Jay Hieron vs Nick Diaz in Strikeforce? Affliction 3 Set For August 1st? Kimbo 's New Employers, Gary Shaw and Don King? Arlovski vs Rogers Set For June, Overeem Injured During Club Brawl!?
by MMASuPreMaCy on May 18, 2009 5:41 AM EDT
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PrintPlenty of news on Strikeforce, DREAM, and Affliction, so I will get started.
Nick Diaz Staying In WW Class After Facing Scott Smith
It looks like Nick Diaz will drop back down to WW (170 lbs) after his catch weight bout against Scott Smith on June. Strikeforce may have some big plans for Diaz at that weight class, since it looks like Shields will either stay at 185lbs if he beats Lawler or go to the UFC after he fulfills his contract to EliteXC/Strikeforce. Either way, Diaz against the winner of Riggs/Baroni is pretty much gold, plus some new WW contenders are on their way (more on this later on in this post).
"With a title fight against Cung Le nowhere on the horizon Nick will probably be going back down to the 170lbs division. I know there's been speculation about a rematch with Robbie Lawler, but Diaz will be dropping weight as he picks up his running and cardio training.
...
After this fight we'll have Nick drop back down to 170lbs and probably stay there unless Strikeforce has something interesting for him."
KJ Noons NOW Looking For Diaz Fight In Strikeforce?
It looks like KJ Noons has recently showed interest in MMA again and is NOW looking for a fight at LW against Diaz. Yup, you guessed it, KJ Noons. In a recent interview, he says that he is interested in MMA again and is looking for a big fight against Diaz. Well, the problem here is that Diaz cannot make 155 (since Strikeforce does not have a 160 LW class) and KJ Noons is too small for 170. Here is what Cesar Gracie said about the possibilities of Diaz fighting in the LW class again.
As far as a return to lightweight is concerned, forget it. Unless BJ Penn or some other mega fight comes up he won't return to that weight class. It just isn't healthy. He was having terr ible performances against B-level fighters. The weight drop was causing lots of health related problems and he wasn't performing to his ability. If you put Anderson Silva at lightweight he'd get crushed cause he'd enter the cage half dead. Now we got guys that are running around bragging about how good they did with Diaz when he was a lightweight.
Nick Diaz vs Jay Hieron In Strikeforce?
So, if Strikeforce wants Diaz to be fighting at WW, who can they possibly get for him to fight for the title? How about the #16 Consensus WW in the world, Jay Hieron, as reported by MMAJunkie.
Hieron said he verbally committed to the bout with Diaz, but the organization elected to go with Scott Smith instead. Hieron said he hopes he can revisit the bout at some point.
"I agreed to it," Hieron said. "[Strikeforce] asked me, and right away I said, 'Yes.'
"I think that's a great opponent for me. I could get in the gym and get up for that. I get up for everybody, but that's definitely a fight I think I match up well with."...
"Definitely after [Diaz's] last victory, he's on the map," Hieron said. "I think that fight would have been juicy, me and him. I'm coming off a big win in Affliction, and I think it would have been a great, exciting fight.
"He likes to come out and bang and leave everything out there in the cage. I feel I like to do the same. I think it would have been great for the fans to see that. Hopefully we can still set that fight up next Strikeforce."
Coker has also mentioned that "Mach" Sakurai should be coming to Strikeforce by the end of the year, which would setup another much anticipated bout against Nick Diaz. Unless Strikeforce signs Gomi and sets up a Gomi vs Diaz II, it is a sure bet that Strikeforce will use Diaz as their WW featured fighter.
Kimbo Slice Drops ProElite and Strikeforce, Signs with Gary Shaw and Dong King?
According to MMAPayout and the latest SEC Filings for ProElite, it seems that Kimbo is now free to pursue his boxing career with Gary Shaw as his manager. It also seems that he may be making his boxing debut in the Don King MMA/Boxing hybrid show planned for July. This will pretty much kill any Kimbo rumors in Strikeforce, DREAM, K-1, or MMA anytime soon, or until his boxing career fails.
Affliction 3 Announcement Coming Soon?
According to Paul Buentello and World Of MMA, Affliction 3 is set to take place on August 1st, as he will most likely face Tim Sylvia in a HW battler.
"My next fight will be on August 1st for Affliction. I don't know where it's going to take place and my opponent could be Tim Sylvia, if he wins his boxing match."
Jay Hieron also told MMAJunkie that he will be a part of the 3rd Affliction show in August (after missing an opportunity to fight Nick Diaz on the June Strikeforce card and being a participant in the DREAM WW Tournament) but does not know yet who his opponent is.
"I'm pretty positive I'm on the next (Affliction) card, whether it's the [Aug. 1] or [Aug. 15]," Hieron said. "I haven't got a name yet, but I was supposed to be on that June 6 Strikeforce card and fight Nick Diaz."
You can also add Gegard Mousasi to the list of fighters who are scheduled to fight on the August Affliction show.
In fact, Mousasi doesn't see an Octagon debut in his future, at least not in 2009. He plans to make his stateside debut for Affliction in August, while staying loyal to the promotion that has given him leniency in is recent pursuits.
"I want to stay with DREAM because they have treated me very well," Mousasi said in January. "
All signs are now pointing to Affliction 3 taking place in August at the Honda Center in Anaheim, with Fedor headlining the event against rumored opponent Josh Barnett.
Strikeforce held their press conference today for their upcoming June event and announced that Brett Rogers will be taking on Andrei Arlovski in a heavyweight bout that will most likely determine the next challenger for their HW champ, Alistair Overeem, at the end of the year. This fight will be sponsored by Affliction, similar to what they did with EliteXC when Arlovski fought Nelson on CBS.
Former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski will step in for injured Strikeforce heavyweight titleholder Alistair Overeem against Team Bison member Brett "The Grim" Rogers at "Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields" on June 6.
Overeem has pulled out of the fight with a hand injury.
...
The winner of this fight will likely go on to challenge heavyweight kingpin Overeem for the title later this year.
Here is how the stacked June card looks like for Strikeforce:
Main Televised Card:
Robbie Lawler vs. Jake Shields
Andrei Arlovski vs Brett Rogers
Nick Diaz vs. Scott Smith
Kevin Randleman vs. Mike Whitehead
Phil Baroni vs. Joe RiggsUndercard:
Rafael Cavalcante vs. Jared Hamman
Jesse Finney vs. Josh Baumgartner
Tyron Woodley vs. Sal Woods
Scott Ventimiglia vs. Lucas Lopes
Pat Benson vs. Dave Lehr Cochran
Booker DeRousse vs. James Wade
Link to SHOWTIME WEBSITE for the event.
The FanPosts are solely the subjective opinions of Bloody Elbow readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Bloody Elbow editors or staff.
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A Diaz/Riggs rematch would be hilariously awesome.
I remember the story about just before the weigh-ins of their bout, they see each other across a hallway and Diaz shouts at Riggs, “You gonna make weight this time, motherfucker?”. Diaz probably can’t say that now though… but there’s still room for a post match hospital brawl or as Riggs put it, “the most technical street fight he has ever been in”.
Nick Diaz, Nick Diaz, Nick Diaz, Nick Diaz, Nick Diaz…
Contributing Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
http://CurseOfRonKarkovice.blogspot.com/
by Brent Brookhouse on May 18, 2009 10:38 AM EDT reply actions
And when Sylvia gets beat? Buentello/Mercer?
"I see him beating Anderson Silva. I see him picking him apart. Him at a 131 years old...(trails off)." - Tito on Belfort at Affliction:DOR
Nah,
Obviously, if Sylvia loses to Mercer, there is no way either Sylvia or Mercer would be fighting in Affliction…
=)
by MMASuPreMaCy on May 18, 2009 1:41 PM EDT up reply actions
Damn it man, can’t you let me hope? ;-)
"I see him beating Anderson Silva. I see him picking him apart. Him at a 131 years old...(trails off)." - Tito on Belfort at Affliction:DOR
by Rundownloser on May 18, 2009 5:06 PM EDT up reply actions
Hmm, I think he would get beat even worse in K-1.
Atleast he doesn’t have to deal with kicks in boxing.
=)
by MMASuPreMaCy on May 18, 2009 4:50 PM EDT up reply actions
No, just people with chins made of materials stronger than fine china.
by Derek Suboticki on May 18, 2009 5:54 PM EDT up reply actions
Come on, man. That jab was brutal. He’s lucky to be alive after that shot.
Spinning out solid gold, like Rumpelstiltskin.
Everyone underestimates the back peddling jab of death straight to the chin.
When will people learn.
by MMASuPreMaCy on May 18, 2009 9:04 PM EDT up reply actions
Good Info
Looks like Strikeforce is starting to build up their divisions with fighters like Gracie, Galvao and Hieron.
^ this comment could replace a number of past FanPosts. WE DON’T KNOW
by Derek Suboticki on May 19, 2009 5:21 PM EDT up reply actions
Barnett stated that he got the offer from Affliction, he just has to accept it now.
So if he doesn’t, he is really ducking him now.
by MMASuPreMaCy on May 19, 2009 5:34 PM EDT up reply actions
“Hey Josh, would you like to fight Fedor sometime in the future, at a venue we have yet to book, at an event that may not actually take place? OK, well let me know….”
Afflliction 3, August, in the Honda Center in Anaheim.
=)
by MMASuPreMaCy on May 19, 2009 6:29 PM EDT up reply actions
Overeem Mystery Hand Injury?
…Not even a few days after the Nieky Holzken incident, I agreed with Scott Cocker from Strikeforce to have Alistair defend his Strikeforce heavyweight title.
A few days later the telephone rings: Alistair has been arrested, what???
The G.G lawyer makes some overtime and Alistair is released after a few days. Alistair attended some famous dance club with his brother Valentine. Went to the toilet and did not have coins to pay the toilet woman. Alistair told her he would pay a euro when he came back, because he did not have change. Then the security guard who was near by started to get involved.
Brother Valentine saw the incident and also started asking what the problem was. They offered to pay, but by then 6 security guards came over surrounding them. The Overeem brothers were asked to leave, Alistair was already outside when he saw his brother Valentine fighting. Valentine still was discussing the situation on his way outside with one of the security guards hit Valentine in the face with a flash light. Three security guards dived onto Valentine and brother Alistair wanted to go back inside to help his brother. This resulted in five security guards in the hospital.
More dark clouds arrived when (after being released from prison, one of the security guards was fired and one declared that the Overeem brothers started the incident) Alistair starts training immediately after release. The street fight left him with a wound on his fist which became infected. Alistair thought he hurt his hand in training and it was just bruised. It was only because of the management pushing him to go to the hospital that he saved his hand. When he finally got his injury checked, he was advised to stay a few days in the hospital. They told him if he would have come any later he would have lost his hand.
Now we had to cancel the Strikeforce title fight for June 6th.
I want pictures of the five guys that he laid out.
by Derek Suboticki on May 19, 2009 7:18 PM EDT up reply actions
Wait...
…in Holland, you have to pay to go to the bathroom at a nightclub? Really?
I just want to see Scott Smith kick the de-mortal hell out of Diaz. I can’t stand that jerk.
Then I want to see Hieron beat the hell out of him.
I can tell you though, I am SUPER stoked about Strikeforce. I love the UFC, but Strikeforce growing is only good for the sport.
Absolutely
I’ll make a post soon about the title picture and their updated roster soon.
by MMASuPreMaCy on May 22, 2009 4:10 PM EDT up reply actions
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