This is the Strikeforce live blog for Daniel Cormier vs. Devin Cole, a heavyweight bout on tonight's Strikeforce Challengers 13 on Showtime card from the Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn.A two-time Olympic wrestler, Cormier (6-0) has been honing his MMA skills with Cain Velasquez and the rest of the members of the American Kickboxing Academy. Cole (18-8-1) is a former IFL competitor.
The live blog is below.
Cole walks out to Higher by Creed. Cormier enters to Lil' Wayne's rap-rock experiment Drop The World.
Round 1: Cormier jabs twice to close the distance. He doesn't get clinch but a jab lands. Cormier with a leg kick and clinches. Cormier separates and then engages again. At first Cormier misses the trip takedown but then lands a beautiful belly-to-belly takedown right into side mount. Cormier with excellent control of Cole's back. Cole attacks with back elbows and is backed into the fence. Cormier likes the uppercut from clinch. Cole defends a takedown. Short forearm from Cole lands. Nice short punches from both men in clinch. They separate with 64 seconds left. Cormier lands an overhand right . Cormier throws a head kick. Cormier lands another overhand right and follows with a left. Cormier lands an uppercut. Cormier scores a trip takedown and lands some big punches to close the round. 10-9 Cormier.
Round 2: Cormier lands a jab and soon after gets the takedown. Cormier crushes Cole on the fence and lands short right hands. Cormier advances to full mount, but Cole does a nice job a cage walking to escape. However, Cormier sprawls and quickly gains side control. Cole pulls Cormier into halfguard while Cormier looks to score with punches. Cormier passes back to side control with two minutes left. Cole tries several times to turn into Cormier to escape. But he gives up his back and Cormier secures two hooks to work for the choke. Cole roll sand Cormier loses his hooks. Cormier maintains control of back until he turns into Cole's halfguard with a little over 30 left. Cole attempts a kimura and Cormier waits it out. 10-9 Cormier.
Round 3: Cormier lands a leg kick and backs away from Cole's right hand counter. They trade and miss big punches until clinch. The referee separates them. Cormier lands an uppercut. Cormier shoots from far and Cole stuffs it. They scramble and return to clinch where Cormier outpoints Cole with punches. Another separation with 1:35 left in the fight. Cole pushes forward into clinch. Cormier with a massive takedown. Cole, sitting against the fence, scores with right hands as Cormier looks to flatten Cole down. Cormier gives up on it and just crawls into Cole's halfguard. Cormier throws punches to seal the fight. For the third round, 10-9 Cormier and the fight, 30-27 Cormier.
Cormier goes to the scorecards for the first time in his career.
Daniel Cormier def. Devin Cole via unanimous decision (30-27 3x)
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