The 6 Best Photos From Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Kennedy

As the old saying goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words”. The saying applies to this day, and without a doubt applies to mixed martial arts, as some of the sport’s most historic moments are relived through the images that captured them.

There is nothing better than a snapshot of a fighter dealing with tragedy or triumph, or a picture of a perfectly timed strike, as every microscopic fragment of impact is relived while limbs and jaws collide. A photo can display a range of emotions, happiness and sadness, victory and defeat. Every picture is different, each having a unique distinction and personal story.

That being said, let’s look back at the 6 best photos from Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Kennedy.

6. Sniff This
Keith Jardine’s nose met Roger Gracie glove on the Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Kennedy main card when the jiu-jitsu fighter connected with a stiff left jab right to the nostrils of Jardine. Although Jardine is considered the better striker, he was not able to figure out Gracie’s height and reach well enough to get inside and cause any damage. Gracie didn’t have any problems causing damage, though, as you will see in photo number four.

5. Down And Out
Tyron Woodley was knocked out before he hit the ground after Nate Marquardt landed a five-punch flurry of elbows and uppercuts to the head of “T-Wood”. The finish was barbaric as Marquardt channeled a video game-like finish that can only remind us of the end to his fight with Wilson Gouveia a few years back in the UFC. Even after a 16-month layoff, Marquardt showed the same killer instinct he has always been known for.

4. The Dean of Damage
Keith “The Dean of Mean” Jardine was completely mauled by Roger Gracie for the first ten minutes of their middleweight contest. Gracie took Jardine down in the early portion of the first two rounds and worked away with submission attempts and ground-and-pound. One clean elbow across the forehead of Jardine in the first round cut him and blood began to pour. The blood did not hinder Jardine’s ability to fight off submission attempts though, as he was able to last until the final bell, ultimately losing by unanimous decision.

3. Swollen Eye
Jordan Mein destroyed Tyler Stinson’s right eye with power shots over the course of their three round welterweight battle on the preliminary portion of the Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Kennedy fight card. Mein displayed superior striking over three rounds, as he picked Stinson apart with combination after combination until the final round ended and he was handed a unanimous decision. If Stinson’s eye looks like this immediately after the fight, one can only imagine how he looked when he woke up the next morning.

2. A Bloody Mess
Robbie Lawler was split wide open by a knee from Lorenz Larkin during the second round of their middleweight affair. The grazing shot that cut Lawler just above the right eye could have been much worse as Larkin was actually attempting a head kick that Lawler managed to duck, but he put his head right into the knee of Larkin as he threw his leg up for a kick. From the moment the knee hit him Lawler began to pour blood. It was not a sight for the feint of heart.

1. Do The Walk-Away
There are few things better in mixed martial arts than the walk-away knockout. Nate “The Great” Marquardt produced a brilliant one in the co-main event at Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Kennedy when he sent Tyron Woodley slumping into the cage, knocked out cold. It was a spectacular finish for Marquardt as he stepped away from Woodley and began celebrating before the referee could even get in-between Marquardt and Woodley’s unconscious body to stop the fight. Gruesome finish and one undoubtedly struck fear into the heart of every Strikeforce welterweight.

Honorable Mentions

Mike Bohn, founder and lead writer of FightCove.com, wrote this article. You can follow Mike on Twitter at @FightCoveMike. Also, follow @FightCove on Twitter and “Like” Fight Cove on Facebook.