Strikeforce Challengers 19 results and LIVE fight coverage tonight (Sept. 23) for 'Larkin vs Rossborough'

Strikeforce returns with Challengers 19: "Larkin vs. Rossborough" tonight (September 23, 2011) from the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. The five main card bouts will air live on the premium cable channel Showtime, beginning at 11 p.m. ET.

Headlining the card is rising light heavyweight prospect Lorenz Larkin, who will looking to continue his meteoric rise up the divisional ranks. In his path is Nick Rossborough, a middleweight who stepped up on short notice when Larkin's original opponent, Virgil Zwicker, went down with an injury. Rossborough has won seven of eight fights.

Also competing will be a pair of powerful heavyweights, Lavar Johnson and Shawn Jordan, who are both coming off losses and hoping to get back on track.

Lightweight prospect, Ryan Couture, son of UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture will try to get back on track after suffering the first loss of his career. He'll be taking on 4-1 lightweight Maka Watson, who's also coming off the first loss of his career this past July.

STRIKEFORCE CHALLENGERS 19 QUICK RESULTS:

Main Card

205 lbs.: Lorenz Larkin def. Nick Rossborough via unanimous decision
265 lbs.: Shawn Jordan def. Lavar Johnson via submission (keylock) at 3:08 Round 2
155 lbs.: Ryan Couture def. Maka Watson via majority decision
170 lbs.: Jason High def. Todd Moore via unanimous decision
170 lbs.: Brian Melancon def. Felipe Portela via unanimous decision

Preliminary Card

155 lbs.: James Terry def. Magno Almeida via knockout at 3:21 Round 1
155 lbs.: Bobby Green def. Charon Spain via submission (arm triangle) at 2:54 Round 2
170 lbs.: Christopher Spang def. Joe Ray via unanimous decision
176 lbs.: Quinn Mulhern def. Danny Davis via submission (arm triangle) at 4:06 Round 3

205 lbs.: Lorenz Larkin vs. Nick Rossborough

Round one: Rossborough opens with a nice lead left jab and Larkin responds with a jumping roundhouse kick. Larkin lands a stinging right leg kick and a stiff jab but Rossborough is in Larkin's face and refusing to give him openings. Rossborough pushes Larkin into the fence and throws a knee to the leg. Larkin responds with a knee of his own. Larkin reverses and throws a knee to the body from inside position. Larkin throws a side-slicing knee as his corner tells him to break. Larkin really attacking here with short strikes and dirty boxing along the fence. Larkin finally exits with a nasty elbow and goes to work with a nice left jab and a kick to the leg. Rossborough pins him along the fence and Larkin responds with an uppercut. Rossborough changes levels but gets stuffed and Larkin throws heel strikes to the calf of Rossborough while his back is to the fence. Larkin separates and Rossborough lands a push kick at the end of the round. 10-9 Larkin

Round two: Larkin goes back to work with some nice kicks early. Rossborough throws a straight right and wades forward with hooks but can't connect. Larking using great footwork here, dancing away from Rossborough's attacks but he needs to get a little busier. Nice overhand right from Larkin and then a left. Rossborough backs Larkin up along the fence but Larkin reverses him and throws a knee to the leg. Larkin throws a shoulder strike to the chin and they exchange body punches. The ref separates them and Larkin gets caught with a right hand but responds with a knee/right hand combination. Rossborough tries to clinch but Larkin spins free and throws some nice attacks to the body and a leg kick. Larkin lands a combination but backs up into the fence again which is not a good decision. Rossborough throws some short elbows and Larkin responds with some elbows of his own. Larkin needs to get off the fence. Larkin takes Rossborough's back standing and throws some right hands and some big knees to the back of the leg at the end of the round. 10-9 Larkin

Round three: Larkin throws a leg kick and gets backed up into the fence again. Rossborough really throwing a lot of strikes here and Larkin throws a HUGE knee that drops Rossborough. Larkin dives onto Rossborough but then backs up, allowing him back to his feet. Big right hand from Larkin and he backs into the fence. Larkin latches onto Rossborough's head and takes top position again, dropping occasional ground and pound. Larkin throws some short elbows along the fence. Big right elbow from Larkin with 90 seconds remaining. Larkin drops repeated right elbows and Rossborough is busted open. Rossborough throws his legs up looking for an armbar but Larkin passes to side control and throws more punches and elbows on the ground. Larkin throws big ground strikes as the round concludes. 10-9 Larkin

Final result: Lorenz Larkin defeats Nick Rossborough via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)

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265 lbs.: Lavar Johnson vs. Shawn Jordan

Round one: They touch gloves and Johnson stalks down Jordan. Jordan pokes Johnson in the eye but Johnson makes him pay with some forward aggression. Jordan scores a takedown in side control along the fence and Johnson's eye is swelling up. Perhaps that was a legal punch early and not an eye poke after all. Jordan is patient on top and drops some elbows and the ref separates them to check out the eye swelling but he's ok. They reset and Johnson puts Jordan in the Muay Thai clinch, throwing knees to the body and landing a big uppercut. Johnson throws a nasty inside leg kick as Jordan circles him. Johnson fishes for a guillotine choke but Jordan takes him down along the fence and takes full mount and throws some punches as the round ends. 10-9 Jordan

Round two: Johnson lands a big left hand early that stumbles Jordan. Jordan lands a big right hook in response and both men throw big strikes. Johnson connects with a nice low kick and Johnson throws a big looping right. Big right hand from Johnson and a knee and Jordan throws a huge lunging right hand that gets Johnson fired up. Jordan shoots in along the fence and takes Johnson down. Johnson doesn't have much for him along the fence. Jordan is in half guard and has control of Johnson's right arm, attacking with a keylock and he forces the tap! He celebrates with two standing backflips.

Final result: Shawn Jordan defeats Lavar Johnson via submission (keylock) at 3:08 of round two

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155 lbs.: Ryan Couture vs. Maka Watson

Round one: Watson doubles up his right jab and Couture shoots in with a quick body lock, immediately taking Watson's back standing and getting a hook in. Couture has the figure four and throws some nice short right hands looking to soften Watson up and he attempts a rear naked choke but can't thread his arm under Watson's chin. Watson drops to the ground and Couture has both hooks in, dominating positionally. Watson tries to punch back and Couture mounts, transitioning to an arm triangle but Watson gives the thumbs up. Couture tries to take Watson's back again and he takes Watson's back again with a minute left but Watson is defending well. Watson reverses and lands on top but Couture uses the butterfly guard looking for a triangle choke but can't secure anything as Watson drops some ground and pound at the end. 10-9 Couture

Round two: Couture has a cut from the end of last round and gets the better of the stand-up, landing a nice knee before taking Watson's back again. Couture drops some nice punches again to soften Watson up. Couture transitions to full mount but Watson bucks, giving up his back again and Couture puts him in the body triangle. Couture again passes to full mount but Watson reverses and takes top position again, turning on the groudn and pound but he can't land anything really significant. Watson enters Couture's full guard and drops some elbows and punches but I think Couture did enough with his grappling and control. 10-9 Couture but the judges may have been swayed by Watson's aggression at the end.

Round three: Watson opens with a front kick and shoots in for a takedown. Couture latches on a Kimura to get back to his feet but Watson responds and pushes forward with a takedown again. Watson throws an axe kick to the body but Couture sweeps him beautifully directly into full mount! Couture takes Watson's back again, Couture transitions again to mount and Watson turns to his side but Couture refuses to let him buck and escape. Couture drops some soft punches and he postures up, dropping some ground and pound. All Watson is doing is covering up now and Watson gives up his back. Couture really turning up the heat here with punches from top position and again he takes his back again as the round ends. 10-9 Couture

Final result: Ryan Couture defeats Maka Watson via majority decision (28-28, 29-28, 30-27)

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170 lbs.: Jason High vs. Todd Moore

Round one: High throws a crisp left hand early and a left head kick. High lands a stiff right jab and backs Moore up with a 1-2 combination coming forward. Moore throws a nice inside leg kick and High lunges in with big hooks and turns it into a takedown along the fence, lifting Moore up and dumping him on the canvas. High is in position for an arm triangle but he needs to pass to side control. High drops down some left hands to soften Moore up as Moore throws some ineffective strikes from the bottom. Moore gains full guard but High hunts for a guillotine choke in response. High goes back to half guard and passes to side control with a minute left. High passes to full mount and drops down some short elbows. Moore turns to his side and eats some nice elbows from on top as the round ends. 10-9 High

Round two: Moore opens with a big inside leg kick to the junk. They reset and Moore lands a nice combination of straight punches but gets taken down again by High in the center of the cage. High tries to pass but Moore turns the tides, shooting in and landing in top position. High turns away and Moore tries to take his back but High escapes out the back door, shoots in and puts Moore on his back near the cage. High wraps up Moore with a headlock from his half guard. High finishes the round on top 10-9 High

Round three: High opens with another nice takedown and drosp an elbow that looks like it's opened Moore up along the fence. High attempts an arm-in guillotine but Moore slips out and the blood may be helping. Moore sits up along the fence but can't get to his feet and eats some short strikes from High. Not much action here, just High in top position. He postures up to drop some strikes and High lands some nice ground and pound as the round finishes. 10-9 High

Final result: Jason High defeats Todd Moore via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)

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170 lbs.: Brian Melancon vs. Felipe Portela

Round one: Melancon pushes forward aggressively throwing big bombs while Porcela counters. Portela throws a leg kick and a Melancon connects with a 1-2 combination. Both men trade punches and Portela throws a nice leg kick. Big knee to the body from Melancon in the clinch. Melancon lands a big right and shoots in for a takedown but Portela pops right back up. They clinch after separating and Portela throws a nice right hand but Melancon responds with a nasty left hook to the body. Portela shoots in for a takedown but gets stuffed and Melancon instead scores a takedown, finishing the round on top. 10-9 Melancon

Round two: Portela opens with a kick to the groin. After the reset Melancon and Portela trade big blows but Melancon lands the heavier strikes. Melancon wades in with some huge strikes and lands them but Portela counters with a left hook/uppercut. Portela lands a few jabs and Melancon shoots in for a single leg takedown but gets stuffed. Very nice quick left from Melancon and he throws a big low kick that connects. Portela shoots in and scoops Melancon up, taking him down along the fence. Melancon gets hit with a knee to the body and the ref separates them. Melancon mans up and admits it was a knee to the body so the ref puts them back in the same position. Melancon explodes to his feet and comes over the top with a big right hand that drops Portela right as the round ends which seals it for him. 10-9 Melancon

Round three: Portela backs away landing short jabs as Melancon stalks him down and Melancon explodes forward landing his big power strikes. Now Portela backs Melancon up and lands a combination. Melancon throws a beautiful left hook to the body that connects, then a right leg kick and a straight left. Portela throws a right head kick and both men trade strikes. Portela gaining a bit of momentum here but then backs off and slows down the pace. Melancon shoots in and takes Portela down along the fence into his full guard. Portela pops back to his feet and comes forward with punching combinations. Portela slows down the pace and it gives Melancon n opportunity to shoot in and take him down. Portela shoots in as the fight ends but gets stuffed badly. 10-9 Portela

Final result: Brian Melancon defeats Felipe Portela via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

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