May 19, 2012; San Jose, CA, USA; Josh Barnett (right) fights Daniel Cormier (left) during the heavyweight tournament final bout of the Strikeforce World Grand Prix at HP Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE
Strikeforce returned to Showtime this past Saturday night (May 19, 2012) from the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California, featuring Daniel Cormier dominating Josh Barnett over five rounds and 25 minutes to become the heavyweight grand prix tournament champion.
It's just too bad both guys suffered broken hands in the process.
Gilbert Melendez brought an end to his rivalry with Josh Thomson by winning the rubber match via split decision and successfully defending his lightweight championship. It didn't come without controversy, however, as the judges decision was roundly booed by fans at the arena and panned by those at home.
Other action on the card saw Rafael Cavalcante knock Mike Kyle's block off before submitting him in just 33 seconds while Chris Spang stopped Nah-Shon Burrell in the first round.
In case you missed any of the bone crunching action -- or just want to relive it -- below are links to all the major storylines borne from Saturday night's event.
Strikeforce: "Barnett vs. Cormier"
Results and live fight coverage
Recap and morning after discussion
Daniel Cormier vs. Josh Barnett full fight video highlights
Fight recap: Rafael Cavalcante submits Mike Kyle
Fight recap: Gilbert Melendez takes split decision over Josh Thomson
Fight recap: Daniel Cormier wins the heavyweight grand prix with dominant decision over Josh Barnett
Fight review and analysis: Gilbert Melendez vs. Josh Thomson
Fight review and analysis: Daniel Cormier vs. Josh Barnett
Strikeforce post-fight fallout
What's next for Daniel Cormier and Gilbert Melendez
Photo: The completed Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix tournament bracket
It only gets worse from here for Daniel Cormier's opponents
Daniel Cormier becomes a star with dominant win over Josh Barnett
Take a look at the gnarly x-ray of Josh Barnett's broken hand
The Fight Metric report agreed with the judges that Gilbert Melendez defeated Josh Thomson
In close defeat to Gilbert Melendez, Josh Thomson was a class act
Time to say good riddance to Mike Kyle after loss to Rafael Cavalcante
And there you have it, my friends. What do you think was the biggest story coming out of the Strikeforce: "Barnett vs. Cormier" event?
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