Strikeforce’s “Overeem vs. Werdum” event has so far received some very diverse reactions. Many people argue over how the main event between Alistair Overeem and Fabricio Werdum went down, with many agreeing that it was a bad fight that proved relatively little for both fighters. But this wasn’t a one-fight show, and we did see several entertaining finishes. But which stars shined brightest, and what moments will fans be talking about in the following weeks? Here’s my take on the matter: my top 5 best moments of Strikeforce “Overeem vs. Werdum”. ...

Welcome back fans and friends, it’s now time for another entry into “A Closer Look”. Today’s continuing series on the upcoming strikeforce “Overeem vs. Werdum” event looks to take a close look at all the scheduled Showtime fights for what should be a jam-packed card. Part 1 of the series is available here, and you can find part 2 here. Now it’s time for Part 3, and the first and only non-Heavyweight bout of this card. In a match-up that will have major championship implications, KJ Noons will be taking on Jorge Masvidal in a fight where the winner gets the next shot at the Strikeforce Lightweight Championship. Let’s get right to it. ...

Former welterweight title challenger KJ Noons will now be returning to the lightweight division. The native Hawaiian was originally expected to square off against budding contender Jorge Masvidal, however with the recent tragedies in Japan, it looks like KJ may have the opportunity to put himself right back into title contention as he is now back in camp, preparing for a possible showdown with top prospect, Lyle Beerbohm. "Fancy Pants" was originally expected to face off with DREAM lightweight champion Shinya Aoki, however the Judoka's participation in the contest has come under question after his native Japan has seen a series of tragedies occur, including tsunami's and earthquakes galore. ...

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. ...

That question is posed honestly and not cynically, by the way. It’s recently been confirmed that Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez has extended his contract with the promotion, to the point where he should be calling Strikeforce home for the next several years. But what’s left for him to do? I think it’s a valid point to state that the UFC has the better Lightweight division, but even so, I think Melendez has some interesting bouts ahead of him in Strikeforce. So, in order to flesh out why I think Melendez made the right decision, here’s a “Top 5” list of five things “El Nino” has left to do in Strikeforce, in no particular order. ...

It’s recently been announced that Paul Daley would be the next man to challenge for the Strikeforce Welterweight Championship, and fans are already buzzing about a potentially epic showdown between “Semtex” and Strikeforce’s currently-reigning champion, Nick Diaz. Diaz will have to get past Evangelista Santos before that dream-fight comes to fruition, but many fans, including myself, are predicting that he will. So who wins between Daley and Diaz? I’m predicting that Diaz wins by a landside… and here are five reasons why. ...

strikeforce’s upcoming January 29 event was already looking like a great start for Strikeforce in 2011, but it just got even better. There will be two championship defenses on January 29, not just one. It was previously announced that Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Ronaldo Souza would defend his belt against Robbie Lawler. But recently, it’s also been announced that Nick Diaz has finally found himself an opponent and will also be defending his piece of gold, the Strikeforce Welterweight Championship, in January. Here are all the details. ...

Paul Daley’s future is once again bright. The notorious British bad-boy who was most famously kicked out of the UFC after attacking Josh Koscheck after the bell has now found new life in Strikeforce, thanks to one of the biggest KO’s the heavy-handed “Semtex” has ever managed to deliver. At the recent “Henderson vs. Babalu 2” event, Daley shut down and beat up “Comeback King” Scott Smith before finishing him with a knockout so vicious that it’ll likely remain on Daley’s highlight reel for the rest of his career. In a new interview, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker recently stated that he can’t wait to book Daley again and looks forward to seeing how far “Semtex” can go in Strikeforce. ...

strikeforce welterweight champion, Nick Diaz, if anything, is exciting. The brash and controversial fighter, who is an open advocate of marijuana use (recreational or medicinal), most recently successfully defended his title for the first time against rival KJ Noons. The 170-pound affair went all five rounds, in what became a stand-up war when Diaz, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Cesar Gracie, abandoned all conventional wisdom when he engaged toe-to-toe with the part-time professional boxer in Noons. While the Stockton native had a decided advantage on the ground over the Hawaiian, Diaz was able to outbox Noons en route to a unanimous decision victory, avenging a controversial 2007 loss to KJ under the Elite XC banner, and picked up his 8th consecutive win. ...

The future has never looked brighter for current Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz, but just what does that future hold? Diaz most recently won his headlining bout at Strikeforce’s “Diaz vs. Noons 2” event, which saw him defeat arch-rival KJ Noons and even out the score after Noons famously defeated him three years ago to win the now-defunct EliteXC Lightweight Championship via a controversial doctor stoppage due to a cut. In a new post-fight interview, the always-controversial Diaz talked about what he sees himself doing in the immediate as well as the not-so-immediate future. ...

After an exciting night of fights at the HP Pavillion last Saturday Night under the strikeforce banner, most competitors on the main card of the evening left very banged up, needless to say, especially KJ Noons. In an attempt to vie for the welterweight title against rival and current Strikeforce 170-pound champion Nick Diaz, which saw the two fighters go at it in a five-round stand up affair, KJ left the more battered and bruised of the two to competitors. ...

strikeforce, last Saturday night, but together yet another stellar card in 2010. October 9 saw welterweight champion Nick Diaz successfully defend his title for the first time against rival KJ Noons, earning a bit of revenge in the process. The two fighters met 3 years ago under the now defunct Elite XC banner, where Noons was declared the winner after cutting Nick with several telling blows, which eventually lead to a Doctors stoppage after the end of the first round. However, the second time around, Diaz was able to outbox the professional boxer, en route to a unanimous decision victory after a hard-fought five round affair. ...

Strikeforce delivered once again. The San Jose based promotion traveled back to the HP Pavillion, with home town favorite Josh "The Punk" Thomson in action, alongside fellow Californian, Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz. The Stockton native was victorious in his first title defense when he was pitted against rival KJ Noons--the last man to defeat Diaz, with a rivalry brewing since their original encounter in 2007 under the now defunct Elite XC banner. Though the Hawaiian striker, Noons, was competitive throughout the 5-round-affair, he was on the losing side of a unanimous decision, which was widely decided by Nick's reach advantage. Dropping Noons early in the first round, it looked like Diaz had the bout all but sealed, however, Noons battled back, even after breaking his jaw in the same round, and his hand in the second. ...

Hello once more fans and friends and welcome to another edition of “What’s Next?” Today’s piece centers on Strikeforce: “Diaz vs. Noons 2”. The event saw some good fights, a few questionable flubs on the part of the refereeing and judging staff, and several noteworthy moments. In the main event, Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz evened out the score to his incredibly bitter rivalry with KJ Noons. But where does this huge win leave Diaz, and for that matter, where does everyone go from here? Here’s what I think the future holds for some of the big winners and losers of Strikeforce: “Diaz vs. Noons 2”. ...

Another one went into the history books tonight, as Strikeforce’s “Diaz vs. Noons 2” event is now a thing of the past. The event itself didn’t go off without a hitch: there were several referee errors and another brain-dead judge pick in a seemingly infinite list of recent brain-dead judge picks. But several things shone bright tonight: Marloes Coenen proved me wrong in a huge way, Nick Thompson and “JZ” Cavalcante gave us an epic showdown, and in the main event, Nick Diaz beat the last man to ever beat him in what may be considered one of the most important moments of his career. Here are all the results as well as my reaction to Strikeforce: “Diaz vs. Noons 2”. ...

It all goes down today, fans and friends. After almost three years of intense build-up, Nick Diaz vs. KJ Noons 2 is now a reality. Tonight Strikeforce will holds its “Diaz vs. Noons 2” event on Showtime, featuring the aforementioned rematch, with the added bonus of the Strikeforce Welterweight Championship being on the line. Even the Strikeforce Women’s Welterweight (135-pound) Championship is on the line. It should be a good event, so here are my picks and predictions for all the big fights. ...

While the weigh-in ceremonies went swimmingly, more or less, for the big show, "Strikeforce: Diaz vs Noons II", which is taking place tomorrow night in San Jose, Calif., at the HP Pavilion before a sold out crowd. Everyone, with the exception of Justin Willis (271--heavyweight match; 265 limit with an added one pound allowance) and Jonathon Del Rosario (156.5--lightweight match; 155 limit with an added one pound allowance), were registered within their weight classes, and were fit to fight come Saturday Night. However, in two title fights adorning the card, being the headliner Nick Diaz, who will attempt to defend his title for the first time against the last man to defeat him nearly 3 years ago in KJ Noons, a bout between to lightweights, with no title on the line, is taking precedence over the women's welterweight title fight between Marloes Coenen and champ Sarah Kaufman...why? ...

We’re now more or less twenty-four hours away from the second chapter in one of the more bitter rivalries in recent history. Tomorrow the San Diego-based strikeforce promotion will hold its “Diaz vs. Noons 2” event at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. A four-fight main card is set to air live on the Showtime network, and will be headlined by Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz facing the man who previously beat him for the now-nonexistent EliteXC Lightweight Championship, feared striker KJ Noons. Today Strikeforce held the official weigh-ins for the event, and here are the full results (courtesy of Sherdog). ...

Bellator lightweight champion is a force to reckoned with in his weight class. After an illuminated run in Japan, where Alvarez has picked up some of the biggest wins of his career, which includes victories over the likes of former DREAM lightweight champion Joachim Hansen, former Shooto champion Tatsuya Kawajiri and current DEEP lightweight champion Katsunori Kikuno. Not impressed? En route to Bellator gold, he was able to submit all three of his opponents, including the heralded Toby Imada, a Jiu-Jitsu whiz who became an internet sensation with his inverted triangle choke over lightweight notable Jorge Masvidal, which garnered Imada the "Submission of the Year" on several publications, including a trophy award at the 2009 World MMA Awards, hosted by Fighters Only. So when Alvarez, 26, heard word that Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez has called him out on numerous occasions, the Philly fighter didn't take too kindly to it. ...

Ask any EliteXC fans (if there are any left) what “don’t be scared homie” means, and you’re likely to get a chuckle. Immediately after KJ Noons defeated Yves Edwards to defend the EliteXC Lightweight Championship he won off of a victory over Nick Diaz, Diaz would get into the cage with many of his Team Cesar Gracie teammates and utter those words to his hated rival. What followed was an in-ring scuffle between both camps that remains infamous to this day. With one Diaz-led brawl already under his belt, how is strikeforce CEO Scott Coker going to prevent all-out mayhem when Diaz and Noons face each other once again? Here’s what he had to say on a new episode of “The MMA Hour”. ...

Current strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz fears no man and believes no hype. It’s one of the reasons why so many fans are looking forward to his second go-round with the highly-talented KJ Noons. Their first encounter saw a TKO win in Noons’ favor due to a cut, a controversial loss that gave birth to a highly-combative rivalry that has faded into the background at times but has never truly went away. In a recent YouTube video, Diaz gave us all some food for thought in typical Nick Diaz fashion. ...

Ceasar Gracie fighter Nick Diaz finally gets his STRIKEFORCE rematch against KJ Noons on October 9th in San Jose, CA.  Diaz has been red-hot in the cage since his 2007 loss to Noons winning seven in a row.  Based out of San Diego, CA, Noons now has six wins in a row and has career victories over Jorge Gurgel and Yves Edwards. Noons, with speedy hands, expects Diaz to try and take this fight on the ground.  Earlier this week, Noons spoke to the media and shared thougths on his bitter rivalry with Diaz and the fight ahead. ...

Nick Diaz is a lot of things. He's a world champion on one of the worlds largest promotions. He's a professional boxer, mixed martial artist, and nun-chuck enthusiast. He's also an avid supporter of Marijuana--which may or may not be the reason why Diaz felt compelled to no-show on a media teleconference, which was being held in an effort to promote the October 9th event. The October event in question, which is taking place under the strikeforce banner where Diaz lays claim as the organization's 170-pound champion, will be headlined by none other than the Cesar Gracie protege as well as rival KJ Noons--the two met before under the now defunct EliteXC banner for the promotions lightweight (160 lbs) title, where Nick came in as the decided favorite over Noons, who was just 1-1 inside EliteXC, at the time. ...

Although James Toney is the most obvious example of a pro boxer putting his money- and his reputation- where his mouth is (or was, considering how easily he was dispatched by UFC legend Randy Couture), he was never the most sought-after athlete that fans wanted to see make the switch from the square circle to the cage. That title belongs to two men: Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Mayweather has been a vocal opponent to MMA and has repeatedly refused to even entertain the notion of competing in a cage, while Pacquiao recently stated that he would be open to making the transition, although his management and trainers are against the idea. Both men seem unlikely to ever compete in a Mixed Martial Arts fight. But if it ever happens, one man has already stepped up to the plate and said that he would be more than happy to welcome both “Pac-Man” and “Money” Mayweather to the sport: the current #1 contender to the Strikeforce Welterweight Championship, KJ Noons. ...

Neither Nick nor Nate Diaz are strangers to controversy. The brothers have been involved in bitter rivalries, post-fight brawls, and all manner of not-so-nice activities. Saying that the Diaz brothers are MMA’s premier bad boys would be an understatement. But for the first time in either man’s careers, their abilities are beginning to eclipse their bravado. Nick and Nate were always talented, but with a string of recent performances, both men are starting to get taken seriously as best-in-the-world talent. Tough tests lie ahead for both men, as Nate Diaz recently made known his intentions to fight top-tier welterweights in the UFC, while Nick’s arch-rival and next opponent recently claimed that Nick would have to kill him to beat him. ...

Lately it seems that ufc Lightweight Gray Maynard has had a noticeable (and some would say rightly justified) chip on his shoulder. Maynard was passed over in favor of the man he beat, Frank Edgar, for a shot at then-champion BJ Penn. Of course, Edgar would go on to make the most out of that opportunity and beat Penn not once but twice, first at UFC 112 via a close, hotly contested Unanimous Decision win, and then again at the recent UFC 118 event via a dominating Unanimous Decision win. Maynard has also been the subject of recent criticism for not finishing any of his fights, with his last stoppage occurring almost three full years ago. But in his latest interview, Gray Maynard has fired back and poised an interesting question: who really finishes fights at Lightweight anyway? ...

I don’t know how it happened, considering how much I used to absolutely loathe him, but I’ve somehow become a fan of Nick Diaz. I think Diaz has emerged as one of the premier Welterweights in the sport, and one of Strikeforce’s best assets. He’s very controversial, but he backs it all up. Now more and more I find myself really looking forward to every single one of his fights. With that in mind, here are my top five picks for opponents I’d like to see Nick Diaz fight, regardless of promotion or availability. ...

2010 is drawing closer and closer to a close, and with UFC 118 now over and done with, there are only a handful of major-name events left for MMA in 2010. Despite that, I think the end of the year will have some of 2010’s best fights. There’s still a lot of great action left to look forward to, so here are my top 5 (officially announced) fights I’m looking forward to for the rest of 2010. ...

While the Strikeforce event last Saturday, in Houston, Tex., has unveiled some interesting outcomes, exciting fights, the event itself didn't leave unscathed--not without controversy at least. The San Jose, based promotion took its show on the road down south, when Strikeforce visited Texas with two-title fights and some sure crowd pleasers. ...

I really enjoyed Strikeforce: “Houston”. We had some upsets, some shocking surprises, some highs, some lows, some quick finishes, some all-out wars, and even a couple of controversial moments. From Chad Griggs beating Bobby Lashley to Rafael Cavalcante KO’ing Muhammed Lawal, “Houston” was a solid event and gave MMA fans a great night of action. It’s true that the future is never certain, but here’s what I think the months ahead will hold for the winners and losers of Strikeforce: “Houston”. ...