Jon Fitch is normally not an angry man. For the most part, he flies under the radar. Perhaps that’s why it took him so long to get a championship opportunity against Georges St. Pierre, and why it’s taken him so long to get another one. In a new interview, it appears that the long waits and the lack of appreciation may have finally driven Fitch over the edge. Here are all the details. ...

Now that 2011 is already halfway through, multiple websites and even the UFC have released their fair share of “Best of the Half-Year” awards. I recently got in on the fun as well, but recently an additional thought hit me: there’s a lot of good fights heading our way! So since I’ve already looked back on the best moments of 2011, I think it’d be great to take a look forward at what will probably be some of the defining moments of the rest of the year. So here we go: these are my top five most-anticipated fights for the rest of 2011. ...

Where does the time go, fans and friends? It seems like it was only yesterday that I was ringing in the new year and thinking that 2011 would be a crazy, fantastic year for MMA. I’m very happy to say that I was right, for the most part. Now it’s six months down and six to go, and everyone’s doing a slew of  “Half-Year” awards. Me? I’ll contribute to the debate, but since I’ve been doing a lot of “lists posts” lately, I’ll stick to the two biggest half-year awards: fight and fighter. So let’s get started by looking back on Nick Diaz vs. Paul Daley: my “Fight of the Half-Year”. ...

UFC President Dana White certainly likes to keep fight fans and insiders on their toes. The always-controversial UFC President has made several major announcements in the days leading up to their next big event, UFC 131 “Dos Santos vs. Carwin”. Chief amongst them is a trifecta of sweeping changes: the UFC will be adding a Flyweight division soon, there will now be five-round main event fights with or without a title on the line, and Nick Diaz is now a UFC fighter and has officially vacated his Strikeforce Welterweight Championship. Here are all the details. ...

It’s finally here, fans and friends: after years of waiting and anticipation and fierce debates and huge promotional rivalries. The UFC has made and broken records in 2011, and in October, they’ll set a new milestone. For the first time, a Strikeforce Champion will fight a UFC Champion for a UFC Championship. In one corner will be Georges St. Pierre, the UFC Welterweight Champion and Pound-for-Pound king. In another will be Nick Diaz, the most-dominant champion in Strikeforce history. Here are all the details on what should be a historic fight. ...

After Georges St. Pierre's not-so-impressive performance against Jake Shields at UFC 129 this past April, many have been clamoring for a "super fight" pitting GSP against Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz. Many have pointed out that some of the holes that St. Pierre displayed in his last outing with Shields would be picked up by possible a more intelligent, or rather more adept striker--such as Diaz, whom arguably holds some of the best hands in the mixed martial arts world. And though some obstacles may be lingering in the potential for the bout, that hasn't left people speculating the inevitable outcome. Urijah Faber, the former WEC featherweight champion and current number one contender for the UFC bantamweight title, has officially jumped on the Diaz bandwagon. ...

For UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre, there is no denying that he is the best welterweight fighter in the world. In his most recent outing, St. Pierre defeated Jake Shields by unanimous decision, though the win at first glance could be very deceiving. Having long been criticized for his lack of finishes or rather his inability, GSP faced arguably his toughest challenge to date when he met with the former Strikeforce middleweight champion. After five-rounds of "some" action, St. Pierre walked away the winner, but not without having drawn the ire of the fans and media alike. Since his last outing at UFC 129 this past April, many have called for a "super fight" pitting GSP against the Strikeforce welterweight champion and UFC veteran Nick Diaz, and while there are some roadblocks and even an impending boxing match with Jeff Lacy, Diaz would be willing to put all that aside if it means a match with St. Pierre. ...

Although there’s a small chance that it won’t happen, Nick Diaz will more than likely fight his next fight as a professional boxer. Diaz is doing this for a variety of reasons, but the fact is: he’s doing it. And ever since I took a firm stance on the “boxing vs. MMA” war, I’ve been thinking more and more about professional MMA fighters having at least one fight as a professional boxer. So, here are the five fighters I’d like to see fight as boxers before they retire. ...

What does the future hold for Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz? We may finally have official word on just that. Rumors have been running wild since Diaz TKO’d Paul Daley in early April: Diaz will fight as a professional boxer in his next bout, Diaz is retiring from MMA to become a professional boxer, Diaz will fight Georges St. Pierre in a title-for-title mega-fight, and more. It now appears that one of those rumors was true after all: Nick Diaz will fight his next fight as a professional boxer. Here are all the details. ...

Welcome back fans and friends, it’s time for another one of my start-of-month recap posts, which will highlight the biggest moments and best fighters of the previous month of MMA action. For April 2011, we had many amazing finishes, some really stellar events from all major companies, and much more. So, as you would expect, it’s tough to pick one fighter out of all the rest and crown him that month’s best fighter. But ultimately, I decided to go with one of MMA’s biggest bad boys, who manages to keep getting better on a fight-by-fight basis while continuing to be a man that is either loved or loathed. Here’s why Nick Diaz earns my pick for April 2011’s “Fighter of the Month”. ...

Hello again fans and friends, and welcome to the start of a new series, several new ones in fact. Today marks the first time I take a concrete look at what happened in the previous month of action, with several definitive lists designed to give my full thoughts on all the MMA I watched the month before. Near the beginning of every new month, I’ll wrap up the previous month of action by counting down and listing off some of the month’s biggest moments and brightest stars. I’ll start out with this list: the top five fights of April 2011, featuring all the best and can’t-miss moments of April. Let’s dive right in. ...

Recently, Nick Diaz has verbalized a level of dissatisfaction with where his MMA career is going. This has him thinking about taking a break for a few moments from the sport of mixed martial arts to pursue a professional boxing match. At first, the name floating around out there for him was Fernando Vargas. But more recently, the talk has turned to Jeff Lacy, which would be a bold move for the MMA champion. “They don’t have anybody else for me to fight now (Strikeforce)," Diaz told Inside MMA. ...

How successful was strikeforce’s “Diaz vs. Daley” event? It was, after all, the first event now that Strikeforce and the ufc are under the same umbrella. In terms of pure fight quality, it was a resounding success: a night of fights that saw a tough war (although it ended in a bizarre decision) and three dramatic stoppages. But who will be sitting on the sidelines for those stoppages, and how long? And how did the event do in the all-important ratings department? Read on for the full list of medical suspensions as well as a complete ratings breaking of “Diaz vs. Daley”. ...

Last Saturday, arguably strikeforce's most successful event went off without a hitch, as two of the organization's more dominant champions successfully defended their titles before an electric crowd in San Diego, California. Nick Diaz and Gilbert Melendez, teammates under the infamous Cesar Gracie brand, were both successful in their respective title bouts, with Diaz laying claim as one of the best and most dangerous welterweight fighters in the world with his first-round TKO over UFC castout Paul Daley, and Gilbert with his highly anticipated rematch with Japanese sensation Tatusya Kawajiri, which resulted in a one-sided TKO win for "El Nino". While the two men were perhaps among the nights most impressive winners, they were also among the top-earners for the entire event. ...

There were a few contentious moments between both Nick Diaz and Paul Daley in the lead up to their welterweight clash this past Saturday. Many were split on who would come out victorious come last Saturday. Many pointed to Diaz' lack of takedown ability coupled with Daley's punching power as variables that would sway in favor of the Brit, however the Stockton native played fire-with-fire and though he survived a scare earlier in the round, he came back with a vengeance to claim a TKO win in the waning moments of the bout. Just moments after the bouts conclusion, Diaz can be seen pointing and shouting in Daley's face as he sat stunned atop a stool inside the cage. So could you imagine what would happen should the two men meet later in the hotel after the fight? ...

After his latest performance in the cage, Nick Diaz has left little doubt that he is among the best welterweight fighters in the world. The Stockton native remains to be the only person to have finished striking ace Paul Daley at his own game, dismantling the Brit with a first-round TKO last Saturday. The win helped extend a 10-fight win streak for Diaz which dates back to a controversial loss due to cuts when he fought KJ Noons back in the EliteXC days in 2007, though Nick has since avenged the loss by dominating Noons en route to a decision victory last October. Now on the heels of his third title defense, Diaz has already fought three-times in the last six-months, and though he has looked ultra-impressive, head trainer Cesar Gracie believes that the best is yet to come. Time to give the champ a break. ...

The last time I featured Nick Diaz in my on-again off-again column “Top 5 Opponents” was in August 2010. Much has changed since then, but one thing has not: Nick Diaz is still the Strikeforce Welterweight Champion. And with three defenses of his belt, he’s now also the most dominant Strikeforce champion in the history of the promotion. So what’s left for Nick Diaz in Strikeforce? With Strikeforce’s Welterweight Division in need of worthy challengers, here are my Top 5 Opponents For Nick Diaz. ...

While the affair was just a one-round bout, it may have been one of the most exciting one-round fights in recent mixed marital arts history. Nick Diaz, the regining Strikeforce welterweight champion, arguably had his toughest test to date when he met with UFC castout and perennial top-10 fighter Paul Daley last Saturday. While both men shared the edge in experience, it would look as if on paper Daley would hold the advantage when it came to the stand-up department, as he is known as one of the more pure striking specialist in the MMA world. However, in true Diaz fashion, the Stockton native fought fire with fire and engaged his opponent in a fight that would easily have won the "Fight of the Night" award, had Zuffa implemented such an award for Strikeforce, though in the future it might become a very serious possibility. ...

There's no secret that Nick Diaz, the Strikeforce welterweight champion, is one of the most enigmatic figures in the mixed martial arts community. Coupled with his world class skills which consist of his a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and a professional boxing background, Diaz is perhaps known for both his exciting style of fighting as well as his sometimes not-so-personable personality. In the lead up to his fight with Paul Daley, which will be an attempt to successfully defend his welterweight title for a third time, Diaz has done the whole press thing. Answering the same questions over and over again, and that's just fine by him. It's part of the job. But when Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting.com approached the Stockton native yesterday on his thoughts on the upcoming title bout, Diaz had plenty to say for the 2010 "Journalist of the Year". ...

Hello once more fans and friends and welcome to another new edition of “Best of the Rest”! I really enjoy taking the time to give my detailed thoughts on a show after watching it, but after the serious discussion and debate I’ll raise in topics like “Top 5 Best Moments” and “Best Performance of the Night”, I think it’d be nice to have a tongue-in-cheek topic where I give out some other “awards”. It’s all in good fun, so don’t take any of it too seriously. So let’s dive right into this latest edition, now featuring Strikeforce: “Diaz vs. Daley”. ...

It’s that time once again, fans and friends. Another major MMA event has come and gone, and it’s time for my unofficial “Best Performance of the Night” award. It was a pretty hard award to pick for Strikeforce’s “Diaz vs. Daley” event, which saw a host of fantastic finishes and heartfelt performances. But this award ends up going to the man who is now the most dominant champion in Strikeforce history. Here’s why Nick Diaz’s thrilling stoppage of Paul Daley took home “Best Performance of the Night”. ...

A great night of fights, Saturday, with the quality of combat tilted heavily to the Strikeforce card emanating out of San Diego compared to Bellator 40 out of Oklahoma.  Nick Diaz and Gilbert Melendez laid down inspired performances giving notice to their new boss, Dana White, that there may not be much of a talent gap between Strikeforce Champions and UFC belt holders.  Farther east in the Sooner state, the favorites won in pedestrian fashion while setting up some intriguing matches going forward.  Lets get to the chum. ...

Strikeforce’s recent “Diaz vs. Daley” event featured several big finishes from some of Strikeforce’s brightest stars. And above all else, it was Team Cesar Gracie that showed their dominance, with Gilbert Melendez dramatically finishing Tatsuya Kawajiri while Nick Diaz became the first man to ever legitimately TKO Paul Daley. 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: “Diaz vs. Daley”. ...

Strikeforce: “Diaz vs. Daley” was an interesting event to say the very least. It was a night of fights that featured brutal stoppages, fantastic submissions, and one very controversial Majority Draw. Now once again it’s time to ask: what’s next? What does the future hold after “Diaz vs. Daley”? Here’s my answer to just that: a new edition of my “What’s Next for the Winners and Losers” series of articles, now featuring Strikeforce: “Diaz vs. Daley”. ...

The first Strikeforce “Arena Series” show held under the Zuffa banner took place tonight, and “Diaz vs. Daley” is now in the history books. It was a night of fights that started big and got progressively bigger. Two championships were on the line tonight, and several amazing finishes occurred throughout the broadcast . Here are the full results as well as some early commentary on Strikeforce: “Diaz vs. Daley”. ...

We’re now only a couple of days away from Strikeforce’s “Diaz vs. Daley” event. It’s a live, free night of fights on the Showtime network that I’ve spent a lot of time talking about. And for good reason: it’s a stacked “Arena Series” show with two dominant champions taking on two very worthy challengers. But now it’s time for my final say: this is another “Finally Final Thoughts”, covering my last, assorted thoughts and feelings before “Diaz vs. Daley”. Let’s get to it. ...

On April 9, 2011, Strikeforce will hold its highly-anticipated “Diaz vs. Daley” event, featuring Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz defending the belt against one of the hardest strikers anyone at 170 could possibly face: KO machine Paul Daley. Also, Gilbert Melendez returns after an extended hiatus to defend his Strikeforce Lightweight Championship against Keith Jardine. Still, some fans may be asking themselves: what are the best reasons to check out this card? Here’s my answer to just that: 5 reasons to watch Strikeforce: “Diaz vs. Daley”. ...

We’re now only a few days away from Strikeforce: “Diaz vs. Daley. In the main event, Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz looks to successfully defend his belt for the third time (which would make him the most dominant champion in Strikeforce history) by beating challenger and notorious bad-boy Paul Daley. The co-main event will also be an interesting match-up, as Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez returns after almost a year off to make the second defense of his championship, this time against Tatsuya Kawajiri. As is customary, here is my official “picks and predictions” post (covering who I think will win and why), now featuring Strikeforce: "Diaz vs. Daley". ...

Hello once more fans and friends and welcome to the latest edition of “Crash Course”. “Crash Course” is a series of articles designed to give readers a quick rundown on all the relevant information they need to know heading into an upcoming major MMA event. Everything from why you should watch, what you should expect in the co-main and main event, and even where and when you can find it on TV is all covered in detail. So let’s get right to it with today’s edition, featuring Strikeforce: “Diaz vs. Daley” ...

Hello once more fans and friends and welcome back to “Sneak Peek”! Alongside my monthly “Top 5 Most Anticipated Fights” post, “Sneak Peek” is a once-a-month post giving fans a look at what they can expect as we start another month of MMA action. “Sneak Peek” will give fans a quick synopsis of all the major MMA cards going down in any particular month. So let’s dive right with today’s edition, covering the month of April 2011. ...