan Bader, Brandon Vera and Matt Hamill.
Gilbert Melendez Is a Top Three Lightweight and Deserves a Shot in UFC
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Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez (19-2) defended his title for the second time after stopping Tatsuya Kawajiri (27-7-2) in their championship bout tonight.
It didn't take long, and three minutes into Round 1, Melendez was having his hand raised once again after he knocked out Kawajiri with strikes and elbows.
Melendez has defeated every fighter that has been put in front of him and avenged his only two defeats. If Melendez finds his way into the UFC, a title shot should be the first thing he gets. He deserves it.
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Gegard Mousasi Still Needs to Improve Takedown Defense
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Former Strikeforce light-heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi (30-3-2) didn't impress many fans with his three-round draw against Keith Jardine.
Many thought it would be an easy win for the 25-year-old, but it was anything but that because of one thing; takedown defense.
Mousasi stated he had been working on his TDD after losing the title last year to Muhammad "King Mo" Lawal for that reason alone.
It is something he really needs to work on if he has any chance against the current champion, Dan Henderson.
Shinya Aoki Remains Top 10 Lightweight
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It's arguable that Japanese fighter Shinya Aoki (27-5) shouldn't be in the top 10 until he beats one of the top guys, but his win over Lyle Beerbohm shows why fans think so highly of him.
His submissions create problems for anyone he gets to the ground, and there isn't a top 10 lightweight that wouldn't have trouble with Aoki if he got them there.
Aoki's problem is his takedowns and striking, as witnessed in his unsuccessful title fight with Gilbert Melendez, but if his grappling is enough to earn him 27 victories in 32 bouts, you can't keep him out of the ranks.
Nick Diaz Should Get Title Shot vs. Georges St. Pierre
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If there is any possible way for this fight to happen, it needs to happen as soon as possible.
The best-case scenario for Nick Diaz (25-7) is that his teammate Jake Shields defeats St. Pierre at UFC 129 so he doesn't have to, but it's a shot that he deserves and would be willing to take.
After defending his Strikeforce welterweight championship three times and finishing off Paul Daley, Diaz proves once again that he is one of the best welterweights in the world.
He has a 10-fight win streak to back it up, including nine stoppages.
He may be the biggest demand for St. Pierre after Anderson Silva, and it's a fight that should and could happen in the future once the Strikeforce-Zuffa deal isn't "as business as usual."
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