Round 1 - Referee "Big" John McCarthy calls this middleweight fight. Lawler moving his head as Larkin stalks in. Kick from Larkin. Right hook for Lawler misses. Larkin lets off a body kick. Lawler tries a few kicks himself. Larkin misses with leg kick. Lawler lands a right and left and chases Larkin to the cage, unloading with punches. Larkin looks wobbled, but leaps on a knee and slams an elbow into Lawler's head against the fence. Lawler tying things up, and suddenly, Larkin explodes with a takedown and fires off hard elbows. Larkin passes to half-guard, and Lawler uses that to get up. Larkin pressing against them against the fence. Big knee lands in close for the new middleweight. Lawler reverses as Larkin fires off a knee and then a jumping knee. Lawler lands a left hand and then starts chasing larkin down with big punches. Larkin survives and fires off an uppercut that slams into Lawler, who presses things to the fence and starts working for a takedown. Lawler with knees as Larkin shoulder-strikes. Larkin with an elbow and uppercut followed by a knee. He's winging his uppercuts, looking for a plumb. Lawler doesn't want to give him space. When he does, a knee comes up the middle. Larkin with an elbow, and Lawler changes levels. He can't get it down, and we run out of time. MMAjunkie.com scores the frame 10-9 for Larkin.
Round 2 - Larkin with heavy leg kick to start. And another to the body that's partially blocked. Larkin attacks the legs. Lawler waiting patiently to counter. Heavy leg kick is checked by Lawler. They reset. Jab for Larkin, and Lawler is circling, looking for a way in (or out). He hints at the right hook again and misses with a jab. Larkin gets in close and fires off a few kicks and knees before Lawler grabs him and puts him against the fence. Knee to the body for Larkin against the cage. Lawler lets punches go and chases as Larkin escapes, but Larkin fires off a punch and he presses it back. Nice punch against cage for Lawler, and he's grabbing a leg. Lawler wheels around and Larkin grabs his neck. The two tumble around the mat as Larkin tries to squeeze, but after a few tumbles, Lawler escapes. Again, he presses Larkin to the cage, and is he stalling, here? Whatever he's doing, Larkin can't get off against the cage. Unless it's a left elbow, which he sneaks in as Lawler's head is lowered. Pummel-fest for position. McCarthy doesn't see enough and separates the. Larkin misses with a high kick, and lawler is inching back. Larkin fires off a right and Lawler misses on the counter. A missed kick from Larkin ends the second frame. MMAjunkie.com scores the second 10-9 for Larkin, giving him a 20-18 score.
Round 3 - Touch of gloves and we're underway. Larkin with a hook as Lawler kicks to the body. Lawler scores with a punch, and he's pursuing. Larkin kicks him away, but he presses to the cage with a kick and ties things up. Lawler grabs a leg and works for the high-crotch. Larkin defends, and they're working their way around the cage. Action stalls. Lawler unloads after lifting Larkin's leg up, but his punches are mostly block. Larkin slaps him to the body with a punch and ands a kick on the break-off. Larkin blocks a high kick. Larkin with a front kick to the knees. He's pressing in ever so slowly. They trade, and neither gets much. They reset. Larkin with front kick. And another. Lawler circles and counters with a left hand that misses. Larkin's next combo is blocked. Larkin gets jab but eats a left hand. Lawler swings back but Larkin jabs well. Lawler circling back again. He fires off a front kick, and Larkin sneaks in a left hook. Front kick from Larkin is met by punch from Lawler that's blocked. Lawler's head kick is blocked. He lands, though, with a counter left over Larkin's punch. Larkin turns up the pace and fires off a couple of hard elbows. Lawler smiles coming off the cage and chases him, firing off a flying knee and punch that misses wild as the bell sounds. MMAjunkie.com scores the final frame 10-9 for Larkin, giving him the fight, 30-27. Lorenz Larkin def. Robbie Lawler via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Strikeforce: Robbie Lawler vs Lorenz Larkin
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