Strikeforce: Feijao vs. Henderson is live and five fighters from California are representing, with one in each of the four main card bouts. Coming into the second fight, California was 0-2, with Billy Evangelista dropping an uninspired decision to Jorge Masvidal. The second fight on the main card is a bout between Tim Kennedy, born in San Luis Obispo, CA and Dutch striker Melvin Manhoef. Kennedy is a Bronze Star recipient in the Unites States Army. Below is the play-by-play as the fight took place.
Tim Kennedy vs. Melvin Manhoef
Round 1
Manhoef, the striker, takes the center of the cage immediately. Tim Kenendy does what's expected of him to win the fight and shoots for a takedown, trying to take advantage of Manhoef's generally lackluster takedown defense. Manhoef stuffs it though, and everyone goes nuts. Kennedy shoots for another, and Manhoef shrugs him off, keeping a good wrestlers base. Kennedy goes for a right leg kick and Manhoef catches it, throwing a hard right hand and Kennedy looks unsure. Manhoef hunts him down and throws a right leg kick and Kennedy falls to the ground. Kennedy gets up and goes for another takedown, but Manhoef sprawls. Kennedy eventually works around it, and slams Manhoef down into side control. He then passes effortlessly into mount, and Manhoef gives him his back. Going for the rear naked choke, Kennedy has to settle for trying for the choke from side control. Manhoef rolls some more, scrambling, avoiding the submission. It looks like Kennedy might have the rear naked choke as he flattens Manhoef from his back, and he does. Manhoef taps in the first round and Kennedy wins by submission.
Manhoef showed a lot of good things in his fight, but as everybody predicted, the takedown eventually came for Kennedy and the California-born fighter brings the state to 1-2 on the night.