Out to prove Strikeforce wasn’t a feeder league to the UFC, Lorenz Larkin (pictured) fights Francis Carmont at UFC on Fox 7 on Saturday, April 20. Photo by Erik Fontanez.

When he steps off the plane for the location of his fight, Lorenz Larkin likes to be at a certain weight. Two hundred pounds or below and all is good for the middleweight.

Earlier this week, he and his team landed in San Jose and the fighter was right on track, weighing 198, according to his head/stand-up coach, Arnold “Irish” DeWitt.

Larkin flew to San Jose for his UFC debut, which takes place this Saturday at UFC on Fox 7 against Francis Carmont. Like a number of other UFC fighters, Larkin is coming to the organization from Strikeforce, which had its final show in January. Fighters from that promotion have had fairly decent results since coming over the premier MMA league. On Saturday, Larkin will look to continue to prove that Strikeforce wasn’t as minor-league as everyone made it to be.

“For any type of fighter, no matter who it is, their dream is to be in the big show,” Larkin said. “I was content with Strikeforce because it was a big show. And obviously …  we’ve been doing good. We showed that we’re not a feeder league.”

Larkin prepared for this moment in his Rancho Cucamonga gym, Millennia MMA, with more than just training partners; he keeps his friends close, too. Jonathan Wilson, a light heavyweight amateur fighter and close friend of Larkin’s, throws punches with ill intentions when the two spar. But with every blow Larkin takes from his buddy, he grows in toughness, and also helps his friend prepare for the what will soon be a professional MMA career.

Others in Larkin’s camp, like William Richey, provide him with various types of opponents. Richey is a heavyweight that regularly spars with Larkin, and he said the variation in weight helps the former Strikeforce fighter prepare for the big fights destined to happen in the UFC.

“We’re all coming with different techniques,” said Richey. “(It) keeps a fresh body on him.”

It’s things like these that help to make Larkin prepare for biggest step up in competition that he’s seen since beginning his MMA career. He never really thought about making it to the UFC when he first started training, he said. But now that he’s about to make his debut with the promotion, Larkin sees how more eyes are beginning to watch him.

“Before I got with Strikeforce, I was nobody,” Larkin explained. “Sometimes it trips me out that I’m even in the UFC.”

Larkin compared the journey to that of a kid playing football. He started in pop warner, was good enough to play college ball, then made it to the National Football League. It wasn’t planned that way, but Larkin isn’t complaining.

“To finally make it there after all those years,” he said. “It’s a cool feeling.”

All that’s left to do now is cut off that last 12 pounds to get down to the middleweight limit. A day of cutting weight and eating healthy will soon be followed by a cage fight where he’ll look to prove that the gap between UFC and Strikeforce fighters is much smaller than previously thought.

“For us, coming from Strikeforce, we watched a lot of the other … fighters come out and do really well,” DeWitt said. “So like all the other Strikeforce guys, we want to come in and show … that as far as the level fighters that were in Strikeforce, there isn’t a big a gap as people thought.”

Photo via Getty Images / Esther Lin / Josh Hedges / Zuffa

When the UFC puts tpgether a card on Fox, one thing that viewers need to be aware of is that a lot of the time, the fight cards can easily be swapped for a Pay-Per-View. In other words, the UFC on Fox card could have easily been dubbed “UFC 159,” had a $54.99 price tag slapped on it and all would have worked out fine.

If you have access to local television stations, you’re getting the card for free. Can’t beat that. But beyond the quality-fights-for-no-cost reasoning, here are five other reasons why you should tune in to UFC on Fox 7 on Saturday, April 20.

1) Gilbert Melendez is the best lightweight that’s never been in the UFC

Gilbert “El Nino” Melendez shares his nickname with something very appropriate: A hurricane. Melendez has blown through a lot of the 155-pound fighters outside of the Octagon, but don’t let that make you think he can’t compete with the top lightweights in the world. He holds notable wins over the UFC’s Clay Guida, Josh Thomson and current One FC champ Shinya Aoki. Combine all those with the fact that Melendez was the last Strikeforce lightweight champion, and it gets hard to argue against him getting a UFC title shot in his debut. Benson Henderson told GRACIEMAG.com that he isn’t taking it easy in preparing for the Cesar Gracie fighter. Niether should the rest of the lightweight roster.

2) Daniel Cormier, like Melendez, is a fighter casual fans can really get into

From rags to riches (kind of), Daniel Cormier is a name that came out of nowhere a few years ago and won’t be going away for a long time. A training partner at American Kickboxing Academy to UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez, Cormier has all the tools to be a power in the heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions. He replaced Alistair Overeem in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, only to decimate current No. 1 UFC heavyweight contender Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva and former UFC heavyweight champ Josh Barnett on the way to winning the tournament. Cormier has fast hands for a heavyweight and his wrestling is some of the best in MMA, giving him a strong advantage in nearly every match-up he has. Given the fact that his teammate, Velasquez, holds the heavyweight belt, it’s likely that if Cormier can get passed Frank Mir on Saturday he’ll drop to 205 pounds to challenge Jon Jones for the light heavyweight title. Fun fight.

3) Forgot about Strikeforce already? This card reminds you how good it was

The aforementioned fighters are the best this card has to offer in terms of the now-defunct Strikeforce promotion, but there are others that made it a quality roster that now invades the UFC. Josh Thomson fought Gilbert Melendez in a trilogy, winning the first meeting between the two. The loss was only Melendez’s second of his career, and any guy who can cause a black mark on Melendez’s record isn’t bad. Oh, and by the way, he fought in the UFC in 2003 and 2004. Lorenz Larkin, Jorge Masvidal and Roger Bowling are some other names to look out for, especially Larkin, who, if it had not been for an injury to then-champ Luke Rockhold, would have fought for the Strikeforce middleweight title. Watch out for these guys.

4) Reminder: IT’S FREE!

Seriously, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that watching free MMA is a good thing if you’re a fan. The main event has two of the best lightweights in the world duking it out for the premier MMA organization’s 155-pound belt. The co-main event has a former UFC heavyweight champ fighting the best heavyweight that hasn’t been in the UFC. The rest of the card is stacked with guys that have winning records, highlight reel knockouts and slick submissions on their tallies. And in terms of drama and entertainment value, there’s a Diaz brother on the card. Nate Diaz will take on Thomson on the main card, which will likely make for some friction (like every Diaz bout) come fight night.

5) GRACIEMAG will be on location

Our MMA reporter and assistant editor, Erik Fontanez, will be in San Jose, Calif. for the fight week press functions, as well as cageside for the fights themselves. Give him a follow for all things leading up to, during and after the fights to get coverage on UFC on Fox 7. There will be videos, exclusive quotes, and up-to-the-minute happenings about the fighters and card on Fox. Need any other reasons to watch?

BONUS VIDEO: Road to the Octagon

We thought you might want one more reason. Watch “UFC on Fox 7 Road to the Octagon” below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pR8NFgXirEU

Jacare has new opponent at Strikeforce’s January 12 event. Photo by Esther Lin/Forza LLC/Forza LLC via Getty Images

And now it’s official.

Strikeforce will hold their Jan. 12 event, Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine, and it will be the final event by the company on Showtime, the MMA promotion announced today.

“Since 2009, Showtime has been a great partner and we appreciate its support of Strikeforce and our athletes,” Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said in the release. “For our final event, we’ve loaded the card with some outstanding fights. This is going to be a memorable night for the sport of mixed martial arts.”

Reports of Strikeforce’s demise began to surface over a month ago, but representatives from Showtime have continued to say MMA will continue on the cable company. Today’s announcement means that Showtime may carry on with the sport, but it will not include Strikeforce.

The Jan. 12 card is finalized with 11 fights, and is headlined by welterweight champion Nate Marquardt defending his title against Tarec Saffiedine. In the co-main event, Heavyweight Grand Prix winner Daniel Cormier will face Dion Staring.

One of the previously reported matches, Lorenz Larkin vs. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, was removed from the card, but the release did not stipulate why. GRACIEMAG.com confirmed with Larkin’s manager, Arnold DeWitt, that the fighter sustained a knee injury in training and won’t be able to return for several weeks.

According to Strikeforce’s official website, Jacare’s new opponent will be Ed Herman.

The final Strikeforce event will take place at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Okla.

For more UFC and MMA coverage,

visit GRACIEMAG.com’s Choke MMA section

Ronaldo Jacaré celebrates win at Strikeforce. Photo courtesy of Esther Lin/Strikeforce.

A celebrated name from the Jiu-Jitsu world, two-time absolute champion Ronaldo Souza made his move to MMA back in 2005, and now he’s a standard bearer for the Strikeforce middleweight division.

“Jacaré,” as he’s known, captured the divisional title by beating Tim Kennedy in August of 2010. He’s had two defenses since, losing the second and the title to Luke Rockhold in 2011.

While Strikeforce seems to be fizzling as a promotion, amid rumors that the impending January event will be its swan song, Jacaré is only becoming stronger and better-trained. In the following interview, he speaks with GRACIEMAG.com about his next commitment against Lorenz Larkin—possibly his last in Strikeforce.

GRACIEMAG.com: What do you make of Lorenz Larkin, Jaca?

JACARÉ: He’s an excellent striker. And he’s well-rounded, too. He was going to fight Luke Rockhold for the belt before Luke got injured, so this is the kind of challenge I like — a tough fight!

What about your training in Rio de Janeiro, how’s that going?

I’m training really hard. I’m sharpening up my boxing with Josuel Distak and Cesário Bezerra and doing wrestling with Adrian Jaoude. The physical conditioning is taken care of by Rogério Camões, as always. Training’s going off here at X-Gym. We’ve got excellent sparring partners.

Do you feel like you’ve got one foot in the UFC? What do you expect there?

I’ve got a good feeling about it. It was always my goal to fight there, so let’s wait and see. There are definitely excellent fighters in my weight class in the UFC, so I see myself doing great fights with the best in the world.

Is there anyone in particular you want to face over there?

My goal in the UFC is to take one step at a time, have great fights and put on a show for the folks who dig MMA. I’ve never picked opponents, much less turned down a fight. I’ll fight whoever they put in my way.

Ronaldo Jacaré celebra vitória no Strikeforce. Foto: Esther Lin/Strikeforce

Consagrado no Jiu-Jitsu mundial, o bicampeão absoluto Ronaldo Souza migrou de vez para o MMA a partir de 2005, e hoje é uma referência no peso médio da organização.

Jacaré, como é conhecido, chegou a conquistar o cinturão do evento ao bater Tim Kennedy, em agosto de 2010. Jaca defendeu o cinturão em duas lutas mas, acabou perdendo na segunda defesa de cinturão, para Luke Rockhold, em 2011.

Se o Strikeforce vem definhando a olhos vistos, com rumores fortes de que vai acabar em janeiro, Ronaldo Jacaré segue cada vez mais forte e treinado. Ele bateu um papo com o GRACIEMAG.com sobre seu próximo compromisso, contra Lorenz Larkin – possivelmente o último pelo Strikeforce.

GRACIEMAG.com: O que acha do Lorenz Larkin, Jaca?

RONALDO JACARÉ: Ele é um excelente trocador. E é muito completo nas outras áreas. Ele ia disputar o cinturão do Luke Rockhold, antes do Luke se machucar, então esse é o tipo de desafio que eu gosto – luta dura!

E os seus treinos no Rio de Janeiro, como estão?

Estou treinando muito forte. Estou afiando meu boxe com o Josuel Distak e o Cesário Bezerra, e a parte de wrestling está a cargo do Adrian Jaoude. A parte física, como sempre, está com o Rogério Camões. Os treinos estão intensos aqui na X-Gym, temos excelentes sparrings.

Você se sente com um pé no UFC? Como fica essa expectativa?

É uma sensação muito boa, pois meu objetivo sempre foi o de lutar lá, vamos aguardar. Realmente esta categoria tem excelentes lutadores no UFC, então eu me vejo fazendo grandes lutas com os melhores do mundo.

E tem vontade de lutar contra alguém em especial lá?

Meu objetivo no UFC será dar um passo de cada vez, fazer grandes lutas e dar um show para o público que curte MMA. Eu nunca fui de escolher adversário e muito menos de recusar luta. Quem eles colocarem lá para me enfrentar eu vou lutar.

Pat Healy against Maximo Blanco at Strikeforce: this time he takes on Jiu-Jitsu black belt Gilbert Melendez. Publicity photo.

If you’re a Strikeforce fan, you’d better make the most of the next show. According to sources close to the event that launched the likes of Ronda Rousey, Antonio Pezão and Ronaldo Jacaré, it’s set to close its doors after the January 12 show in Oklahoma, USA.

What we can expect now, if no twists or turns in the story arise, is an exit for the ages, as that’s just what the card in the works looks sure to provide. The reigning lightweight champion, Gilbert Melendez, will take on Pat Healy in the main event, and besides retiring the promotional belt to his mantel, the winner will surely join the UFC’s ranks carrying some major clout.

And three more champions are tipped to defend their crowns at the farewell event. Middleweight kingpin Luke Rockhold takes on Lorenz Larkin, while Nate Marquardt defends his welterweight belt against Tarec Saffiedine, and the promotion’s number 1 heavyweight, Daniel Cormier, locks horns with Dion Staring, with UFC fans watching attentively.

In the video below, Pat Healy, Melendez’s opponent, teaches how to subdue an opponent using the crucifix, explaining step by step how to lock in the position and ultimately get the choke.

Confira o card provisório:

Strikeforce
Oklahoma, USA
January 12, 2013

Gilbert Melendez vs. Pat Healy
Luke Rockhold vs. Lorenz Larkin
Nate Marquardt vs. Tarec Saffiedine
Daniel Cormier vs. Dion Staring
Gegard Mousasi vs. Mike Kyle
Ryan Couture vs. KJ Noons

Pat Healy contra Maximo Blanco no Strikeforce: agora ele encara o faixa-preta Gilbert Melendez. Foto: Divulgação

Se você é fã do Strikeforce, é bom aproveitar. Segundo fontes atentas ao evento, a organização de MMA que consagrou Ronda Rousey, Antonio Pezão e Ronaldo Jacaré deve mesmo encerrar suas atividades no dia 12 de janeiro, em Oklahoma, nos EUA, após seu show derradeiro.

O que se espera agora, se não uma reviravolta, é uma despedida com estilo. É o que o card anda prometendo. Atual campeão dos leves, Gilbert Melendez encara Pat Healy, na luta principal, e o vencedor além de levar o cinturão para casa deve chegar ao UFC cheio de moral.

E há outros três campeões escalados para o cercado negro. Dono do cinturão dos médios, Luke Rockhold enfrenta Lorenz Larkin, enquanto Nate Marquardt (meio-médio) encara Tarec Saffiedine. Já Daniel Cormier (campeão dos pesados) bate de frente com Dion Staring, com os fãs do UFC já de olho nele.

No vídeo abaixo, Pat Healy, adversário de Melendez, ensina como dominar o oponente com o crucifixo. O americano detalha passo a passo como não perder a posição e por fim estrangular. O lance é usar a mão na própria cabeça ou o cadeado mão-com -mão.

Confira o card provisório:

Strikeforce
Oklahoma, Estados Unidos.
12 de janeiro de 2013

Gilbert Melendez vs Pat Healy

Luke Rockhold vs Lorenz Larkin

Nate Marquardt vs Tarec Saffiedine

Daniel Cormier vs Dion Staring

Gegard Mousasi vs Mike Kyle

Ryan Couture vs KJ Noons

Roger, his shorts soaked in blood, with his team at Strikeforce in Portland, Oregon: Renzo, Joinha, Ed Soares, Rilion and Chinzo Machida / Personal archive photo

The Strikeforce promotion put on a memorable evening in Portland, Oregon, thanks to the two title fights; a handful of ex-UFC fighters; a win from Ryan Couture, the son of a legend; and the Gracie on the card. In the audience, stars like MC Hammer brightened up the night.

Roger Gracie made his debut as a middleweight and demonstrated confidence, after suffering a knockout at the hands of King Mo and bidding farewell to the light heavyweight division. Having done a stint training with Lyoto Machida at Black House in Los Angeles, Roger displayed his newfound skill at slipping punches and safely closed the distance on Keith Jardine to take him to the ground.

With exception to the third round, Roger managed to wrestle his opponent to the ground and masterfully control the former UFC fighter throughout. Round one saw him mount and rain punches and elbows down on Jardine’s face, opening up gashes in the process. The Gracie looked set to bring a close to the bout in the final seconds, but the bell cut short his attack.

In the scond round, Roger got his chin out of harm’s way in the nick of time and again drug Jardine down. There, the Gracie saw his best shot at a decisive win, mounting, sinking his hooks, then a figure-four around the waist, before mounting and launching an arm-and-neck-choke assault. Again the bell sounded, and the five minutes of the round were not enough to conclude the encounter.

In the third and final round, with both fighters showing fatigue, Roger only managed to keep Jardine at a distance with jabs and push kicks, biding his time till the final bell.

“I’m glad I got to put my game to practice. I took him to the ground and controlled him but he was slippery from so much blood and knew how to hang on. I kind of wore out in the third round, but I think I left a few too many kilos to lose till the last minute, and that resulted in my fatiguing at the end,” explained Roger while still in the gray cage. “But I’m satisfied; every time I step into the ring to represent Jiu-Jitsu and my family makes me happy.”

When it was all over, the score cards came in deeming the three-time absolute world champion of Jiu-Jitsu the victor by unanimous decision.

“It’s a really important result for me, especially because I’m coming off a knockout loss. Keith’s a tough guy who’s beaten a lot of good guys before. I hope to tire less next time around. I was affected some by the weight-cut. That’s the biggest lesson for me in this fight—cutting weight properly and smoothly. It was good that he got tired too, though,” remarked Roger.

In the rest of the card, former UFC star Nate Marquardt had his work cut out for him in overcoming a game Tyron Woodley and his mother, who cheered the fighter on from start to finish. Following a three-round, back-and-forth standup firefight, the fourth frame saw Marquardt land two elbows that unseated Woodley, and a hook sealed the deal.

Now in the evening’s main event, Luke Rockhold got the better of Tim Kennedy for five rounds and took the unanimous decision. Check out the complete results:

Strikeforce
Portland, Oregon, USA
July 14, 2012

Luke Rockhold defeated Tim Kennedy via unanimous judges’ decision;
Nate Marquardt defeated Tyron Woodley via KO in R4;
Roger Gracie defeated Keith Jardine via unanimous decision;
Lorenz Larkin defeated Robbie Lawler via unanimous judges’ decision;
Jorge Masvidal defeated Justin Wilcox via split decision;
Pat Healy defeated Mizuto Hirota via unanimous decision;
Jordan Mein defeated Tyler Stinson via unanimous decision;
Jason High tapped out Nate Moore via guillotine in R1;
Ryan Couture defeated Joe Duarte via split decision.

Roger, bermuda suja de sangue, com a equipe no Strikeforce, em Portland: Renzo, Joinha, Ed Soares, Rilion e Chinzo Machida. Foto: Arquivo Pessoal

Foi uma noite memorável para o Strikeforce em Portland, Oregon, graças a um card com duas disputas de cinturões, alguns tantos ex-lutadores do UFC, uma (boa) luta de Ryan Couture, filho da lenda, e ainda um Gracie no card. Na plateia, astros como MC Hammer enfeitavam a noite.

Roger Gracie estreou no peso médio (até 84kg) e mostrou confiança, ele que estava vindo de um nocaute no peso meio-pesado, pelos punhos de King Mo. Após uma série de treinos com Lyoto Machida na Black House, em Los Angeles, Roger apresentou boas esquivas e investidas com segurança para colar em Keith Jardine e botar para baixo.

Com exceção do terceiro assalto, Roger conseguiu derrubar e exercer amplo domínio no ex-lutador do UFC. Na primeira parcial, montou e desceu os murros e cotovelos no oponente, abrindo cortes no rosto de Jardine. O Gracie partiu para definir nos últimos segundos, mas o gongo soou sem a finalização.

No segundo assalto, Roger tirou o queixo da reta na hora certa e levou Jardine novamente para baixo. Foi a melhor chance do Gracie na luta, quando ele montou, botou os ganchos, encaixou o triângulo nas costas, voltou a montar e tentou o katagatame. Novamente, na última hora o gongo soou, e os cinco minutos não foram suficientes para o bote certeiro.

No terceiro e último assalto, com ambos cansados, Roger apenas manteve Jardine à distância com jabs e chutes frontais, esperando o gongo soar.

“Fiquei feliz por ter conseguido botar meu jogo em prática, levei ele para o chão e controlei, mas ele estava escorregadio, muito por causa do sangue, e soube resistir. Cansei um pouco a mais no terceiro assalto, mas acho que deixei para perder muitos quilos na última hora, e isso acabou resultando no meu cansaço no fim”, explicou Roger ainda no cercado cinza. “Mas estou satisfeito, cada vez que piso nesse ringue para representar o Jiu-Jitsu e a família isso me faz mais feliz”.

No fim, as papeletas decretaram a vitória do tricampeão mundial de Jiu-Jitsu por decisão unânime.

“Foi importante o resultado, especialmente por eu ter vindo de um nocaute. Keith é um cara duro que já venceu muita gente boa por aí. Espero cansar menos na próxima vez, senti um pouco o esforço de perder peso. Foi minha maior lição na luta, como perder peso de forma mais correta e suave. O bom foi que ele estava cansado também”, comentou Roger.

Nas demais lutas, o ex-astro do UFC Nate Marquardt teve que suar para vencer o duro Tyron Woodley e sua mãe, que apoiou o lutador do início ao fim. Depois de três rounds de pura trocação e domínio alternando para ambos os lados, no quarto tempo Marquadt acertou duas cotoveladas que desmontaram Woodley, aí mais um gancho selou o resultado final.

Já na confronto principal, Luke Rockhold foi melhor que Tim Kennedy nos cinco assaltos, e levou por decisão unânime dos jurados. Veja os resultados:

Strikeforce
Portland, Estados Unidos
14 de julho de 2012

Luke Rockhold venceu Tim Kennedy por decisão unânime dos jurados
Nate Marquardt venceu Tyron Woodley por KO no R4
Roger Gracie venceu Keith Jardine por decisão unânime
Lorenz Larkin venceu Robbie Lawler por decisão unânime dos jurados
Jorge Masvidal venceu Justin Wilcox por decisão dividida dos jurados
Pat Healy venceu Mizuto Hirota por decisão unânime dos jurados
Jordan Mein venceu Tyler Stinson por decisão unânime dos jurados
Jason High finalizou Nate Moore com uma guilhotina no 1R
Ryan Couture venceu Joe Duarte por decisão dividida dos jurados