Strikeforce Lawler vs. Shields Live Results and Commentary

ST. LOUIS- Tonight WKR is in attendance at Strikeforce Lawler vs. Shields. For those readers with Showtime you can watch the fight at at 10:00pm EST / 9:00pm CST.

Strikeforce Lawler vs. Shields features a catchweight bout between two top-ten fighters, middleweight Robbie Lawler and welterweight Jake Shields. Both fighters are also former EliteXC champions for their respective weight classes. 

Also featured will be a heavyweight bout between a top prospect Brett 'The Grim' Rogers and former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski. 

WKR will be featuring live round-by-round updates and fight results Saturday night. 

After the jump there will be SPOILERS after the jump for non-televised bouts and televised bouts

Thank you for your continued support.

* Just found out Fedor and Josh Barnett are in St. Louis. Both are muzzled by Showtime PR officials.

Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields coverage

Under Card

Pat Benson vs. Dave Cochran
The crowd is slowly trickling in; the stadium is barely 5% full

Round 1- Benson takes the center and throws some jabs. Benson lands a leg kick and Cochran circles out. Cochran throws a punch but Benson ducks under it and take him down. Benson lands several punches in Cochran's guard. Cochran eats several more punches and stands up. Both fighters exchange blows in the clinch and this time it Cochran who takes Benson down. Benson works from the guard and secures an arm bar. Cochran taps out and Benson is victorious.

Pat Benson def. Dave Cochran via submission (arm bar) - Round 1, 2:18

Scott Ventimiglia vs. Lucas Lopes
Ventimiglia has a contingent of fans behind press row who are very loud and do not appreciate Lopes' Brazilian ancestry.

Round 1- Both fighters trade leg kicks with Lopes landing a right hand. Scott slips and gets up to land two leg kicks. He lands a right. Lopes attempts a lazy shoot, both fighters clinch and Scott secures the takedown and transitions to side control. Ventimiglia lands several punches. Scott then tries for a kimura but Lopes rolls out of it. Scott now takes Lopes' back and lands several punches and Lopes roles out. Lopes tries a heel hook and it looks good but Scott roles out. In the scramble to their feet it appears that Ventimiglia lands a knee to Lopes who had not yet gotten to his feet.

Lopes is down for a while and the referee calls the bout. Lopes finally stands to his feet.

Lopes is sitting on a stool now being attended by EMT's. Lopes finally walks out of the cage and is now being strapped to a gurney and will be taken to the hospital.

Scott Ventimiglia is disqualified for an illegal blow to a downed opponent - Round 1, 3:26.

Tyron Woodley vs. Sal Woods
The Scottrade Center is now 35% full
Round 1-Tyron lands the first blow and both fighters continue to feel each other out. Sal throws a combination and Tyron counters with an overhand right. Sal pushes forward and eats a head kick. Tyron then grabs Sal and lifts him up for a devastating slam. On the ground Tyron takes mount and gives it instantly up in favor of standing and striking. Both fighters exchange leg kicks and once again Tyron grabs a single leg and takes Sal down. Tyron transitions to half guard. Sal gets back into full guard and the action slows. Tyron postures up and lands several blows. Tyron is now in side control and moves to north-south position and locks his arm around Sal's neck and Sal taps out.

Tyron Woodley def. Sal Woods via submission - Round 1, 4:20.

Booker DeRousse vs. James Wade
Round 1- After a touch of the gloves both fighters clinch and Booker pushes Wade into the fence. With both under hooks secured Booker takes Wade down who promptly stands up. Back in the clinch Wade eats a knee. They break and Booker lands a leg kick. Wade lands an overhand right and Booker looks more tentative despite dominating the action. After another clinch Booker lands a straight jab and follows that with a leg kick to Wade's body. The fans are now chanting, ‘Booker!' though both fighters are from Missouri. The fight now turns into a brawl along the fence with each fighter eating punches. Wade goes down and Booker takes his back and slips in the rear naked choke though Wade slips out. Still Booker has both hooks in and flattens Wade out. Wade eats punches and stops defending himself and the referee calls the fight.

Booker DeRousse def. James Wade via TKO (strikes) - Round 1, 4:15.

Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante vs. Mike Kyle
Round 1- WKR got caught trying to figure out why Fedor is in St. Louis and missed the first minute of the fight. Rafael throws a leg kick and slips. Kyle circles out. Rafael lands a leg kick and then another. Both fighters are circling each other throwing jabs. Kyle lands a nice combination after a Rafael leg kick. The probing continues and Kyle lands a leg kick. Both fighters are being patient and are looking for a weakness in the other's defense. Rafael throws a head kick but Kyle blocks it. Kyle lands a punch right at the end of the fight. WKR scores it 10-9 for Rafael Cavalcante based on effectiveness. 

Round 2- Rafael scores the early takedown. Rafael is staying busy in Kyle's guard and now stands up and transitions to full mount. Kyle slides out of mount but as Rafael tries to achieve the same position Kyle turns and gives up his back but gets out of the dangerous situation. Now they are standing and Kyle lands several combinations. Kyle lands a power right hand the Rafael blocks but is still so powerful it causes him to topple over slowly. Kyle slowly jumps on Rafael expecting the referee to stop the fight but then lands several uninterrupted shots and then the referee stops the fight. 

Rafael is still down being attended too and the EMT's are now in the cage. The referee was in the right position to stop the fight when Rafael hit the ground but circled around the action, which caused extra punches to be landed.

Mike Kyle def. Rafael Cavalcante via knockout (punch) - Round 2, 4:05.

- Fedor and Josh Barnett just had a face off cage side.

Jesse Finney vs. Josh Bumgarner
The stadium is almost 100% full now though the upper level is not open to the public. Josh Bumgarner entered to "Do you really want to hurt me."
Round 1- Josh lands a leg kick and Finney responds with a more powerful one. Again Finney lands a leg kick. Both fighter's clinch and Finney takes Josh down. Josh secures half guard but Jesse transitions to side control. Now Finney is in the crucifix and is landing punches though they are not very powerful. Jesse secures a kimura and Josh taps out.

Jesse Finney def. Josh Bumgarner via submission (kimura) - Round 1, 1:55. 

Televised Card

Kevin Randleman vs. Mike Whitehead
Round 1- Whitehead leads with several inside leg kicks trying to damage Randleman's cardio. Whitehead switches it up with head kick but misses and Randleman takes him down. Whitehead works the cage to his feet and both fighters are square off in the cage. Whitehead now takes Randleman down and tries to mount but Randleman bucks and they are back on their feet. Whitehead shoots again and eventual takes him Randleman down. Randleman reverses and they are back on their feet. Kevin is breathing through his mouth already. Whitehead secures another takedown and tries to get out of Randleman's half guard. Randleman again reverses the transition and they are standing again. Whitehead leads with a left and then throws a flush uppercut. Again White head connects with the uppercut and they clinch along the cage. Whitehead gets the takedown again but had to work hard to get it, though Randleman is by far the more tied fighter.  The round ends on the canvas. WKR gives it to Whitehead 10-9.

Round 2- Whitehead lands a left hook then shoots and takes Randleman down. Whitehead is in Randleman's half guard and finally transitions to side control after some inaction. The crowd is getting restless but Whitehead is in a dominant position. There are now three minutes left in the round and Whitehead is not being very active. The boo-birds are now out.  Randleman is bleeding now and Whitehead is in mount but Randleman stands up again. Both fighters are gassed and Whitehead's punches look like they are being thrown from under water. Whitehead goes to the uppercut again but misses. There is little action and a plethora of boos to finish the round. WKR again scores it 10-9 for Whtiehead.

Round 3- Both fighters are flat footed and breathing heavily. Randleman throws an overhand right that glances Whitehead but still causes damage. Randleman looks the fresher fighter now. Whitehead throws a leg kick and Randleman connects with a punch. Whitehead is dropped and Randleman tries to finish it but Whitehead perseveres. Whitehead is trying to run out the clock but is pushing forward throwing a combo. Randleman lands two jabs. Whitehead responds with a takedown. There are two minutes left now and Whitehead tries to work Randleman's half guard. Whitehead appears to be laying-n-praying but Big John refuses to stand them up. Randleman takes it out of the referee's hands a gets to his feet with 30 seconds left. Randleman needs to try and finish this fight now. Whitehead is backing off throwing punches on the run. The round ends and WKR scores it 10-9 for Randleman not enough to win the fight though.

Mike Whitehead def. Kevin Randleman via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).

Phil Baroni vs. Joe Riggs
Round 1- It is twenty seconds before Riggs throws the first blow. They clinch and Riggs powers through to a takedown. Baroni tries to scramble but Riggs takes his back and looked to have the rear-naked choke. Riggs let's go and tries to land some blows but Baroni sprawls and is now in his butterfly guard. Again Riggs takes Baroni's back and then transitions to half guard. Baroni backs to the cage to try and use it to get to his feet. He finally does but Riggs still has under hooks and gets the takedown again. This time Baroni transition to Riggs guard and lands several kidney shots. Big Joe stands them up and Riggs immediately throws a superman punch. The punch misses and Riggs tries to transition it to a takedown but Baroni effectively sprawls. With ten seconds left Baroni is on top and lands a few punches. While Baroni came back Riggs was more effective for the first three minuets 10-9 Riggs. 

Round 2- Phil comes out with a quick combination. Baroni looks to have great cardio.  Riggs lands the superman punch this time and then takes Baroni down. Baroni gets to his feet eats a knee then takes Riggs down. Several kidney shots again and Riggs stands up landing a knee and two punches. Riggs lands a combo and then stuffs a takedown. From there Riggs lands a flush forearm and a knee. Baroni looks to be weakening under the damage. Against the cage Riggs lands several more knees and Baroni tries and fails to take Riggs down. Again Baroni shoots and is in Riggs guard. Riggs locks in a tight triangle but Baroni breaks through with forty seconds left in the round. Baroni can't mount an effective offense in the final moments. Again WKR scores it 10-9 for Riggs. 

Round 3- Both fighters clinch and Riggs lands a flying knee and follows it with a flurry. Baroni waves for more after they break and Riggs obliges him with a spinning back kick. Phil looks spent and takes a flying knee again. It is a turkey shoot for Riggs right now. Riggs lands a straight left then a right hook. Phil drops his hands a looks like a defeated bulldog. Baroni shows a spark of offense with a clean body. Riggs lands another leg kick and looks light on his feet compared to the heavy Baroni. Another flying knee and Baroni is buckling but somehow hasn't fallen. Baroni almost trips over his feet and then eats another shot. Baroni is tagged with two more punches. Baroni tries to mount an offense and misses only to receive several counter punches. Baroni endures another barrage of punches and his face is mangled. Once again this is a turkey shoot with every blow thrown by Riggs landing clean. With thirty seconds left Baroni taps into what little he has left in his gas tank but Riggs handles the few punches easily. With ten seconds left Riggs grabs a single leg and secures the takedown to finish the round. WKR scores it 10-9 for Riggs though it could easily have been 10-8.

Joe Riggs def. Phil Baroni via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27). 

- In the post-fight interview Joe Riggs claimed that he broke both of his hands. Riggs also said that he would like to fight Jake Shields again. He may get his wish.

Nick Diaz vs. Scott Smith
Round 1- Diaz connects with the first combo then again. Diaz waves his hand asking for action and Scott responds with a right. Smith clinches with Diaz and pushes him into the cage and lands a forearm. Diaz taunts Smith but fails to land the counter. Diaz is now using his reach and jab to great affect peppering smith with punches. Smith starts to feel the pressure and clinches. The crowd starts chanting, ‘Diaz' and Big John breaks the fighters. Smith lands a clean blow but Diaz is ok. Diaz responds with his own clean shot. Diaz taunts Smith again this time he eats a big punch and Smith follows that with a spinning back kick. They clinch again and Smith takes Diaz's back. Diaz is going for a kimura though he taken down by a big slam. They stand and Smith gets the better of the punches this time. Scott ends the round with a flurry but Diaz counters with his own takedown. Tough round to score but WKR gives it to Diaz based upon sheer volume of punches landed. 

Round 2- Diaz starts with a flurry of punches and smith briefly clinches. They break and Diaz once again gets the beter of the stand up. Smith wisely clinches and takes Diaz's back but can't secure the takedown. Diaz is pounding Smith with punches and it looks like it may be over but Smith taps into his reserves and throws a punch. Again Diaz tees off and again Smith responds with his own. It happens again but for every punch Smith lands Diaz lands six. Smith now throws a spinning back fist, which glances Diaz. Again they clinch. "Big" John breaks them and Diaz lands a leg kick. Smith responds with a left hand and Diaz answers with a body shot. Diaz lands two left jabs. Smith unloads his overhand right and Diaz answers with a combination that ends with a left hook. Diaz ends the round throwing punches and Smith hits the canvas in a weak attempt to take Diaz down. WKR scores it 10-9 for Diaz again. 

Round 3- Diaz swipes away the traditional glove tap and Smith is not pleased. The fight is an absolute brawl with both fighters throwing and taking punches. Now they clinch obviously each fighter taking a breather. Out of it Diaz answers with more combinations and Smith tries a takedown. Diaz sprawls and then dodges a head kick. Now Diaz takes Smith down and gets one hook in followed by the second. Smith rolls and then immediately taps out due to a bar arm choke.

Nick Diaz def. Scott Smith via submission (bar arm choke) – Round 3, 1:41.

Andrei Arlovski vs. Brett Rogers
Round 1- Arlovksi lands an early inside leg kick and Rogers answers with a flurry. Rogers lands several punches clean and Arlovski buckles and falls down. It is all over in what feels like a second. The replay shows that Rogers landed four hooks, three of them left one of them right

Brett Rogers def. Andrei Arlovski via knockout (punches) Round 1, 0:22.

Main Event

Robbie Lawler vs. Jake Shields
Round 1- Shields comes out with several leg kicks and then shoots but Lawler effectively sprawls. Shields shoots again and Lawler tags him with a punch. Shields lands several punches and then connects with a body kick. Lawler eats another kick to the body and another. Lawler clinches with Shields and Jake pulls it into a guillotine choke. Lawler stand up and tries to slam Shields but Shields holds on and Lawler taps out. 

Jake Shields def. Robbie Lawler via submission (guillotine choke) Round 1, 2:02.