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The Turning Point: Coenen vs. Kaufman
By: Chris Nelson
Marloes Coenen (red trunks) vs. Sarah Kaufman: Dave Mandel | Sherdog.com
In the waning moments of the second round of their Strikeforce title bout, champion Sarah Kaufman waded in behind a straight right hand and tied up with Marloes Coenen, looking to bully her challenger against the cage. The tactic had proven successful, if not exactly fruitful, for the smaller Kaufman thus far in the bout. This time, however, Coenen had other ideas.
As Kaufman secured double underhooks, Coenen pivoted her hips and used a harai goshi to send the champion tumbling to the canvas for the first time in the match. Coenen’s right leg stuck beneath her on the sweep, allowing Kaufman to reverse into the Dutchwoman’s guard, but the damage was done: Coenen now knew how to get this fight where she wanted it.
Glancing at her corner with 10 seconds left in the frame, Coenen thrust her hips upward, angling for an armbar. Kaufman rose to her feet and escaped danger, but left her appendages dangling, allowing Coenen a second, more successful attempt. Though Kaufman broke loose of the hold just before the bell, the sequence would prove a portent of things to come.
Between rounds, trainer Martijn de Jong told his fighter what he wanted to see. Read more -
Strikeforce Postmortem: Diaz’s Hit Sequel, Coenen
By: Jake Rossen
Nick Diaz (red gloves) vs. K.J. Noons: Dave Mandel | Sherdog.com
Sometimes, ugly is enough to get the job done.
Saturday, Nick Diaz needed five rounds and another blood-crusted face to best K.J. Noons nearly three years after a doctor stoppage gave Noons a win over him. Neither man was particularly graceful: Diaz could never quite slide into his volume punching that feels worse than it looks, and Noons was sometimes channeling Leonard Garcia in KO blows that he threw his entire body into.
It’s not that it was bad striking: it’s that MMA presents too many variables for that striking to ever be as tightly constructed as we see in higher-level boxing matches. Some are going to confuse that for inability, but you do what you have to when takedowns and kicks are part of the equation.
What else did the fight prove? Noons is probably one of MMA’s most skilled boxers, but he’s also undersized for the welterweight division: there’s a world of difference between his frame hitting you and a 185-pound man cutting down. But what he lacks in size he makes up for in speed and technique; Diaz posted one of his better career wins Saturday. The bad news? It might be one of the few remaining significant victories available to him currently in Strikeforce. Read more -
Audio: Strikeforce Conference Call
Strikeforce held a conference call for the media on Friday to promote its Oct. 9 San Jose, Calif., event.
Josh Thomson, Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante, Sarah Kaufman, Marloes Coenen and CEO Scott Coker participated in the call. Audio from the teleconference is available in the player below.
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Coenen: ‘I Hit Pretty Hard Too’
By: Greg Savage
The Dutch fighter told Sherdog.com that her well-rounded game will match up well against the champ, and that she plans on pressuring her, something she has not seen any of her previous opponents do.
The fact that this bout is another pivotal moment for women’s MMA is not lost on Coenen. She tells Sherdog.com that realizing her goal of claiming a world title would be a great experience, but her ability to make a living as a fighter would be the best outcome she could hope for. Read more -
5 Questions: Strikeforce Edition
By: Jake Rossen
D. Herbertson/Sherdog.com
Is Zaromskis ready?
Sixteen fights and five years into a steady career, Marius Zaromskis has made it very easy for amateur filmmakers to create a highlight reel. But of all that ridiculous footage, only Hayato Sakurai presented as a serious and accomplished problem. Against Nick Diaz, Zaromskis will be dealing with a new level of ability and someone far less likely to succumb to a reverse-somersault guard pass. This fight decides whether the stunt man is a novelty or something better.
Is the women’s division a two-trick premise?
Quickly: name the rightful number-one contender to the Strikeforce 145-pound female title following Saturday’s Santos/Marloes Coenen bout. Give up? It’s a silhouette with a question mark. Despite adding to the women’s industry with a pending 135-pound weight class, there’s a serious deficit of talent at the upper levels to keep Santos -- or anyone -- busy at the top.
The UFC once dismissed any thoughts of a female influx for that exact reason. No one is doing anything to prove them wrong. Read more -
Poll: Cyborg-Coenen Showdown
By: Mike Fridley
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Strikeforce Rising Star: Marloes Coenen
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Fedor in November, Cyborg-Coenen Likely Next
By: Loretta Hunt
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Fabricio Werdum and Brett Rogers have emerged as the frontrunners to face Fedor Emelianenko at a Strikeforce event sometime in November.
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Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said both fighters were under consideration to meet the world’s No. 1 heavyweight, during the post-fight press conference for the promotion’s “Carano vs. Cyborg” event, which drew 13,524 spectators and an estimated gate of $750,000.
The bout, which would mark the first of three fights the Russian has signed on for and his debut foray into a cage, still awaits a date and venue, said Coker. However, Coker did say the event would not be held in the promotion’s homebase of San Jose.
