KJ Noons returns to Strikeforce this April at lightweight

Former EliteXC lightweight champion KJ Noons will be making his return to the cage come this April.

In his last outing, Noons battled against rival Nick Diaz for the Strikeforce welterweight title. After performing for 25-minutes during a spirited five-round war with the Stockton native, however failed to capture the belt when the decision went in the favor of Diaz.

Post-fight, KJ suffered several debilitating injuries, including both a broken jaw and right hand that has since recovered. Now, Noons will be looking to return to his more natural weight of 155-pounds and move one step closer towards the title.

MMAWeekly.com first reported the return of Noons for April. The event is expected to be headlined by a lightweight title tilt pitting champion Gilbert Melendez against Tatsuya Kawajiri, though nothing has become official as of yet.

Though Noons stepped up to the welterweight class in an unsuccessful attempt to wrest the belt from Nick, he does hold a notable win over the Cesar Gracie protege dating back to November of 2007, where he knocked down Diaz early in the first-round, and eventually used his superior boxing to halt the bout at the end of the first-round when Nick was deemed unable to continue due to multiple facial lacerations.

To his credit, Noons also holds notable knockout victories over both UFC veterans Yves Edwards and Jorge Gurgel.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the return of Noons to lightweight? Does this weight class better suit him? How far can he go in the Strikeforce 155-pound class? Sound off in the comment section below.