The bout went a little longer than most expected, but the complexion of the fight went as everyone thought it would. Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix champion and two-time Olympian Daniel Cormier TKO'd Dion Staring at Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine. The end came at 4:02 of round two as referee 'Big' John McCarthy had seen enough of Staring take abuse as he rolled to avoid punishment, but offered positively no offense and porous defense.
More Coverage: Strikeforce Results | Strikeforce news | Videos
Download MMA Fighting iPhone App
The fight went exactly as Cormier wanted it to. In the first round, Cormier only missed on one takedown attempt, scoring on everything else including punches at range, takedowns, ground and pound and much more. In the second, it was more of the same. After a second takedown and significant riding time, Cormier pounded out Staring into the TKO finish.
Perhaps most notably, Cormier revealed to Showtime commentator Pat Miletich he had signed his UFC contract and is set to face former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir at UFC on FOX 7. "Right now, I'm telling you. April 20 on FOX. I signed my UFC contract. Frank Mir, you and me. Let's do it."
When prompted again by Miletich to declare his plans in relation to UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, Cormier was equally committal. "I'm going to let Jon Jones defend his belt on April 27th and then I'm going to kick his ass in the fall," he said.
Cormier finishes his Strikeforce run 6-0 in the organization and 11-0 in professional MMA.