Strikeforce Events
STRIKEFORCE "MARQUARDT VS. SAFFIEDINE" LIVE RESULTS: Penick's round by round report of final SF event
Jan 13, 2013 - 12:10:25 AM STRIKEFORCE "MARQUARDT VS. SAFFIEDINE" LIVE RESULTS: Penick's round by round report of final SF event

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

STRIKEFORCE: MARQUARDT VS. SAFFIEDINE
JANUARY 12, 2013
LIVE FROM OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA

=====Unaired Prelims Quick Results=====

-Estevan Payan def. Michael Bravo via TKO at 4:01 of the second round
-Adriano Martins def. Jorge Gurgel via unanimous decision

=====Showtime Extreme Prelims=====

A new voice for Strikeforce opens things up tonight as Ron Kruck is in for Mauro Ranallo, who is in Canada taking care of his ill parents. All the best to Mauro and his parents, and despite all the criticisms over the years, it's going to be a shame not to have him calling this final Strikeforce card.

Kruck was joined by Pat Miletich and Frank Shamrock, and they discussed the night's main card before a quick video package for Showtime's free preview weekend. We've got four fights on this preliminary card before the five-fight main card on Showtime later tonight. First up, Roger Gracie back in action against Anthony Smith.

FIGHT ONE: ROGER GRACIE VS. ANTHONY SMITH (MIDDLEWEIGHT)

ROUND ONE: Smith came straight ahead to the center of the cage and opened with a leg kick. He circled on the outside and threw another inside leg kick. Smith popped in with a body strike. His movement looked solid early as he continued landing leg kicks and strikes while continuing to move around. Smith landed another punch to the body and backed Gracie up a little. Gracie grabbed a hold of Smith's leg, but Smith got loose after briefly grabbing the cage. He landed a jab and another leg kick. He landed an outside leg kick to the lead leg. He opened up his strikes a bit more as Gracie wasn't engaging much. Gracie tried to cut him off and threw a strike, but it looked like a poke and Smith needed a second. John McCarthy asked Smith if he still looked ugly, and Smith smiled and responded "ugly," ready to restart. Nice. Smith went back to work with kicks as Gracie slowly moved in. Gracie threw a kick to the body. Smith threw a punch to the body. He went high with a head kick that almost landed flush. Gracie landed a few jabs. Smith landed a hook, then got in a short combo before the round ended. Good start for Smith.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Smith. Not a thrilling round, but Smith was busy and mostly effective while Gracie did a whole lot of nothing.

ROUND TWO: Smith came out firing again with leg kicks and a few punches. Smith continued to circle well, then started throwing some punches to the body. Gracie landed a couple of punches and it bugged Smith's eye. He was having trouble seeing from a punch and Gracie landed a hard hook. He walked Smith down and clinched. Smith pressed Gracie to the cage and tried to separate. He ate a couple of knees, then Gracie dropped levels, pressed in and scored a nice takedown. Gracie postured up, and used it to pass to side control. He then easily passed to mount in a nice set up. Gracie landed a nice elbow as he worked on smothering him. That opened Smith up, and Gracie then moved to an arm triangle choke. He locked it up and forced the tap. Great finish from Gracie after a very slow start.

WINNER: Gracie via submission (arm triangle choke) at 3:16 of the second round

STAR RATING: (**) Gracie was far from impressive for the first seven minutes of the fight, but there's no denying what he can do on the ground. Smith was winning the fight on the feet, but after a poke in the eye in the first and a punch there in the second, he wasn't able to overcome only having one eye to work with. Still, great ground work from Gracie en route to the submission win.

FIGHT TWO: PAT HEALY VS. KURT HOLOBAUGH (LIGHTWEIGHT)

ROUND ONE: They exchanged strikes early, then clinched up. Holobaugh landed several punches to the body in combination. Healy got in a knee and got separation. Holobaugh landed a hard leg kick. Healy grabbed a single leg, got his back, then took Holobaugh down into side control. Holobaugh regained half guard, but Healy continued working from the top. Holobaugh went for an omoplata, then went for an ankle lock from the bottom. He snaked Healy's leg, but Healy rolled over and landed a punch to loosen the hold. He transitioned to side control, and Holobaugh nicely regained guard. Healy landed some punches from the top. Holobaugh scrambled and got to his feet. Healy kept him on the cage and went for another takedown. Healy landed a knee to the thigh. He tried for another takedown but Holobaugh then got on top. He tried to take his back but lost position and had Healy on his back. Healy grabbed for a standing rear naked choke, but Holobaugh was alright and made it to the horn.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Healy. Holobaugh had a few moments, but he got mostly smothered in the round by Healy.

ROUND TWO: Holobaugh landed a couple strikes early. He landed a nice inside leg kick. Healy shot in and scored an early takedown. Healy passed to side control and then into mount. Holobaugh gave up his back and Healy landed some punches. Holobaugh tried to shake Healy off, but Healy held position well. Holobaugh then grabbed Healy's head and pulled him over to escape out. Healy attacked for a leg, but Holobaugh got out. Healy used it to take his back in a scramble as Holobaugh got to his feet. They dropped and Healy continued to stay on him in the scramble. Holobaugh turned and Healy got back on top in his guard. Healy landed a couple elbows as Holobaugh tried to throw punches from his back. He went for the omoplata. Healy got a reverse triangle, then looked to attack the other arm at the same time. He didn't have the triangle fully locked on, and Holobaugh eventually got loosed. Healy stood up and came back down to half guard. Healy landed a couple of strikes before the round ended.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Healy. Holobaugh's a game opponent here on two week's notice, but he's a natural featherweight and the strength difference is playing a factor in these grappling exchanges.

ROUND THREE: Healy shot in early but got shrugged off. Holobaugh landed some nice strikes. He landed a few more. Healy shot in again but got stuffed. Holobaugh had the takedown stopped on the cage, then went for a step over armbar and lost position, putting Healy back on top. Healy landed a couple nice forearms and elbows from the top. Holobaugh again went for the omoplata. He had the arm trapped, but Healy finally got loose with a little over two minutes left. After another scramble, Healy went for an arm triangle choke. Holobaugh tried to hold on, tried to break out of the hold, but Healy continued putting pressure on. Great defense from Holobaugh and he forced Healy to give the hold up. Holobaugh tried to scramble but got locked up again. Healy looked to try setting up a twister, but Holobaugh got out. Healy then landed a series of punches to end the round.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Healy. Great heart from Kurt Holobaugh in this fight, and very good defense against a very tough fighter in Healy. I'd like to see Holobaugh at featherweight, and hopefully he eventually gets a shot at 145 in the UFC.

WINNER: Healy via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

STAR RATING: (**+) That was a fun, competitive grappling fight. Healy's strength advantage allowed him to control Holobaugh throughout, but Holobaugh was very impressive in the loss. He took the fight on two week's notice, and normally fights at 145 lbs., so surviving the way he did was impressive. Again, would like to see him in his weight class to get a better feel for what he can do.

FIGHT THREE: TIM KENNEDY VS. TREVOR SMITH (MIDDLEWEIGHT)

ROUND ONE: Kennedy walked Smith down early and landed a low kick. Smith went for a takedown. Kennedy popped up, but Smith stayed on him and secured the takedown. Kennedy tried to scramble up and Smith stayed on him to the cage. Kennedy got to his feet but ate a few strikes from Smith. Smith stayed on Kennedy in the clinch with short strikes, then ate a few knees to the body. Smith dropped for a single leg, but Kennedy defended well and got free. Smith landed a hard leg kick, but then Kennedy hit him with a nice uppercut. Smith then shot in and scored another takedown to the cage. Kennedy again scrambled well and got to his feet, then went for his own single leg takedown. Smith got to his feet with the help of the cage, then shrugged Kennedy off. Kennedy landed another uppercut. He landed a hard kick to the body. They clinched, Kennedy landed a knee to the body. Smith threw one back and it went low, so Kennedy got time to recover. They restarted and Smith landed a nice little hook. Smith grabbed a single leg, but ate a few punches as he tried to score the takedown. Kennedy got his back standing briefly but Smith broke free. Kennedy landed a front kick to the face. Smith went for a takedown again. Kennedy scrambled and took his back before getting to his feet. Kennedy landed another knee as the round ended.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Kennedy. Smith didn't have much offense outside of those takedowns, and Kennedy started scoring much more with his strikes as the round wore on.

ROUND TWO: Smith landed a hook early. He missed an overhand right. Smith grabbed a single leg, and scored a nice trip up against the cage. Kennedy popped right back up, though. Smith landed a few punches to the body in the clinch, then got turned around. Kennedy took his back standing. He landed a knee to the thigh and scored a takedown. Kennedy tried to pass, but Smith scrambled out to his knees. He tried to work to his feet, but Kennedy sprawled as Smith grabbed for his leg. Kennedy landed a nice elbow to the body with his back on the cage as Smith continued to work on the single leg. They continued to stalemate in that position. They were finally stood up. Smith landed a knee and Smith went for the takedown again. Back to the same stalemate. Kennedy landed an elbow to the back. He landed a few more strikes before Smith worked to his feet. Smith grabbed for a last second guillotine attempt as the round ended.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Kennedy. Smith's very tired, and Kennedy's the only one having any real success, but there's not a ton going on in this one thus far.

ROUND THREE: Kennedy landed a couple of early jabs. Smith swung wildly to get in a clinch, then ate a knee to the body and an elbow from Kennedy. Kennedy got separation after another knee. Smith landed a leg kick and lazily threw one high. Kennedy landed a short series of uppercuts, then a knee, and Smith shot in again. Kennedy stuffed the attempt, then went for a guillotine. He locked it up quickly and tightly, then got to the side. Smith tried to roll through, but Kennedy had the hold locked on and Smith was forced to tap.

WINNER: Kennedy via submission (guillotine choke) at 1:36 of the third round

STAR RATING: (**) Nice submission, which brought this one up a bit, because it was not a great fight prior to the finish.

FIGHT FOUR: K.J. NOONS VS. RYAN COUTURE (LIGHTWEIGHT)

ROUND ONE: Couture circled on the outside early as Noons took the center. Couture threw a straight kick to the leg. Couture landed a jab but couldn't get in for a takedown attempt. He landed a hard outside leg kick and continued circling. Noons landed a jab to the body. Couture connected on another hard leg kick. He grabbed a clinch and landed a nice knee to the face on separation. Noons came forward and landed a jab. He tried to close the distance and missed an uppercut. Couture landed a leg kick. Couture walked him down and landed a jab before Noons circled away. Couture landed the leg kick and avoided the counter strikes. Noons landed a straight right. He got in a right hook as Couture tried to get in. Noons landed a couple more and backed away. Couture landed a kick to the body. They traded strikes in a short exchange. Couture landed a kick as he blocked a punch from Noons. Noons got in a left. Couture landed a strike, but got countered. Couture missed a kick but spun with a back fist attempt. Couture landed another hard leg kick. Couture landed a hard right hook, but ate an uppercut. Nice exchange. Couture missed a kick, then spun with a kick to the shoulder that stunned Noons. Noons then fired back with a shot and Couture tripped up as Noons got on top before the round ended.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Couture. Noons had some effective offense, but Couture got in that great strike late and had more offense overall.

ROUND TWO: Noons landed some strikes early. Couture continued to circle and engage. Couture tried to shoot in, then landed a knee as Noons broke free. Noons landed a couple of punches. Couture landed a kick to the body. Noons landed a few big shots and they head butted one another. Couture landed a nice strike. Noons got in a short flurry. Couture came right back. Couture got hurt by a strike and Noons tried to take advantage. He teed off with a few strikes. He landed a hard uppercut and Couture was on wobbly legs. Noons pressed him to the cage and continued unleashing strikes. Couture landed a knee to Noons, who was bloodied from the head butt. That knee might have hurt Noons, as he slowed after it. Couture survived a bad section of the fight for him there. Noons landed a big straight right to the jaw. Couture tried to rush in and got hit by a couple more big strikes. Noons continued to sit back and counter. Couture landed a left. Couture landed another short combo. Couture landed a right. He missed a spinning kick. He landed a nice series of kicks. He got in a knee. Noons ran back with a short exchange of his own. They traded strikes as the round ended. Fun, but sloppy, round.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Noons. Credit to Couture for surviving, because he took some huge punches in that round.

ROUND THREE: Couture landed a couple of nice kicks to the lead leg of Noons early. Noons landed a jab. Couture returned one of his own. He landed a hard kick to the body. Noons landed a body punch. Couture got in a nice kick and avoided the counter. They got in close and Couture got in the best punch with a straight right. Couture went high with a kick that was blocked. Couture nearly secured a single leg, but Noons got out. Couture hit him with a big knee in the ensuing scramble. Noons landed a jab to the chest. Noons landed a right. Couture landed a right but ate a big left behind it. Couture slipped on a high kick that missed but popped up. Couture landed a big right to the jaw and Noons backed off. Noons threw a right. Noons landed a jab. Couture got in a hook and a kick. Noons landed a right. Noons landed a hard body shot. He landed a short uppercut shortly thereafter. Couture missed a left and ate a counter strike. Couture got a brief clinch and landed a nice knee. He tried to close the distance again but ate a couple of strikes. Couture landed a few kicks and a punch but ate a hard counter left. Couture landed a hard kick and they exchanged punches. Noons landed a right. He continued countering as Couture tried to chase him down. He threw a knee. Couture landed a knee and a couple punches as the round ended and both threw their hands up. Close round, close fight.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Noons. Very close round, and I can see an argument for Couture, but Noons' counter-strikes were the most effective offense throughout the fight.

WINNER: Couture via split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)

STAR RATING: (**+) Was a fun, close fight. I can't call that a robbery, because I thought the first and third were really close and can see why Couture got them on two scorecards, but man, that kind of seems wrong with how much Noons did in the second.

-We've got a 15 minute break before the main card on Showtime.

=====Showtime Main Card=====

-The broadcast opens up with a great video recapping Strikeforce's MMA run, narrated by Mauro Ranallo. Then we're snapped back to reality with Ron Kruck flubbing his opening lines on how tonight is a celebration as they say goodbye to Strikeforce.

FIGHT FIVE: JACARE SOUZA VS. ED HERMAN (194 LB. CATCHWEIGHT)

ROUND ONE: Herman threw a couple of kicks early as Souza took the center. Souza landed a strike. They traded jabs. Herman tried to walk Souza down and they clinched. Souza pressed Herman's back to the cage. Herman landed body shot, and Souza landed a nice flurry to separate. He landed a nice right, then got in an uppercut to the body. Souza shot in as Herman threw a punch and scored a quick takedown. Herman tried to roll for a leg. He threw some upkicks and landed one as Souza's knee was down and the fight was halted. And he restarted them standing up. Terrible reefing job. No point taken, and he stood Herman up. Jacare landed a jab. He landed a stiff straight right. He closed the distance and Herman tied up. Souza landed another hard jab. He landed an overhand right and landed a few knees. He got in a straight kick, landed another flurry, then shot in, picked Herman up, and slammed him into side control. He grabbed for a kimura, stepped over, wrenched the lock up and forced Herman to tap. That's how you make a statement into the UFC. Damned impressive.

WINNER: Souza via submission (kimura) at 3:10 of the first round

STAR RATING: (**+) That was just an excellent performance from Souza. Herman took this fight on short notice, in a catchweight, coming over from the UFC, and he got demolished. That was a statement win from Souza, who will enter the UFC as a legitimate threat in the middleweight division.

FIGHT SIX: GEGARD MOUSASI VS. MIKE KYLE (LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT)

ROUND ONE: Mousasi avoided the early advance of Kyle and landed a big kick to the lead leg. Kyle landed a jab, but ate a counter. They traded kicks. Mousasi backed away from the winging punches of Kyle. Mousasi closed the distance, avoided a few strikes, and shot in for a takedown. Kyle stuffed the attempt and separated. Mousasi landed a jab. Kyle landed a few punches in combination. Mousasi missed a big left hook. Kyle got in a knee to the body. Kyle landed a few punches and Mousasi stalked, shot in, and took him down. Mousasi landed a forearm. He postured up and landed a few elbows. He continued scoring with elbows and punches. Kyle gave up half guard as he was pressed to the cage. Mousasi landed a couple more elbows, then passed to mount in a great transition. He postured up and started landing a ton of punches. Mousasi rolled over, gave up his back, ate more punches, rolled over, ate more punches, gave up his back again, and Mousasi locked on the rear naked choke. Kyle tapped, but the ref didn't see it right away, so he needed to tap again and the ref finally stopped it. Terrible officiating again.

WINNER: Mousasi via submission (rear naked choke) at 4:09 of the first round

STAR RATING: (**+) Another impressive performance by a former Strikeforce Champ. Mousasi is great on the ground, and though he's got a reputation for laziness at times, he could be a very good fighter in the UFC's light heavyweight division as well.

FIGHT SEVEN: JOSH BARNETT VS. NANDOR GUELMINO (HEAVYWEIGHT)

ROUND ONE: Barnett immediately shot in and scored a takedown. Guelmino grabbed a headlock, but Barnett broke out in his guard. Barnett's been sick all week, so that's playing into the story on commentary. Barnett postured up and went for a leg lock. Guelmino got out and up, but Barnett got right on him. Guelmino tried to throw Barnett, but Barnett stayed on him, taking his back standing. Barnett dragged him down and got straight to mount. Guelmino left his arm up and Barnett took the opening to lock on the arm triangle, and he forced the quick tap. Exactly what was expected.

WINNER: Barnett via submission (arm triangle choke) at 2:11 of the first round

STAR RATING: (*+) Hard to rate it anything higher. Such a mismatch, and ended exactly as it was expected to end. Barnett should probably be in the UFC next, but we'll see what unfolds over the next few months.

-Barnett cut a promo, being very vague about whether he'd be on his way to the UFC. That was… not his best.

FIGHT EIGHT: DANIEL CORMIER VS. DION STARING (HEAVYWEIGHT)

ROUND ONE: Staring put his hand in front of him and tried to step in. Cormier threw a high kick. Staring closed the distance and they clinched briefly. Cormier backed off and landed a leg kick. Cormier landed a few strikes and clinched. Cormier then pulled off a great throw to take him down into side control. Why is this fight happening? He landed an elbow. Staring held Cormier's wrist for a bit. Cormier put him in a crucifix briefly. Staring scrambled to his feet, but Cormier was on him. Cormier let him up but walked him down. He missed a head kick. He landed a nice combo and had Staring hurt. He scored another takedown after closing the distance. He grabbed for an americana but let it go. He landed a few elbows. Staring again got to his feet. The fight was halted briefly to put Staring's mouthpiece back in. Staring came in and clinched again. Cormier grabbed a body lock and took him down into mount. He landed a few elbows and strikes in the mount. Cormier continued working the elbows, but Staring made it out of the round.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Cormier. Not enough damage for a 10-8, but Staring has nothing to offer, which again was expected.

ROUND TWO: Staring came out and threw a kick to the body. He clinched, but Cormier turned him around and got double underhooks. He finally separated and backed away. Cormier landed a few short strikes as Staring came in, then took him down from a clinch. He easily passed guard and went to work. He continued working from the top with strikes, elbows, and more, and Staring just tried to stay alive on the bottom. He gave up his back. Cormier briefly looked for an armbar, then went back to attacking. Cormier just threw Staring over, and as Staring wasn't defending anything, John McCarthy finally stopped it.

WINNER: Cormier via TKO at 4:02 of the second round

STAR RATING: (*+) A one-sided beating that just had no business being made. Cormier beat up Josh Barnett in his last fight for five rounds, and though he didn't struggle in this fight at all, it's nowhere near as impressive as his last bout, and that unnecessarily hurt him. There was just no reason for this fight to happen.

-Cormier said he signed his UFC contract, and called out Frank Mir for April 20 on Fox. He said he's going to let Jon Jones defend his belt on April 27, then kick his ass in the fall.

MAIN EVENT FIGHT NINE: NATE MARQUARDT VS. TAREC SAFFIEDINE (WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP)

ROUND ONE: Marquardt came to the center and Saffiedine circled around. Saffiedine landed the first strike with an outside leg kick. Very tentative start from both fighters. Saffiedine landed the leg kick again after a brief exchange. Marquardt threw a hard kick, then went for a side kick. They traded leg kicks again. Another kicking exchange. Marquardt ran in and got stung by a straight right that dropped him to a knee. Marquardt shot in to regain his bearings. Marquardt separated with an elbow to the top of the head. A little lower and that could have been the fight. Saffiedine landed a body kick. Marquardt looked to close the distance, but they remained tentative. Saffiedine got in a leg kick again. Marquardt switched stances and missed a side kick. Marquardt finally got in with a right, and Saffiedine clinched. He landed an elbow and they jockeyed for position. Saffiedine landed a knee. Marquardt returned one of his own. They traded knees in the clinch as the crowd booed a little bit. Saffiedine got loose as the round ended to boos.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Saffiedine. Bad round, but Saffiedine's straight right was the most significant, as it caught Marquardt on the button.

ROUND TWO: Marquardt landed a nice jab early as Saffiedine threw a kick. Saffiedine came back with a leg kick. Marquardt landed a hard kick. He shot in for a single leg and Saffiedine sprawled. Marquardt tripped him up and scored the takedown. Saffiedine scrambled and got to his feet. They jockeyed for position on the cage. Marquardt landed a hard knee to the body. They continued battling on the cage, but were separated in a stalemate. Marquardt threw a head kick that was partially blocked. Saffiedine went high with a head kick. He pressed in with a jab. Saffiedine scored a couple of leg kicks. Marquardt shot in again but Saffiedine stuffed it on the cage. Marquardt backed off. Marquardt threw a couple kicks. He landed a couple punches. they trade kicks and punches late. Marquardt slipped on a spinning kick as the round ended.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Saffiedine. I guess. Close round, because not much happened. Bad fight so far, a sad fact given it's the final Strikeforce fight ever.

ROUND THREE: Saffiedine landed a leg kick early and stalked. He missed a kick. Marquardt fired back in with a right to the body. He ate a kick to the leg. Marquardt landed a hard leg kick. He missed a big overhand right. They clinched again and Saffiedine put Marqaurdt's back on the cage. The crowd got restless from the clinch. They clinch battle continued before Saffiedine broke out. Marquardt threw a jumping knee that was blocked. Marquardt looked to open up with strikes but Saffiedine covered up. Back to the clinch as Saffiedine came in. Marquardt landed a nice hook as they separated. Marquardt threw a couple of strikes. Marquardt landed a right and ate a counter left. Marqaurdt got in a body shot. Saffiedine landed a right. Marquardt got in a knee to the body in a brief clinch. They traded kicks again. Saffiedine landed a couple more leg kicks. Marquardt landed a big uppercut but ate another leg kick. He landed a right. Marquardt landed another hard right, but ate a leg kick again. He shot in at the end of the round but got stuffed and ate a knee at the end of the round.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Marquardt. He was scoring more that round, but he's seeming very uncomfortable thus far in his first (and last) Strikeforce Title defense.

ROUND FOUR: Saffiedine came straight ahead and landed a leg kick. He started unleashing kicks. Marquardt barely missed an uppercut. Marquardt landed a jab. He landed another hard leg kick. Marquardt's lead leg was a mess. He blocked a spinning elbow. More kicks from Saffiedine and Marquardt was hurting. He landed a couple of rights, but he was hurting from the kicks. Marquardt landed a few big strikes and looked to close the distance. He took another hard leg kick. He ate a jab after missing a punch. Saffiedine landed another leg kick. Marquardt was struggling from the damage to his lead leg. He tried to close distance, but was having a hard time moving. Marquardt threw a side kick. Marqaurdt landed a couple jabs. He caught a kick, but couldn't do anything with it. Saffiedine landed a big strike as he closed the distance. Marquardt landed a right. Marquardt continued throwing punches, but kept getting lit up with leg kicks. He tried to shake it out. They clinched up, and the round ended there.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Saffiedine. He saw his opening with the lead leg damage, and he kept going to that well. Marquardt needs to be desperate in this final frame.

ROUND FIVE: Saffiedine went right back to the leg kicks. Marquardt threw a punch. He needs to leave everything in the cage. Marquardt landed a couple strikes. He landed a knee as they clinched. Saffiedine landed a couple of strikes. Saffiedine backed away. Saffiedine circled around and landed another kick. Saffiedine just didn't leave himself open to any strikes. He landed a nice straight right, then went back to the leg kick. Marquardt stalled in the clinch but Saffiedine got loose. Saffiedine landed another leg kick. Marquardt turned him around. After they separated, Saffiedine closed the distance and took Marquardt down. Saffiedine landed strikes in the guard to close out the fight.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Saffiedine. I don't know where Marquardt was tonight, but it wasn't in this fight, and Saffiedine closed things out with another strong round. This was an ugly fight, and outside of the leg kick attack in the fourth round it was not good at all. Marquardt just took a huge step back, and I'm not sure exactly where this puts Saffiedine.

WINNER: Saffiedine via unanimous decision (48-47, 49-46, 49-46)

STAR RATING: (*+) One of the poorest five round fights in a while, and if it weren't for the brutality of those leg kicks in the fourth round especially, it could have been an all-time awful main event fight. I'm just not even sure what to think about the performance from either of them. What Saffiedine did tonight was impressive, but Marquardt didn't look like he was even there. It was just a strange, bad fight, and I don't know what's in store for either of them. At the very least, Marquardt picked the worst time to lay an egg, while Saffiedine gets himself into the UFC with a big name under his belt.

-Scott Coker thanked Showtime and his staff from throughout the years as Strikeforce goes out with a whimper.

-Thanks for sticking with us for the final Strikeforce event ever. We'll have reactions to this during the week as we head into next week's UFC on FX 7 card in Brazil.