At the post-fight press conference following her title win over Sarah Kaufman last night, Marloes Coenen did her best to explain what happened in the last few seconds of the fight.
Kaufman was less than pleased when Coenen held on to the armbar that cost her the title after Kaufman said she tapped.
The weight cut to 135? It did make Coenen look less powerful and she was on the ragged edge of losing the fight when she locked in a rock solid submission to finish the bout.
“I didn’t feel anything ’cause she’s got really strong arms. Then I didn’t feel her tapping and the referee didn’t step in,” Coenen said. “After he separated us, I was like, ‘What’s happening,’ and I heard her complaining. It’s all about sportsmanship and it’s not in my character to go on after the referee stops you…”
No extra security was needed this past Saturday night in San Jose as the big grudge match ended with a friendly hug. Unless of course you count the security needed to once again protect judges from fans. In that case, all MMA organizations need to hire a riot squad because it doesn’t appear like things will be fixed anytime soon.
Nick Diaz defeated KJ Noons by Unanimous Decision (48-47, 49-47, 49-46) to retain the Welterweight title
When Nick Diaz vs. KJ Noons 2 was announced, everyone waited in anticipation not only for the fight, but for the build up as well. After all, these two hated each other a few years ago and things were never settled following their first fight. While the build up was lacking thanks to Diaz’ seemingly lack of interest in fighting Noons, the fight delivered.
This wasn’t one of the greatest five round title fights ever as claimed by Mauro Ranallo at the end of the night but it was a very good fight. It may have come off like a low-level boxing contest to some, and maybe it was, but their activity level was enough to keep interest at a high level. Diaz did what he always does on the feet, pepper away with the jab, follow with the straight right, mix things up to the body, rinse and repeat. He ended up rocking Noons in the first round and managed to wrestle him down into side control, where he proceeded to do nothing before Noons was able to get up. Noons landed his fair share of punches on the feet as well, particularly the jab and the left hook. He looked to be swinging a bit too wildly with his strikes though, which allowed Diaz to move away before getting hit. By the end of the fight both men were bleeding but neither looked all that tired despite throwing over 1,000 combined strikes. Diaz was awarded the decision, which was the right call, and they hugged it out when things were all said and done. It was a very touching moment. Unless of course you’re Scott Coker and you were hoping to promote a rubber match.
There aren’t many options right now for Diaz at welterweight. Tyron Woodley needs one big win before getting a title shot and then you’re left with Paul Daley, who still needs to beat Scott Smith before we talk about him challenging Diaz. Obviously the fight everyone wants in Diaz vs. Jason Miller but getting them to agree to a comfortable weight will be harder than Diaz’ head. Come on homies, don’t be scared. Credit Noons for moving up to 170 but his home is at 155. Hopefully he takes some time off after fighting 4 times in 8 months, cuts his hair, and comes back at lightweight.
Predicted Next Fights: Diaz vs. Miller – Noons vs. Jorge Masvidal
Strikeforce once again brought in talent from DREAM in hopes of giving them some American exposure and a paycheck. It also presented fans with another interesting match up between not only two top lightweights but according to Josh Thomson, two of the top three lightweights in the world.
This was an excellent back and forth fight. JZ came out strong in the first round, dropping Thomson with a right hand and almost finishing him with an arm in guillotine choke but Thomson was able to survive and get his head out. Thomson ended the round with an attempted arm triangle but JZ held on until the buzzer sounded. The second round was all Thomson. He managed to get an early takedown where he controlled the entire round and battered JZ with punches and elbows to the body. The third round was all JZ. This time he managed to get an early takedown and proceeded to control and batter Thomson with strikes. Thomson tried a few submission attempts and even mugged for the camera while holding rubber guard but nothing looked to come close. Both men raised their hands as the fight ended and it could of gone either way depending on how you scored the first round. Of course anyone with eyes knows that a knockdown and a close submission is greater than just a close submission so they rightfully scored the fight 29-28 in favor of JZ. But when it comes to MMA judging, you’re better off hiring the three blind mice instead of three commissioned judges. The three judges scored things in favor of Thomson including one judge giving Thomson all three rounds, a score so absurd that not even Thomson agreed. Thanks to more incompetent judging, my enjoyment of a great fight was taken down a notch. Thanks guys.
Knock knock? Who’s there? Thomson. Thomson who? Thom-son for you to fix your broken hand so we can do this rubber match. My terrible joke aside, it’s obvious that Thomson will meet Gilbert Melendez for the third time and I can’t wait for it. Their first two fights were great and this time we’ll be getting a more healthy Thomson instead of one that was just coming off knee surgery and a long layoff. I hope JZ will be back in Strikeforce but I have a feeling that he’ll be heading back to Japan for his next contest.
Predicted Next Fights: Thomson vs. Melendez 3 – JZ vs. Kawajiri 2
Marloes Coenen defeated Sarah Kaufman by Submission (Armbar) at 1:59 in Round Three to win the Women’s 135 lb Title
After retaining her title against Roxanne Modafferi, Sarah Kaufman complained about not being on the “big show.” Well she finally got her chance against “big show” veteran Marloes Coenen. Unfortunately for Kaufman, because of the way Strikeforce works, she’ll likely be headed back to the small show.
There wasn’t much to this fight for the first two rounds. Coenen did a great job at using her long reach and leg kicks to stay out of Kaufman’s range and avoid her great boxing. Kaufman did a lot of clinching to try and wear down Coenen, who was dropping to 135 for the first time in her career. Then in the third round the fight hit the ground with Kaufman on top and in the guard of Coenen. From there she landed out of control punches and hammerfists that didn’t seem to faze Coenen, who was just biding her time until locking up an armbar. Kaufman tapped out but but the ref was a little late in jumping in, which may have caused Kaufman to dislocate her arm. Coenen was extremely classy in victory though. Instead of celebrating like she just won a world title, she immediately apologized and hugged Kaufman and had a genuine look of concern on her face for her opponent.
Next up for Coenen is top contender Miesha Tate in a fight not only for the 135 lb title but also my heart. That’s right, I’m putting my heart on the line for these two. If that doesn’t make them train and fight harder, I don’t know what will. Back to the drawing board for Kaufman. Her boxing is still outstanding but she either needs to be more controlled on the ground or work on her submission defense. Better yet, just stay off the ground.
Predicted Next Fights: Coenen vs. Tate – Kaufman vs. Carina Damm
Tyron Woodley defeated Andre Galvao by TKO (Strikes) at 1:48 in Round One
Tyron Woodley is the first fighter to work his way up through the Challengers Series and make it to the “big show” in Strikeforce. After a good amount of hype, he certainly delivered.
From the moment he was hit with the first right hand, Andre Galvao didn’t want to fight. He spent the rest of the fight going for desperation takedowns that had no chance at working and being punished with punches on his attempts. At one point he got up off the ground wobbly and it just seemed like a matter of time before things would be over. The ref quickly stopped the fight after Galvao failed on another takedown and took two punches on the ground. Maybe the stoppage was early but Galvao clearly didn’t want to fight past the 10 seconds so I had no problem with it.
Hopefully Woodley continues to be nurtured a bit by Strikeforce rather than fast tracking him to the top. He’s an outstanding wrestler, his striking looks improved with each fight, and he has power to go along with everything. Galvao may have fought himself out a job with this performance. At the very least I’m sure Strikeforce wouldn’t mind loaning him to DREAM for his next fight.
Predicted Next Fights: Woodley vs. Joe Riggs – Galvao vs. Hayato SakuraiSimilar Posts:
No extra security was needed this past Saturday night in San Jose as the big grudge match ended with a friendly hug. Unless of course you count the security needed to once again protect judges from fans. In that case, all MMA organizations need to hire a riot squad because it doesn’t appear like things will be fixed anytime soon.
Nick Diaz defeated KJ Noons by Unanimous Decision (48-47, 49-47, 49-46) to retain the Welterweight title
When Nick Diaz vs. KJ Noons 2 was announced, everyone waited in anticipation not only for the fight, but for the build up as well. After all, these two hated each other a few years ago and things were never settled following their first fight. While the build up was lacking thanks to Diaz’ seemingly lack of interest in fighting Noons, the fight delivered.
This wasn’t one of the greatest five round title fights ever as claimed by Mauro Ranallo at the end of the night but it was a very good fight. It may have come off like a low-level boxing contest to some, and maybe it was, but their activity level was enough to keep interest at a high level. Diaz did what he always does on the feet, pepper away with the jab, follow with the straight right, mix things up to the body, rinse and repeat. He ended up rocking Noons in the first round and managed to wrestle him down into side control, where he proceeded to do nothing before Noons was able to get up. Noons landed his fair share of punches on the feet as well, particularly the jab and the left hook. He looked to be swinging a bit too wildly with his strikes though, which allowed Diaz to move away before getting hit. By the end of the fight both men were bleeding but neither looked all that tired despite throwing over 1,000 combined strikes. Diaz was awarded the decision, which was the right call, and they hugged it out when things were all said and done. It was a very touching moment. Unless of course you’re Scott Coker and you were hoping to promote a rubber match.
There aren’t many options right now for Diaz at welterweight. Tyron Woodley needs one big win before getting a title shot and then you’re left with Paul Daley, who still needs to beat Scott Smith before we talk about him challenging Diaz. Obviously the fight everyone wants in Diaz vs. Jason Miller but getting them to agree to a comfortable weight will be harder than Diaz’ head. Come on homies, don’t be scared. Credit Noons for moving up to 170 but his home is at 155. Hopefully he takes some time off after fighting 4 times in 8 months, cuts his hair, and comes back at lightweight.
Predicted Next Fights: Diaz vs. Miller – Noons vs. Jorge Masvidal
Strikeforce once again brought in talent from DREAM in hopes of giving them some American exposure and a paycheck. It also presented fans with another interesting match up between not only two top lightweights but according to Josh Thomson, two of the top three lightweights in the world.
This was an excellent back and forth fight. JZ came out strong in the first round, dropping Thomson with a right hand and almost finishing him with an arm in guillotine choke but Thomson was able to survive and get his head out. Thomson ended the round with an attempted arm triangle but JZ held on until the buzzer sounded. The second round was all Thomson. He managed to get an early takedown where he controlled the entire round and battered JZ with punches and elbows to the body. The third round was all JZ. This time he managed to get an early takedown and proceeded to control and batter Thomson with strikes. Thomson tried a few submission attempts and even mugged for the camera while holding rubber guard but nothing looked to come close. Both men raised their hands as the fight ended and it could of gone either way depending on how you scored the first round. Of course anyone with eyes knows that a knockdown and a close submission is greater than just a close submission so they rightfully scored the fight 29-28 in favor of JZ. But when it comes to MMA judging, you’re better off hiring the three blind mice instead of three commissioned judges. The three judges scored things in favor of Thomson including one judge giving Thomson all three rounds, a score so absurd that not even Thomson agreed. Thanks to more incompetent judging, my enjoyment of a great fight was taken down a notch. Thanks guys.
Knock knock? Who’s there? Thomson. Thomson who? Thom-son for you to fix your broken hand so we can do this rubber match. My terrible joke aside, it’s obvious that Thomson will meet Gilbert Melendez for the third time and I can’t wait for it. Their first two fights were great and this time we’ll be getting a more healthy Thomson instead of one that was just coming off knee surgery and a long layoff. I hope JZ will be back in Strikeforce but I have a feeling that he’ll be heading back to Japan for his next contest.
Predicted Next Fights: Thomson vs. Melendez 3 – JZ vs. Kawajiri 2
Marloes Coenen defeated Sarah Kaufman by Submission (Armbar) at 1:59 in Round Three to win the Women’s 135 lb Title
After retaining her title against Roxanne Modafferi, Sarah Kaufman complained about not being on the “big show.” Well she finally got her chance against “big show” veteran Marloes Coenen. Unfortunately for Kaufman, because of the way Strikeforce works, she’ll likely be headed back to the small show.
There wasn’t much to this fight for the first two rounds. Coenen did a great job at using her long reach and leg kicks to stay out of Kaufman’s range and avoid her great boxing. Kaufman did a lot of clinching to try and wear down Coenen, who was dropping to 135 for the first time in her career. Then in the third round the fight hit the ground with Kaufman on top and in the guard of Coenen. From there she landed out of control punches and hammerfists that didn’t seem to faze Coenen, who was just biding her time until locking up an armbar. Kaufman tapped out but but the ref was a little late in jumping in, which may have caused Kaufman to dislocate her arm. Coenen was extremely classy in victory though. Instead of celebrating like she just won a world title, she immediately apologized and hugged Kaufman and had a genuine look of concern on her face for her opponent.
Next up for Coenen is top contender Miesha Tate in a fight not only for the 135 lb title but also my heart. That’s right, I’m putting my heart on the line for these two. If that doesn’t make them train and fight harder, I don’t know what will. Back to the drawing board for Kaufman. Her boxing is still outstanding but she either needs to be more controlled on the ground or work on her submission defense. Better yet, just stay off the ground.
Predicted Next Fights: Coenen vs. Tate – Kaufman vs. Carina Damm
Tyron Woodley defeated Andre Galvao by TKO (Strikes) at 1:48 in Round One
Tyron Woodley is the first fighter to work his way up through the Challengers Series and make it to the “big show” in Strikeforce. After a good amount of hype, he certainly delivered.
From the moment he was hit with the first right hand, Andre Galvao didn’t want to fight. He spent the rest of the fight going for desperation takedowns that had no chance at working and being punished with punches on his attempts. At one point he got up off the ground wobbly and it just seemed like a matter of time before things would be over. The ref quickly stopped the fight after Galvao failed on another takedown and took two punches on the ground. Maybe the stoppage was early but Galvao clearly didn’t want to fight past the 10 seconds so I had no problem with it.
Hopefully Woodley continues to be nurtured a bit by Strikeforce rather than fast tracking him to the top. He’s an outstanding wrestler, his striking looks improved with each fight, and he has power to go along with everything. Galvao may have fought himself out a job with this performance. At the very least I’m sure Strikeforce wouldn’t mind loaning him to DREAM for his next fight.
Predicted Next Fights: Woodley vs. Joe Riggs – Galvao vs. Hayato SakuraiSimilar Posts:
The official scorecards read 48-47, 49-47, 49-46 all for Nick Diaz who retained his Strikeforce welterweight championship.
Josh Thomson Takes Decision Over Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante
The judges scorecards read 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27 all for Thomson.
Marloes Coenen Upsets Women’s Welterweight Champ Sarah Kaufman For Title With Armbar
For two rounds it looked like Strikeforce women’s welterweight champion Sarah Kaufman would retain the belt with her grappling for a decision win over Marloes Coenen. Kaufman appeared quicker in the striking department and Coenen was unsuccessful with her counterpunchs.
In the third round Coenen took Kaufman down but was quickly swept. As Kaufman attempted to open up with strikes Coenen very quickly transitioned to an armbar that forced the champion to tap and it was over just that quick.
Tyron Woodley Rolls Over Andre Galvao
In just two minutes, Tyron Woodley finished Andre Galvao at Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Noons 2. Galvao ate a right hand early in the fight before defending a shot from Woodley and landing a big punch of his own. As Galvao got up it was clear that he’d been rocked. Woodley landed a few more punches and Galvao was so far gone that the referee stepped in to call an end to the bout.
Strikeforce is back on Showtime this weekend with an event so big, Scott Coker has promised to bring in extra security. Why the extra security? I’m not really sure. Women not named Cristiane Santos or Gina Carano are finally in the spotlight, another star from DREAM has been brought to America, a fighter has actually gone through the Challengers Series and made it to the “big show”, and we get a grudge match years in the making. For the first time maybe ever, Strikeforce doesn’t need extra security from MMA fans.
Strikeforce Welterweight Title Fight: KJ Noons vs. Nick Diaz
In November 2007, KJ Noons defeated Nick Diaz at the end of the first round when the doctor stopped the fight due to cuts. With the victory, Noons captured the EliteXC lightweight title. Following Noons’ successful title defense against Yves Edwards in June 2008 in his home state of Hawaii, Diaz crashed the celebration and ended up, with his brother Nate Diaz by his side, getting into a brawl with Noons and his father A few months later Noons was stripped of the title when he decided to return to professional boxing instead of defending the belt against Diaz. Almost three years later they meet again. Different organization, different title on the line, different circumstances, same hatred.
Not much has changed in the nearly three years since their first fight. They’re essentially just better versions of what they were in November 2007. Noons is still an excellent boxer and a great counter puncher with plenty of power. Diaz still throws 100 punches per round without much power or defense and has an excellent ground game. If Diaz thinks he can stand with Noons, he’ll likely suffer the same fate that he suffered the first time around. While he may not cut as easily and he has a durable chin, he has no head movement and leaves himself open for plenty of counter strikes given all the punches he throws. Diaz’ best strategy would be to get the fight to the ground where he’s a black belt under Cesar Gracie and Noons is a white belt (although he claims to be the best white belt on the planet). The biggest difference in this fight is the size of both men. Noons is a natural lightweight moving up while Diaz is fairly big for welterweight. Diaz would be smart to fight a lot in the clinch, use his size to bully Noons around, and work him to the ground via trip takedowns. The longer this fight goes, the more it favors Diaz. He has excellent cardio as evident by the fact that he throws 100 strikes per round without gassing and he does triathlons just for fun. Noons’ has decent cardio but he’s also fought four times in eight months so there is concern that he’s over-trained for this fight.
“Don’t be scared homie.” That’s what Diaz said to Noons in Hawaii and it’s a motto he lives by. Diaz isn’t scared to stand, even if it’s the wrong move. He’s going to stand with Noons , at least until he gets dropped or hit with a hard enough punch that knocks some sense into him. After that he’ll be smart enough to get things to the ground where he’ll likely have his way with Noons, lock on a submission, force Noons to tap, but keep the submission locked on because he wouldn’t be who he is if he didn’t do something controversial.
Sarah Kaufman is the undefeated champion who is considered one of the best female fighters in all of MMA. Marloes Coenen is dropping to 135 pounds after losing to 145lb champion Cristiane ‘Cyborg’ Santos this past January.
Before her third round powerbomb victory over Roxanne Modafferi, Kaufman was criticized for be boring. Whatever you called it, you can certainly call it effective. Kaufman has some of the best technical boxing not only among the female in MMA but also among the males as well. Coenen is a very good striker in her own right and she is the more diverse of the two but it wouldn’t be in her best interest to trade strikes with Kaufman. Coenen is better on the ground and very slick on her back but getting things to the mat will be easier said than done. Look for Coenen to do a lot of clinching, where she’ll look to use her size and possibly pull guard in order to get the fight to the ground. Kaufman just needs to keep the fight on the feet, use her excellent boxing, and pick apart Coenen.
This is the most interesting women’s fight in recent memory because the talent level between these two is almost equal. At the end of the day, I’m going with Kaufman because I feel she’s good enough to keep things on the feet, where she’ll batter Coenen with strikes for most of the fight. Coenen is very tough to finish so even if Kaufman stays aggressive, she may not be able to finish things.
Prediction: Sarah Kaufman by Decision
Lightweight Fight: Josh Thomson vs. Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante
Both of these men are considered two of the top lightweight’s in the world. Josh Thomson is a former Strikeforce lightweight champion trying to get a rubber match against Gilbert Melendez while Gesias Cavalcante is making his Strikeforce debut after making a name for himself in Japan.
This is a very interesting fight and another one of those “chess match” fights where one man will need to be a step ahead in order to win. JZ hasn’t looked overly impressive in his recent outings but he’s faced tough competition and I’ve always felt that his style is more suited for the US and in the cage. Thomson gutted through two broken ribs and defeated veteran Pat Healy. Both fighters are relatively well rounded with JZ having the more diverse striking and Thomson having the better wrestling. Thomson has a tendency to get into a brawl instead of staying discipline, which won’t do him any favors against JZ given the difference in their respective power and chins. If Thomson avoids the wild brawl, works his kicks, and mixes in takedowns, he should win this fight. JZ will need to sprawl and brawl and if he is taken down, he can’t allow himself to get controlled on the ground for a long period of time like he did against Shinya Aoki and Tatsuya Kawajiri. The x-factor in this fight is the cage. I’m sure JZ trains in a cage given that he trains at American Top Team but training in one and fighting in one are two different things. Thomson knows how to use the cage to his advantage while it may take JZ a couple of rounds to adjust and those couple of rounds could be the fight.
While I think JZ has a bright future in Strikeforce, this is a tough first fight. The fight will likely be fairly even on the feet but timely takedowns will swing the fight in Thomson’s favor.
Prediction: Josh Thomson by Decision
Welterweight Fight: Tyron Woodley vs. Andre Galvao
Tyron Woodley is a highly touted wrestler who has worked his way up through the Strikeforce Challengers Series to finally make it on the main card. Andre Galvao is a highly touted grappler who has already fought the likes to Jason High, John Alessio, and Jorge Patino.
Anytime you have a great grappler against a great wrestler, the way the fight plays out depends on the wrestler. If he trusts his ground and pound and submission defense, he’ll takedown his opponent and grind things out. If he doesn’t trust his submission defense, he’ll keep the fight standing. Galvao is the better technical striker but Woodley does have power in his hands. Despite that power, I expect Woodley to go for takedowns early and often in this fight. Woodley had trouble in the clinch against Nathan Coy so look for Galvao, who has trained with Team Black House and Wand Fight Team, to fight on the inside and throw a lot of knees. Being a jiu-jitsu black belt, Galvao is good off his back and will look to stay active with submission and sweep threats. If Galvao can end up on top, it’s going to be a very short night for Woodley, who has never looked comfortable off his back.
I like Galvao in this fight. He’s better on the feet and good enough on the ground to either get up or sweep Woodley. Look for Galvao to throw a lot of leg kicks to take the spring out of Woodley’s step, not be afraid to go to the ground, and submit a tired and frustrated Woodley late in the fight.
Prediction: Andre Galvao by Submission in Round 2
Prelim Predictions
*James Terry to defeat David Marshall by Decision
*Josh McDonald to defeat Ron Keslar by Decision
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The eight combatants scheduled for the “Strikeforce – Diaz vs. Noons II” main card spoke to media on Thursday afternoon one last time prior to making the final march towards their impending in-ring action. Though additional security was brought in by the promotion in lieu of the potential for problems between Nick Diaz’s and KJ Noons’ camps, all in attendance acted professionally and things ultimately went off without a hitch.
Opening up the event on Showtime, BJJ ace Andre Galvao and talented grappler Tyron Woodley both acknowledged the opportunity at hand when they lock horns. “Tyron is a tough fighter, a top wrestling guy who has fought three times on Strikeforce,” said Galvao of his undefeated opponent. “I am excited and have a good game plan. I’m ready to go.”
Woodley, on the other hand, stated he wasn’t as concerned with Galvao’s strategy against him so much as the chance to work his way towards a shot at welterweight gold. “I can’t concern myself on what an opponent my do. It’s up to me to turn my weaknesses into strengths,” he began. “This fight means a ton to me. I fought through the Strikeforce Challengers series. Fans got to learn my story as a fighter, they got to see me develop and get better each fight. They got to submit guys fast. They got to see me go through wars. This is definitely a step forward towards my dream to be a champion. We’ll get those fireworks going on Saturday.”
While both 170-pounders were well-behaved, Josh Thomson took time to talk trash in relation to his bout against Strikeforce newcomer JZ Cavalcante, though the smack was curiously directed at a lightweight peer rather than his Brazilian opponent and actually used in a complimentary fashion rather than a derogatory one.
“JZ is a savage and a beast and I think it’s a joke that you guys have a guy like Ben Henderson ranked above a guy like him,” said Thomson of Cavalcante and WEC’s lightweight champ. “I could go out there and fight the fight of my life and still lose. I have to beat him everywhere; there is no way I am going to win this fight doing one thing. JZ has fought some good ones all over the world. He is probably bigger and hits harder so I know I have to lay it on the line and see what happens.”
However, American Top Team’s Cavalcante avoided posturing of any sort, opting instead to address his recent injury problems and excitement about fighting the former 155-pound champ in front of an American crowd. “I was off a long time because of my injuries but I’ve seen a lot by working with teammates and other guys that have helped me stay involved in the game…but there is nothing like a real fight,” said the 27-year old. “This will be an excellent fight and I’m really looking forward to it and fighting for Strikeforce. I like being part of a fight fans want to see and are talking about. This is my chance to make a name for myself in America.”
All four participants slated for the evening’s title-bouts also had a chance to address their opponents and offer a take on the event as a whole. Female welterweight champ Sarah Kaufman expressed her appreciation for defending her belt on a major card, saying, “This is definitely a big deal for the 135-pound division and a big push forward for it. The more attention and exposure we get, the more the fan base will grow. There’s already a good fan base for the Strikeforce women at 145 pounds, so this is a great opportunity for us and the division.”
Her adversary on Saturday, Marloes Coenen, stated dropping down a division to face Kaufman hadn’t hurt her power, and said the chance to hoist Strikeforce gold above her head meant a tremendous amount to her. “This fight means the world to me. I won a world tournament in Japan ten years ago and here I am again, ten years later, with another opportunity to win another potentially life-changing event. A victory means I can stay and have a career in America. I would love that to happen very much,” said the Dutch submission specialist.
Closing the press conference out, headlining rivals Diaz and Noons maintained civility while discussing their long-awaited rematch rather than resorting to behavior similar to that bringing about a post-fight melee in their EliteXC days.
“I have respect for Nick as a fighter. His style works for him and I like to watch him fight,” said Noons of the welterweight champion. “The first fight I worked on going forward against Nick because Nick never fights going backward, but I’ve been working on all aspects of the game. I’m sure at some point he’s going to try and take me down but I am ready for anything.”
Diaz keep things professional as well. “I feel good and weight-wise I am almost perfect. I was angry for a long time (about the first fight). I was real upset that it ended the way it did because it wasn’t like I was hurt. Then I kind of dropped the idea of ever fighting a rematch because he got out of MMA. I never considered the first fight as a loss. I just always looked at it as a fight that was stopped (too soon),” replied Diaz when asked about his initial scrap with part-time pro boxer Noons and the bout’s stoppage for cuts.
However, the Stockton native closed things out by making sure fans understood he won’t be entering the ring on Saturday with personal feelings getting in the way of his ultimate goal of retaining his strap.
“I don’t feel that this fight is about revenge…but I’m happy now that he took the fight.”
“Strikeforce – Diaz vs. Noons II” takes place in Strikeforce’s home-base of San Jose and will be available for viewing this Saturday night on Showtime beginning at 9:00 PM ET (delayed on the West Coast).
PHOTO CREDIT – Esther Lin / STRIKEFORCESimilar Posts:
Strikeforce CEO Coker has a feeling there might be a little bad blood between Nick Diaz and KJ Noons, and to that end, Coker told Ariel Helwani during The MMA Hour that he’ll have lots of beefy security on hand to make sure things stay in bounds.
Diaz recently wrote a check after Strikeforce: Nashville for his part in the televised brouhaha that took place between Gilbert Melendez, Jake Shields and Jason “Mayhem” Miller in the cage after the Shields contest with Dan Henderson.
“I’ll tell you what – if we leave those two guys in a room alone, I think you know what’s going to happen,” Coker told Helwani. “We’re going to have a wall of security there. We’ve brought extra police to handle the weigh-ins, the press conference and pretty much a wall of people will be there for the night of the fight. We have to take precautionary measures because these guys have this big feud – and it’s not just them, it’s their camps.”
The two meet again at Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Noons II on Saturday at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., and the main card will air live on Showtime.
The last time the pair met, at EliteXC: Renegade back in 2007, Noons managed to pick Diaz apart and the fight ended as a bloodied Diaz was unable to continue – at least according to the doctor on hand.
Since then, Diaz has had surgery to shave the orbital bones above his eyes, worked on his standup game with elite boxer Andre Ward and received his black belt in jiu-jitsu from trainer and manager, Cesar Gracie. He’s won seven straight and looked dangerous during the course of that streak.
For his part, Noons has put together a six-fight win streak of his own. His last outing, a dominant performance against Jorge Gurgel for Strikeforce, set up the rematch with Diaz.
- Cesar Gracie on Nick Diaz’ no show for the Strikeforce conference call ahead of the October 9 fight rematch with KJ Noons.
Highlights:
KJ Noons offered Nick Diaz nothing but respect for his ability as a fighter, but had little good to say about Diaz outside the cage. Noons went to the football coaching metaphor to explain how he plans to handle the rematch:
“I’m coming right at you win or lose. Nick Diaz is all over the place, to keep the football analogy going, he’s out there running all these crazy plays. We’ll see who’s strategy works best come October 9.”
Cesar Gracie, standing in on the conference call for Diaz, said his fighter’s work with WBA World Super Middleweight champion Andre Ward on his boxing will give the fiery Diaz an edge this time around.
Noons v Diaz One:
HP Pavilion
San Jose, CA
Saturday, October 9
7:00PM
In this rematch, now three years in the making,Strikeforce’s World Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz looks to avenge his last loss against K.J. Noons.
MAIN CARD
NICK DIAZ vs KJ NOONS
MEN’S WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
JOSH THOMSON vs “JZ” CAVALCANTE
SARAH KAUFMAN vs MARLOES COENEN
WOMEN’S WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
TYRON WOODLEY vs ANDRE GALVAO
UNDERCARD
JAMES TERRY vs BRET BERGMARK
ERIC LAWSON vs RON KESLAR
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