Cung Le Triumphs Over Frank Shamrock

Cung Le (6-0) struck his way to a doctor stoppage immediatly following the third round. As the period came to a close, Le scored a devastating kick which managed to break Frank Shamrock's (24-9-1) arm, sending him to the hospital, and sending Cung to his first MMA championship.

The arena was filled with supporters for the San Shou darling, who dictated where the fight was fought. Cung thanked many of his supporters in a post fight press conference, including his jiu-jitsu instructor Javier Mendez. Shamrock was not without a following either, and was very game on the feet.

"When he connected I saw stars, there were moments where I could tell I was in a real fight" Le commented post victory. "There are great opponents out there. My main concern is to entertain the fans." The press questioned how he would feel fighting EliteXC Middleweight Champion Robbie Lawler, or recent Strikeforce signing and PRIDE MW GP champion Kazuo Misaki. "It would be a great fight" Le commented on both potential opponents. Le is a fighter, not a promoter, and will prepare for whoever his next challenge is without a doubt, but for now it is off to his dreams of "chocolate chip cookies and pizza" as he is fond of requesting post fight.

Melendez Dominates Lemley

Gilbert Melendez (16-1), out of Cesar Gracie Jiu-jitsu and Fairtex Muay Thai, thoroughly dominated Militech Fighting Systems product Gabe Lemley (11-7). Although Lemley attempted some offense from his guard early on, El Nino was too much for fighter from Iowa.

Gilbert said he prefers fighting in front of the San Jose crowd, he has experienced mixed receptions, and feels the reception he gets at home is the best. He made note that he might try a fight at 160 pounds or 170, and named Josh Thompson, KJ Noons, and JZ all as opponents he would love and feel honored to face.

Fickett Victorious over Spirit MC Champion

Jae Suk Lim (9-4) would come up short in his late appointed bout with UFC veteran and top welterweight EliteXC contender Drew Fickett (32-5).

Drew commented that the advice given to him was "Go out there, punch him in the face, and go for a guillotine choke." It worked and before the bout could really take shape Fickett punctuated it with a textbook submission victory. He thanked his team who helped him make the weight.

"Smoke'n" Joey Villasenor Smashes Jensen's Dreams

In the knockout of the night, Joey Villasenor (25-6) scored a very sweet knockout victory over Nebraska's Ryan Jensen (11-4). Joe worked a technical ground game to start the match and entered into a slugfest with both fighters throwing bombs before he utilized two jabs to set up a beautiful right hand. Villasenor hopes to keep active and fight again within the next four months.

"I actually train in a two car garage."

The world may not have heard the name Wayne Cole (11-6) before tonight, but in less than a minute the former Oklahoma University Grappler dispatched of three-time UFC veteran Mike Kyle (9-6-1) via an armbar setup from the side control.

With no formal school or gym, Cole is the epitome of the working-class hero in mixed martial arts, taking a chance to fight a dangerous opponent on short notice in the big show.

"These chances don't come very often, you have to take them when they come" said a grateful Cole.

Tiki Hands Stewart First Defeat

Tiki Ghosn (10-7) out struck and outwrestled the dangerous Bay Area standout Luke Stewart (5-1) to clinch a unanimous decision victory. He took a nasty gash in the second round, but kept working Stewart with precise elbows from the clinch, hard low-kicks, and solid striking throughout. He demonstrated great ability to capitalize on the developing fighters strikes, while keeping out of Stewart’s notorious ground game.

Other Undercard Bouts

Jesse Jones (2-0) stopped Jesse Gillespie (1-1) by raining punches from the rearmount in a hyper aggressive 35 second victory.

Darren Uyenoyama (4-1) choked out Anthony Figueroa (4-2) in bantamweight action in 1:27.

Billy Evangelista (6-0) KO'd TUF alumnus Marlon Sims (3-3) in the third round.

Conclusion

When all is said and done, one has to applaud the efforts the promoters made to leap the hurdles that have been placed before them. The evening was entertaining and reached a wide audience. Both Strikeforce and EliteXC have been doing a great deal to further mainstream acceptance of the sport, and shortly their television deals will help us to reach more fans than ever before.

The fighters must also be applauded for their effort and their courage. They all went for the finish, and have helped set the stage for even greater things to come.