Strikeforce Struggling With Wayward Stars Nick Diaz and Alistair Overeem

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker is pretty sanguine about the news that Alistair Overeem will be fighting Sam Hoger in Holland on October 11, per MMA Weekly:

"I've read all the blogs and statements about Golden Glory and what they're saying, Alistair not honoring his contract," said Coker. "That's all stuff I call the National Enquirer gossip. We're not going to respond to that. We know Alistair's going to be fighting in Strikeforce. We have an agreement. The relationship is strong. They're thankful that we're letting them fight in Dream. But I still think Alistair is going to be a champion in Strikeforce that's going to be a formidable opponent for either Fedor (Emelianenko) or Brett Rogers."

Coker said his agreement with Overeem wasn't beholden to other promotions, but based instead on professional courtesy.

"In the past, we've always used the K-1 agreement, and they fought for us because I asked K-1 or Dream or Pride at the time, can I use Vitor Belfort, can I use Alistair Overeem?" Coker continued. "And they said sure. Now, with the relationship with CBS and Showtime, we have direct contracts with Alistair that have nothing to do with Dream. He's obligated to fight, it's just scheduling the time now."

As much as Overeem must be a headache for Coker, welterweight star Nick Diaz is even more ulcer inducing. UFC, IFL and Affliction veteran Jay Hieron was supposed to fight Diaz for the Strikeforce welterweight title at the Strikeforce: Carano vs Cyborg event in August, but Diaz' struggles with the CSAC killed that fight.

Steve Cofield talked to Jay Hieron and laid out the case against Diaz in pretty stark terms:

"Diaz is [expletive] around. I don't know what the kid's doing," told Cagewriter. "He's trying to box and all of that. That's the fight outside of the UFC that makes the most sense for a world title fight."

Hieron was the victim of a Diaz screw job at the August Strikeforce event. Diaz no-showed his commission mandated drug test in California and was dumped from the card. Jesse Taylor stepped up to fight Hieron on short notice but the fight didn't even make the Showtime broadcast. That cost Hieron plenty of money in salary and endorsements. Now Diaz's unreliabilty has cost Hieron a shot at getting the fight on CBS on Nov. 7. There's no doubt Strikeforce would've pushed Diaz-Hieron for the CBS card but Ken Hershman, Showtime's Vice President of Sports Prgramming, made it clear before the Aug. 15 event that he can't promote Diaz right now as a main event/main card fighter.

Diaz camp responds via MMA Weekly:

Gracie said Diaz wants to fight on Strikeforce's live network television debut, set for a two-hour telecast Nov. 7 in suburban Chicago.

"Realistically, Nick will fight in December, but we did want him to fight in November, ideally, and that is still possible that he will fight on the CBS card, as of yesterday," said Gracie. "They're trying to get that through, and they've got to work with the executives at Showtime."

Apparently Nick isn't the only member of his camp who's smoking the good stuff. Hieron has said that it's too late to schedule a title fight for November 7 at this point. MMA Weekly does report that Strikeforce has approached both the Diaz and Hieron camps about fighting on their December Showtime card. Hieron also says he was approached about fighting Diaz at DREAM.12 on October 25, but didn't get enough notice to prepare for the fight.

Meanwhile from the sound of the Showtime brass, Diaz won't be getting heavy promotion from them or CBS anytime soon:

"If you're going to be a main event fighter, or a fighter at this level, you've got to show up," said Ken Hershman, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Showtime Networks, in an August radio interview with Cofield. "If you can't, and you're not reliable, who can count on you, and where are you going with your career? You've got to make a commitment. Either you're going to do it right, or not do it at all. You only get one or two shots at that, and then it's done.

"I don't see how I can promote and spend hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars promoting somebody who's not going to show up. It's just bad business."

Nick Diaz' manager Cesar Gracie responds that he'd like to take his ball and go play in Dana White's yard:

"If they're mad at him and they're not letting him fight somewhere because of that, please release him from his contract and you'll see him in the UFC a month later. I don't know if that's the case. I'm assuming it's because they want him to headline the December card, they want some star power on the December card. If it's because Showtime is a little irked at him, then here, dude, don't get irked anymore, let him fight somewhere else."

My advice to everyone concerned:

• Alistair Overeem: Start timing your cycles so you can take that big money title fight on CBS against Fedor. I mean Fedor/Rogers.
• Jay Hieron: Go ahead and start training for Diaz now. Now that Strikeforce is partnered with DREAM, their last-minute fight booking policies for American fighters are your reality. Be prepared to fight at all times and jump at the next chance to beat Diaz.
• Nick Diaz: Cut the crap, quit smoking the ganja and come to terms with the CSAC. Do the two fights on your Strikeforce contract in Japan if possible and get over to the UFC where they'll let you fight in Nevada, a commission that hasn't shown any proclivity for surprise tests.
  
• Strikeforce and Showtime: Trying to pawn the problematic Diaz off on DREAM was a fine idea. Let him fight in Japan where there is no drug testing, just try to work with Hieron as well so he'll know to be ready next time. Give Hieron adequate notice for the fight, he stands a strong chance to dominate Diaz positionally and pull out a decision. While Hieron's not ever going to be the draw that the charismatic Diaz  is, he is a professional and won't be the headache Diaz is.

Image via MMA Mania.