This entry into “A Closer Look At strikeforce: ‘Fedor vs. Henderson’” kicks off the second day of my very in-depth look at Strikeforce’s upcoming mega-event. Part 1 saw me examine the preliminary fights, it’s available here. Part two featured a very interesting match-up between Scott Smith and Tarec Saffiedine that gets both men at a pivotal moment of their careers. It can be viewed here. And now it’s time for another match-up that has far-reaching consequences, especially considering that Nick Diaz recently vacated his Strikeforce Welterweight Championship. Let’s dive right into Paul Daley vs. Tyron Woodley. ...

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”. ...

It’s that time again, fans and friends. A new month will soon be upon us, which means all-new fights and much-anticipated epic encounters. Near the start of every month I’ll be counting down the five fights I’m looking forward to the most, and why I’m looking forward to them. This is “Top 5 Most Anticipated Fights of July 2011”. Let’s get started. ...

A little over a month from now, Strikeforce will look to hold its next big event. On July 30 Strikeforce is scheduled to present “Fedor vs. Henderson”, featuring the legendary Fedor Emelianenko taking on current Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Dan Henderson in a Heavyweight bout. One of the most-anticipated encounters outside that main event was a match-up between Paul Daley and Evangelista Santos, but recently it’s been confirmed that that’s a fight that will no longer be happening. 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. ...

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? ...

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. ...

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”. ...

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. ...

On April 9, 2011, Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz will defend his belt against arguably his most dangerous challenger yet and perhaps one of the toughest tests Diaz will have yet faced in his career. Standing in Diaz’s way to becoming Strikeforce’s most dominant champion is knockout artist Paul Daley, who has earned the nickname “Semtex” with twenty (T)KO wins. Many are calling for Diaz to win, and as a huge fan of Nick I’m certainly pulling for him. But what happens if he does? Here’s a new entry in my “What If He Wins?” series, focusing on what I think will happen if Nick Diaz beats Paul Daley. ...

Welcome back fans and friends to the latest edition of my “5 Reasons Why” series of columns. Today’s entry into the series focuses on the upcoming Welterweight showdown between Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz and knockout artist Paul Daley. For the five reasons why the champion could beat the challenger, please click here. Now it’s time for the opposite: here are five reasons why Paul Daley could beat Nick Diaz. ...

Although the purchase of Strikeforce by the UFC’s parent company cast this fight into doubt, it’s recently been confirmed that Paul Daley will in fact be meeting Nick Diaz at Strikeforce’s upcoming “Diaz vs. Daley” event, currently scheduled for April 9, 2011. It’s one of the biggest matches of the year for Strikeforce, as arguably their best and most marketable champion meets quite possibly the last, great threat to his championship. But who wins this fight? Here’s my say on just that: a new edition of “5 Reasons Why”, featuring the epic upcoming showdown between Nick Diaz and Paul Daley. Starting us off is five reasons why Diaz could beat Daley, with the reverse soon to follow. Let’s get to it. ...

From fans to journalists to the fighters themselves, everyone is still reeling over the landmark announcement that Zuffa, the parent company of the UFC, has purchased Strikeforce. In one fell swoop the UFC has bought up the second-biggest MMA promotion in the world, and even as a Strikeforce fan I can admit that it was a distant (though closer than ever before) second. Over the next few days we’ll likely be inundated with plenty of news about this deal, but for now, here’s what two of Strikeforce’s top fighters had to say: newly-crowned Light Heavyweight Champion Dan Henderson, and current Welterweight Championship contender Paul Daley. ...

Although strikeforce fans will have to wait longer than originally expected for the second half of the opening round of the Strikeforce World Heavyweight Grand Prix to get under way, Strikeforce has still plenty left in their arsenal besides big names like Alistair Overeem and Fabricio Werdum. In fact, Strikeforce recently confirmed four matches for their upcoming April 9 event, with each one sounding absolutely awesome on paper. Here’s the latest on Strikeforce: “Diaz vs. Daley”. ...

Prepare for the shocker of all shockers, fans and friends. The utterly unthinkable has happened: Paul Daley has missed weight. Today marked the official weigh-ins for Daley’s upcoming fight for the British MMA organization “BAMMA”, with Daley set to take on Yuya Shirai for the organization’s Welterweight Championship. The bout has now been changed to a three-round non-title fight, and Paul Daley has already expressed regret on missing the scales once again. Here are all the details. ...

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. ...

Since his arrival to the Strikeforce cage, a lot of fans have been clamoring for a match-up pitting the hard-hitting Brit with the organization's champion in Nick Diaz. Outside of Diaz himself, Daley is the only other world ranked welterweight fighter that the organization currently has under roster, and Nick has stated on several occasions that those are the sort of fights that he is specifically looking forward to. Last Saturday, the Stockton native defeated PRIDE veteran Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos with a second-round arm bar, with a performance lauded by the mixed martial arts community as another classic Diaz performance, full of action throughout. However, one man was not nearly as impressed by the the title affair: Paul Daley. ...

Nick Diaz has looked great over a nine fight winning streak that has seen him take out the likes of Frank Shamrock (TKO), Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos (armbar), K.J. Noons (decision), Hayato Sakurai (armbar), Marius Zaromskis (TKO), and Scott Smith (rear naked choke).   However, next up on his list- assuming that Paul Daley defeats Yuya Shirai- is a likely match up with Daley.  Daley is a different kind of fighter.  In other words, he's a dynamo on his feet, displaying awesome power plus outstanding technical striking.  ...

Recently, former UFC contender Paul Daley has been announced as the next man in line to face the winner of Nick Diaz vs. Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos--who battle for the Strikeforce welterweight title this Saturday. Daley made the claim to fame when he knocked out the proverbial knockout artist in Scott Smith in his promotional debut last December, and he needed no less than the first-round to do so. However, Paul has recently accepted a fight in his native U.K. for this February, and should he come out in the losing end of things, he will lose his current position as the next in line for the Strikeforce title, so needless to say the Rough House product will be treading with caution. ...

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. ...