UFC 152 Update: Johnson-Benavidez Flyweight Title Tilt, Stann-Bisping On in Toronto

UFC 152 now has its headliner, as Demetrious Johnson will face Joseph Benavidez to crown the UFC's inaugural flyweight champion.

Promotion officials announced the pairing on Saturday, also revealing that a pivotal middleweight confrontation between Michael Bisping and Brian Stann will serve as the evening's co-main event. UFC 152 is expected to take place Sept. 22 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto and will also feature a welterweight confrontation between former two-division champion B.J. Penn and rising talent Rory MacDonald.

Johnson, 25, advanced to the finals of the UFC's four-man flyweight tournament by outpointing Ian McCall in their June 8 rematch after their first fight ended in a majority draw back in March. A former bantamweight contender, “Mighty Mouse” has lost just once in the last two years, as he was turned away by 135-pound kingpin Dominick Cruz this past October at UFC Live 6.

Benavidez, meanwhile, has sat on the sideline since his knockout of Yasuhiro Urushitani in March's semifinals. Another former bantamweight title contender, the Team Alpha Male standout also fell to “The Dominator,” though that bout took place in 2010 and was for Cruz's WEC belt. Since the defeat, the 27-year-old has gone 4-0, besting Wagnney Fabiano, Ian Loveland and Eddie Wineland before finishing Urushitani.

Bisping was expected to compete at UFC 149 against Tim Boetsch, but the Brit was forced to withdraw from that matchup with an injury. “The Count” was last seen falling to Chael Sonnen in a hard-fought unanimous decision defeat at UFC on Fox 2. The loss snapped a four-fight winning streak for Bisping, who had topped Dan Miller, Yoshihiro Akiyama, Jorge Rivera and Jason Miller prior to the setback.

Stann was also bitten by the injury bug ahead of his planned UFC on Fox 4 meeting with ex-Bellator champion Hector Lombard and had to pull out of the Aug. 4 event. Like Bisping, Stann's most recent defeat came at the hands of Sonnen, as the former U.S. Marine was submitted by an arm-triangle choke at UFC 136 this past October. Nevertheless, the former light heavyweight has walked away a winner in four of his five middleweight appearances, finishing each of his fallen foes by either knockout or submission.

Strikeforce Prelims: Pat Healy Edges Deep Champion Mizuto Hirota

Team Quest veteran Pat Healy passed a stern test against Deep lightweight champion Mizuto Hirota, as he captured a hard-fought unanimous decision at Strikeforce “Rockhold vs. Kennedy” on Saturday at the Rose Garden in Portland, Ore. All three cageside judges scored it for Healy (28-16, 6-1 Strikeforce) by 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28 counts.

Hirota (14-5-1, 0-1 Strikeforce) was far from a stepping stone for a man many consider the No. 1 contender for the Strikeforce lightweight crown. The 31-year-old shut down Healy’s clinch game early, ripped into him with ringing left hooks and even delivered a first-round takedown.

Healy brought his size, strength and experience into play in rounds two and three, as he gradually wore down his Japanese adversary with takedowns and clinches, mixing in some nice standing elbows when the two lightweights engaged one another on the feet. He has won five fights in a row.

Will Campuzano Faces Unbeaten Jimmy Flick for Vacant Flyweight Title at Legacy FC 13

Legacy Fighting Championship will crown its first flyweight champion a bit later than expected.

The Texas-based promotion was forced to cancel the 125-pound title headliner of Friday’s Legacy FC 12 when Chad Robichaux was hospitalized Thursday with a kidney infection. Instead, Legacy officials announced Saturday that Robichaux’s opponent, Will Campuzano, will face undefeated Jimmy Flick (Pictured) for the belt at Legacy FC 13 on Aug. 17.

Legacy FC 13 will take place in Dallas as part of the 2012 Europa Get Fit and Sports Expo. The card is also expected to feature blue-chip heavyweight prospect Jared Rosholt and five-time UFC veteran Junior Assuncao.

Campuzano, 26, has won back-to-back fights and most recently knocked out Joshua Sampo with a knee to the head on May 19. The three-time WEC vet fought twice for the UFC from 2010 to 2011, falling in consecutive fights to Nick Pace and Chris Cariaso before being released by the organization.

Flick has yet to experience defeat as a pro, stopping three of his five career victims via arm-triangle choke. Just 21 years old, “The Brick” last competed on June 30, when he finished Adan de la Garza to pick up his second win of 2012.

Jay Hieron, Robert Drysdale Earn Key Wins at Legacy FC 12 in Houston

UFC and Bellator veteran Jay Hieron made the most of his debut with Legacy Fighting Championship, but not without some controversy.

Friday night at Legacy FC 12 inside Houston’s Arena Theatre, the 35-year-old Hieron showed off his kickboxing skills against Brazilian welterweight Romario Manoel da Silva before the Xtreme Couture fighter took the fight to the mat in the second and submitted Da Silva with a textbook brabo choke.

However, Da Silva contested the stoppage, saying after the fight that he never tapped nor gave a verbal submission to referee Kevin Hancock. “Junior Killer,” a late replacement for popular Texan fighter Mike Bronzoulis, jumped right up after Hieron let go of the choke and immediately disputed the result.

In his post-fight interview, Hieron said he had the choke on tight and kept squeezing, even telling Hanccock that da Silva might be out because he quit moving. Regardless, Hieron outclassed da Silva in all phases of the fight, picking up his first win his first outing since Bellator champ Ben Askren edged him out in their title bout last November, ending his 10-fight winning streak.

The fight served as the night’s main event, as another popular local, Chad Robichaux, missed weight the day before for his flyweight championship fight with UFC vet Will Campuzano. The fight was still going to take place as a non-championship, catchweight bout, but kidney issues connected with the weight cut forced the bout’s cancelation. Elsewhere, BJJ world champion and all-star grappler Robert Drysdale made quick work of Isaac Villanueva, locking up an armbar to force the tap just 89 seconds seconds into the fight. Villanueva barely had time to walk forward when Drysdale shot for a single-leg and took the fight to the mat. Drysdale showed off his world-class grappling skills by easily taking the back, threatening the choke, then transitioning to a slick armbar.

Villanueva landed a solid punch that swelled Drysdale's eye, but that would be the only offense the Houston native would be able to muster before the American-born BJJ wiz moved to 4-0.

Cage Warriors heavyweight champion and Bellator vet D.J. Linderman used superior wrestling and tremendous pressure to earn a second-round TKO win over Dale Mitchell in their heavyweight contest.

Linderman wasted no time going for the takedown in the second round but Mitchell's sprawl was true and he nearly locked up a guillotine choke. However, once “Da Protégé” got Mitchlel on the mat, he then took the back, flattened him out and finished the fight with heavy shots to both sides of Mitchell's head, forcing Jon Schorle into action at 3:29 of the second round.

Middleweight Noel Ligon used superior stand up skills to score a unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) win over Artenas Young. Ligon took advantage of Young's tentative hands with good combinations and leg kicks. Arenas’ attempts to put Ligon on the mat were short-lived as Ligon quickly scrambled to his feet. The men were content to stand for the rest of the fight.

The third time was the charm for Brazilian bantamweight Alan Nascimento as he locked up a kneebar to submit Terry Ackerman in their 135-pound bout after much trying.

Nascimento tried for a leg lock in each of the previous two rounds, but Ackerman's defense stayed firm. He tagged "Puro Osso" with quick and accurate combinations throughout the fight, and also landed several takedowns. However, Nascimento fought well off his back using transitions to attack with leglock before the fight-ending kneebar at 3:19 of the final round.

In a thrilling 160-pound contest, Ray Blodget edged out Scotty Juarez by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28), while popular local Justin Reiswerg choked Cris Rucker out cold with a second-round triangle in their lightweight contest.

Lester Batres took out Danny Rodriguez in the third round of their middleweight contest with a rear-naked choke; Jared Chaffee punched out Jason Carter in round two at 135 pounds and in a pair of welterweight contests, Jeremy Morris made Levi West a second-round victim of the Jason Von Flue choke while Charles Ontiveros halted Mark Garcia in the second frame, as well.

Weigh-in Video: Strikeforce ‘Rockhold vs. Kennedy’

Tyron Woodley: Beating Nate Marquardt Will Bring Respect I Deserve

Tyron Woodley will finally get his shot at Strikeforce gold on Saturday when he meets Nate Marquardt for the promotion’s vacant welterweight title.

Ahead of the matchup, Woodley joined the Sherdog Radio Network’s “Beatdown” show to discuss his opponent, what a win would mean and more.

On what he expects from Marquardt: “I’m just expecting the best Nate. The fact that he’s making a weight cut, whether or not he’s coming off TRT, whether his body’s feeling differently or he hasn’t fought in a year -- all those things, I just kind of don’t even factor in. I just factor that I’m feeling good. I’m going to go out there and fight hard. I’m going to win this fight and I’m going to be a world champion.”

On the fight being scheduled for five rounds: “It matters, but the thing that’s more important than five rounds is the preparation that went behind this fight. The amount of notice, the amount of time granted to get prepared -- I had the time I needed. I didn’t have to feel like I was rushing and pressuring myself and doing a crash course on getting in shape to make sure I was tiptop. I was able to be progressional and I was able to peak. I’ll be ready to roll. I’ll be at my best on Saturday.”

On whether he’ll follow Chael Sonnen’s game plan against Marquardt: “I think I’ve got to not so much follow a particular game plan of someone else because that person has a different body. They fight a different way. Chael, he’s going to walk forward, as you saw this past weekend. That’s his style. That’s not going to be my style. I can take some of the things that he does well and I can implement those things into my game plan as well as some other opponents who had some good moments against Nate, even if they didn’t win. You’ve got to look at weaknesses of your opponent and try to sharpen yourself up and also look at it from his point of view, what things he might be looking at, that he thinks he can exploit of mine, and make sure I close those gaps.”

On Marquardt’s submission game: “He has a good guillotine choke, a good kimura, goes for good leg locks and he’s a strong individual, but I think the team I fight for has some of the best jiu-jitsu practitioners in the world. … If I’m in half guard, I don’t have to worry about getting hit with a triangle or armbar. It’s not going to happen. I’ve just got to worry about getting swept or leg locked or get put in a guillotine or a kimura, but I won’t have to worry about the posture that I’ll have to keep to get out of an armbar or a triangle. I just know when I get to certain spots what to look out for and also which ways I can be offensive.”

On whether Marquardt has an edge in experience: “I’ve probably wrestled 2,000 or 3,000 wrestling matches in my life. Experience is experience. Having to make weight, getting butterflies, competing against top-notch people -- that’s experience.”

On what a win would mean: “I feel as if I’m the uncrowned champion already. I think it will get me the respect I deserve. It will crack me into the top 10, where I should be. It will put my city, my gym, everybody who supports me, it will put us on the map where we should be.”

Champion Rockhold Hits Weight for Strikeforce Title Matchup on Second Try

Strikeforce middleweight champion Luke Rockhold initially failed to make weight at 185.5 pounds for his showdown with Tim Kennedy (184.5) in the Strikeforce “Rockhold vs. Kennedy” headliner on Saturday at the Rose Garden in Portland, Ore.

Rockhold successfully hit 185 pounds on his second try.

The six other fighters slated for main card duty -- including the unbeaten Tyron Woodley (169.5) and Nate Marquardt (169.5), the two men who will vie for the promotion’s vacant welterweight crown -- met their contracted weight requirements at Friday’s official weigh-in.

Kidney Issues Force Chad Robichaux Out of Legacy Fighting Championship 12 Headliner

Medical issues have forced Chad Robichaux to withdraw from a scheduled flyweight title headliner against Will Campuzano at tonight's Legacy Fighting Championship 12.

Robichaux issued a statement on his official Facebook page elaborating on the reason for his withdrawal. According to the Bellator veteran, kidney issues hospitalized him and have rendered him unable to compete. Sherdog.com confirmed the development with Legacy promoter Mick Maynard on Friday evening.

“[I was] just was released from the hospital...The doctor at the hospital gave an absolute 'no way' to [me competing] and put me on some strong antibiotics and pain meds,” Robichaux wrote. “I had a small kidney stone and a serious kidney infection with some inflammation in my kidneys. I'm very sorry to everyone, and thank you for your support.

“Will Campuzano impressed me by handling the situation like a class act professional, [and] so did the Legacy and AXS TV staffs,” he continued. “I'm truly regretful and sorry, guys. Will and I trained hard, and it is sad to see the match not happen.”

LFC 12 will now be headlined by a welterweight confrontation between Jay Hieron and Romario Manoel da Silva. The event airs live on AXS TV at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and will see former ADCC submission grappling champion Robert Drysdale make his Legacy debut against Isaac Villanueva. Houston's Arena Theater will host the show, while UFC heavyweight contender Alistair Overeem and veteran play-by-play man Michael Schiavello will call the action from cage-side.

Melvin Guillard Meets Donald Cerrone in UFC 150 Co-Main Event

Donald Cerrone will meet former Jackson's MMA teammate Melvin Guillard in the co-main event of UFC 150, promotion officials announced Friday.

The event takes place Aug. 11 at the Pepsi Center in Denver and is headlined by a lightweight title rematch between current champion Ben Henderson and ex-belt holder Frankie Edgar. The evening's main draw airs live on pay-per-view and will also see former Strikeforce ruler Jake Shields return to the middleweight division against fellow veteran Ed Herman.

Cerrone, 29, has won seven of his last eight fights, most recently outpointing a game but overmatched Jeremy Stephens on May 15 at UFC on Fuel TV 3. The victory followed the lone loss recorded during Cerrone's ongoing hot streak, as the “Cowboy” was out-struck en route to a unanimous decision defeat at the hands of Nate Diaz to close out last year. Cerrone owns notable victories over Dennis Siver, Charles Oliveira and former WEC champion Jamie Varner, among others.

Guillard, also 29, recently righted his ship after suffering back-to-back defeats to Joe Lauzon and Jim Miller, outpointing Fabricio Camoes at UFC 148 just six days ago. Prior to his losses to Lauzon and Miller, “The Young Assassin” had won five straight fights, topping Stephens, Evan Dunham and Shane Roller during the longest winning streak of his Octagon career.

Nevada Athletic Commission: All Fighters Test Clean at UFC 148

The Nevada Athletic Commission on Friday announced that all 22 fighters who competed at UFC 148 tested negative for prohibited substances.

NAC Executive Director Keith Kizer informed Sherdog.com of the test results via email. UFC 148 took place July 7 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and was headlined by a long-awaited middleweight title rematch between reigning champion Anderson Silva and challenger Chael Sonnen. Nevada tests fighters for both performance-enhancing drugs and drugs of abuse.

Silva successfully defended his belt for a 10th straight time at the event, surviving a strong first round from Sonnen and then delivering a technical knockout finish in the second frame. Sonnen -- who was previously suspended in California after producing an elevated testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio following his first fight with “The Spider” in 2010 -- was granted a therapeutic use exemption for testosterone prior to receiving a license in Nevada under the conditions that he adhere to dosage restrictions in the days leading up to the event and then submit to a post-fight blood test the morning after his bout.

The pay-per-view card also saw former light heavyweight champions Forrest Griffin and Tito Ortiz do battle, with Griffin earning a unanimous verdict to take the deciding bout in their three-fight series. Meanwhile, ex- Strikeforce middleweight titlist Cung Le earned the first Octagon win of his career, as the san shou kickboxing stylist topped returning Canadian Patrick Cote. Additionally, former middleweight title contender Demian Maia impressed in his welterweight debut, injuring judo practitioner Dong Hyun Kim during a takedown attempt just 47 seconds into their bout.

Strikeforce 'Rousey vs. Kaufman' Gets Yamanaka-De Randamie, Amagov-Berry

Two preliminary card attractions have been added to the developing Strikeforce “Rousey vs. Kaufman” fight bill. Promotion officials announced that former Smackgirl champion Hiroko Yamanaka will drop to 135 pounds to square off with Germaine de Randamie, while twice-beaten prospect Adlan Amagov locks horns with Keith Berry at middleweight.

“Rousey vs. Kaufman” takes place Aug. 18 at the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego and will be headlined by a titular women's bantamweight collision between reigning champion Ronda Rousey and ex-titlist Sarah Kaufman. The main draw airs live on Showtime and is preceded by the preliminary card broadcast on Showtime Extreme.

Yamanaka, 33, has not competed since being knocked out just 16 seconds into her featherweight title bout with Cristiane Santos on Dec. 17. However, that result was later changed to a no-contest after Santos tested positive for anabolic steroid stanozolol. Known as “Cat's Eye,” Yamanaka had earned eight consecutive victories prior to her meeting with “Cyborg.”

De Randamie is regarded by many as one of the best strikers in all of women's MMA. The muay Thai practitioner is 2-2 as a mixed martial artist, most recently falling to Julia Budd in a contentious unanimous decision loss last June at Strikeforce Challengers 16. “The Iron Lady” earned the lone knockout of her nascent MMA career in her January 2011 Strikeforce debut, finishing Stephanie Walker with a first-round knee strike at “Diaz vs. Cyborg.”

Representing KDojo in Fairfield, N.J., Amagov suffered the first knockout loss of his pro career in his most recent in-cage appearance, falling to UFC veteran Robbie Lawler in just 1:48 at January's “Rockhold vs. Jardine.” The 27-year-old had been perfect in his Strikeforce career prior to that defeat, besting Ronald Stallings and Anthony Smith in his first-two outings in hexagonal cage.

Known as the “KO Kid,” Berry, 24, has lost four of his last five fights. The 24-year-old was defeated in both of his Strikeforce efforts last year, submitting to a Trevor Smith north-south choke before being outpointed by Gian Villante last August. Berry most recently fought in April at a local event in California, tapping to a rear-naked choke courtesy of Tyson Jeffries.

Lorenz Larkin Settles at Middleweight, Views Robbie Lawler as Springboard

Lorenz Larkin did not ask for a soft landing at 185 pounds, and he did not receive one.

Larkin will make his middleweight debut against former EliteXC titleholder and Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Robbie Lawler at Strikeforce “Rockhold vs. Kennedy” on Saturday at the Rose Garden in Portland, Ore. The decision to leave the 205-pound division brought with it a new set of challenges for the undefeated 25-year-old.

“It was hard at first with the dieting,” Larkin told Sherdog.com, “but now I’m in a groove and doing well with it.”

The benefits of a change in weight class overshadow any negatives, according to Larkin, who trains out of the Empire Training Center and Millennia MMA camps in California.

“There may be a little change in the speed of my opponents but nothing that’s going to be a big difference,” he said. “My opponents will be smaller and I’ll get a little faster and maintain my power, so, for me, it’s a win-win. My opponents were getting bigger and stronger [at light heavyweight]. When I was on the local circuit, the guys weren’t much bigger than me, but as I moved up in class, they were getting bigger and bigger.”

Lawler poses a serious threat, especially on his feet. The 30-year-old has delivered 16 of his 19 professional victories by knockout or technical knockout. His finishes on 2000 Olympic silver medalist Matt Lindland, Dutch striker Melvin Manhoef and former Icon Sport middleweight champion Frank Trigg were particularly vicious and unnerving.

“He’s a hard hitter and very dangerous,” Larkin said. “You definitely can’t let your guard down on him.”

Larkin welcomes the opportunity Strikeforce has placed before him.

“It means everything, because it will be the first big name that I’ll beat,” he said. “I think it will catapult my career. I’m happy with Strikeforce. I want to push myself in this organization and win a title.”

Larkin has not fought since losing to Muhammed Lawal by second-round technical knockout in January. The decision was later ruled a no contest by the Nevada Athletic Commission after “King Mo” tested positive for suspected steroid use, thus restoring Larkin’s unbeaten record. When asked whether or not he learned anything from the experience, Larkin fired a sharp barb across the bow.

“Yes,” he said, “[I learned] how strong you become when you take steroids.”

Having dropped anchor at 185 pounds, Larkin aims to resume what he feels he does best: win fights and entertain the masses.

“I want to go out and put on an exciting performance because it’s what the fans pay to see,” he said. “I mean, they take time out of their day to watch me fight, so I want to go out and deliver a fight that will get the fans going.”

Strikeforce Middleweight Champ Luke Rockhold Wants ‘Closure’ with ‘Jacare’ Rematch

Luke Rockhold defended his Strikeforce middleweight title for the second time Saturday night in the main event of Strikeforce “Rockhold vs. Kennedy” by outpointing Tim Kennedy at the Rose Garden in Portland, Ore.

Rockhold utilized his reach effectively throughout five rounds, using his superior length to keep Kennedy on the end of his punching range. However, though he managed to floor the Jackson’s MMA representative in round four, Rockhold could not find a finish against his durable opponent.

“Tim Kennedy is a real tough dude. I think we could compete with anybody out there in the top 10 and beat them,” Rockhold told Showtime Sports following his performance. “He’s tough as nails. I tried to put him away. I know I hit him once pretty good and dropped him, but he recovers quick. It’s proven -- nobody has been able to put him away.”

As Rockhold pressed the action for most of the contest, Kennedy looked to counterpunch while moving in and out of range. Despite trading evenly with the ever-active champion in several exchanges, Kennedy found himself unable to land a tide-turning blow that might have changed the fight’s outcome.

“[Kennedy has an] awkward striking style. He’s hard to read and he’s backing up a lot, and it’s hard to reach him,” said Rockhold. “He’s decent at countering, and you don’t know if he’s going to wrestle or strike. I was a little wary of both and, obviously, I got caught a few times.”

The prevailing wisdom before the contest was that if Kennedy could plant Rockhold on his back throughout the 25-minute affair, the challenger might walk out with the belt. Kennedy’s success in that department proved limited thanks to Rockhold’s concentrated focus on improving his wrestling during training camp.

“[I trained to] wrestle first. A lot of times, guys get on my legs and I try striking. I try pogo-sticking on one leg and try to hit them, which just gets me in trouble,” said Rockhold. “This fight, it was wrestle first, strike second. That was the major success of this fight. I wrestled hard, and wrestling camps are always the worst, but wrestling is the biggest equalizer in all of fighting.”

While it is unclear exactly what currently lies ahead for Strikeforce’s middleweight ace, the American Kickboxing Academy standout says that he should have no shortage of willing challengers, one of whom could be Ronaldo Souza, the man he outpointed to win the belt back in September. Regardless of whom he faces, Rockhold says he plans to hold onto his title for some time.

“[There will be] many more [defenses] to come. I’m not giving it up. I’ll be damned if anybody takes this belt from me,” said Rockhold. “There are quite a few new middleweights in the division now, like Lorenz Larkin and Roger Gracie, but I think ‘Jacare’ is the most likely challenger, as long as he wins [his August bout against Derek Brunson]. Our fight needs closure, and I’d like to have a chance to finish it.”

Nate Marquardt: Experience Made Difference in Strikeforce Welterweight Title Win Over Woodley

Former UFC middleweight title contender Nate Marquardt made his return to competition Saturday night at the Rose Garden in Portland, Ore. Marquardt captured the vacant Strikeforce welterweight championship by knocking out Tyron Woodley in the fourth round of their co-headlining attraction at Strikeforce “Rockhold vs. Kennedy.”

The opening minutes of the bout proved inauspicious for Marquardt, who was stunned by a looping right hand behind the ear. Though he appeared to be in trouble momentarily, the 44-fight veteran regained his composure quickly and went to work, returning fire and cracking former NCAA Division I All-American wrestler Woodley with a straight right hand that sent him to the canvas. Marquardt appeared even more confident in round two when he took the center of the cage and brought “T-Wood” to the floor near the end of the frame.

Despite the UFC veteran’s strong start, Woodley stormed back in the third round, launching a barrage of hooks that forced Marquardt into the chain-link. Woodley capitalized on the moment, rocking the Grudge Training Center fighter with a hard right hook and following him to the mat.

“I think I backed up a little bit and gave him the opportunity to come forward,” Marquardt told Showtime Sports after the bout. “I can’t remember [exactly what happened], but I ended up on bottom. He was throwing a lot of hard shots, but I was just weathering the storm, because I thought I could make him wear himself out a little bit.”

As he did in the first round, Marquardt managed to recover from Woodley’s strikes, holding on from his guard until referee Dave Hagen restarted the men on their feet. Marquardt used the standup to his advantage, backing up Woodley with elbows near the end of the round.

The bout’s fourth frame would prove to be its last, as the Coloradoan picked up where he left off in round three, clinching with Woodley against the fence and unloading with a beautiful pair of elbows that signaled the beginning of the end for his opponent. A split-second later, Woodley absorbed a vicious left hook-right uppercut combination that relieved him of his consciousness.

Known for his respected fight resume, Marquardt says that holding four times the pro experience of his opponent aided him in picking up the win on Saturday night.

“Definitely, experience is what did it,” said Marquardt. “I came [into the fight] in great shape. I trained very hard for this. Those young guys are always tough and come out to win. They don’t have any quit in them.”

Marquardt, who captured Strikeforce’s welterweight gold in his inaugural appearance at 170 pounds, will likely soon be presented with a new challenger hungry to wrest the title from around his waist. In the meantime, however, the vet says he plans to savor his first title win since becoming King of Pancrase for a third time in 2004.

“Right now, I’m just so happy that I want to be here right now,” he said. “I don’t want to think ahead and think about what I’m doing next.”

Luke Rockhold Denies Tim Kennedy, Keeps Strikeforce Middleweight Title

Nothing seems to rattle Luke Rockhold, not even five hard rounds with Tim Kennedy.

Rockhold (10-1, 9-0 Strikeforce) stalked and struck his way to victory, as he retained the Strikeforce middleweight championship with a unanimous decision over Kennedy in the Strikeforce “Rockhold vs. Kennedy” headliner on Saturday at the Rose Garden in Portland, Ore. All three cageside judges sided with Rockhold by identical 49-46 scores.

“The five-round wars suck, but hard work pays off,” Rockhold said. “I controlled the pace, I think. I stalked him most of the time and made him keep backing up. I defended all his takedowns, for the most part, and got a couple of my own.”

Controlling the center of the cage, the longer and taller champion backed up Kennedy throughout the grueling 25-minute bout. The challenger seemed reluctant to unleash more than one punch at a time, and it cost him. Rockhold countered effectively with straight lefts and right hooks, more than held his own in the clinch and turned away a majority of Kennedy’s takedown bids.

Rockhold connected on the most significant strike of the match in the fourth round, when he planted Kennedy with a right hand, followed him to the canvas and mounted him briefly. Kennedy (14-4, 5-2 Strikeforce) freed himself from the American Kickboxing Academy ace’s clutches but did nothing to push the champion outside of his comfort zone. Rockhold cruised from there.

“I feel good, but I think I could have let some combinations go,” he said. “I loaded up a lot and tried to head hunt. He’s got some funky strikes. They’re unorthodox, and it’s hard to read sometimes when you know he’s going to shoot.

“Kennedy is a great wrestler; he’s so tenacious,” Rockhold added. “What he lacks in technique, he makes up for in his heart and desire. He just keeps coming. I knew I couldn’t get stale for a second.”