Tyron Woodley may not be young (he’s nearly thirty) but he certainly fits the mold of most hungry young upstarts. Woodley has a background as a collegiate wrestler, and he’s one of many fighters that continues to prove that that’s the best base for heading into MMA. Woodley would be fighting in Strikeforce in only his third fight as a professional Mixed Martial Artist.

In Strikeforce and on the underground, Woodley is widely regarded as the best Strikeforce Welterweight you’ve probably never heard of. Woodley has competed six times in Strikeforce, and unlike some other wrestling-based fighters, Woodley has proven time and time again that he’s a finisher. Currently, Woodley is a perfect 6-0 in Strikeforce and a perfect 8-0 overall. Even better, six of those eight wins were stoppages, and five of them were first-round stoppages.

Woodley’s opponent, Paul Daley, needs little introduction. When he steps into the cage against Tyron Woodley at “Fedor vs. Henderson”, it’ll be the fortieth time Paul Daley tests his skills as a professional Mixed Martial Artist. Even crazier than that, Paul Daley is actually younger than Tyron Woodley. And despite his recent troubles, Paul Daley is still one of the best pure strikers in the Welterweight division. Not in Strikeforce’s Welterweight division… the entire Welterweight division in MMA, period.

Paul Daley has won eight of his last ten fights, and is coming off a loss to Nick Diaz in one of the most entertaining fights of the year and even of the last several years. Seven of those wins were all stoppages due to strike: a few TKO’s, a submission due to an elbow, and four stone-cold KO wins. Daley has competed in and scored big victories in major promotions across the world, including Strikeforce and the UFC.

For this fight, Paul Daley has gone on record saying that he thinks this will be one of his last chances to win a major championship. I’m not quite sure I agree with that, but I do acknowledge that Daley really needs to assert himself now that Nick Diaz has left to the UFC.

Love him or hate him, Paul Daley is an entertaining fighter and he can knock anyone out given the right punch. You don’t (T)KO people twenty times in your career and not have the kind of power that can blast through any chin no matter how strong it is. But as always, Paul Daley’s painfully-obvious Achilles Heel is the ground game.

It may not make for the most exciting fight, but Tyron Woodley can and will grind out the decision if he chooses to keep Daley on his back. I don’t expect Woodley to approach this fight with the same reckless abandon as Nick Diaz, who stood toe-to-toe with Daley and even taunted him for no other reason than to prove to you that he could.

More than likely, if Tyron Woodley stands with Paul Daley he’s going to get knocked out. More than likely, Paul Daley will be dealt another difficult loss if Woodley can close the distance while not getting blasted and score the takedown. This is shaping up to be a very interesting encounter.

Nick Diaz… what else can I say about Nick Diaz? A whole lot, to be truthful. Nick Diaz struggled to reach his potential all throughout his UFC run, and that’s where he first established his status as a bad boy who loves to take risks and will eat your best shot just so he can laugh at you when it doesn’t knock him out. It would take a close loss to KJ Noons in Elite XC for Diaz to finally go on the epic run all his fans knew he had in him.

And what a run it’s been: across several different promotions, Diaz has ruled the non-UFC Welterweight division with a pair of iron fists. When Elite XC imploded and Strikeforce became the new “next big thing” by acquiring the bulk of Elite XC’s assets, Strikeforce called on Nick Diaz to headline. He responded by TKO’ing Frank Shamrock and humbling the former multi-promotion champion to the point where Shamrock would announce his retirement shortly afterwards.

When Strikeforce needed to crown their first Welterweight Champion, they again called on Nick Diaz and he again delivered. He out-struck and finished Marius Zaromskis, who was coming off of a great streak of high-kick KO’s in Japan. After going to Japan and submitting veteran Hayato Sakurai, Diaz then got sweet revenge on KJ Noons. After another win, this time a submission victory over Cristiane Santos, Diaz was on his way to becoming the most dominant champion in Strikeforce history. And that’s not the hype talking: before his fight with Paul Daley, no Strikeforce champion in the history of the promotion had ever successfully defended his or her championship at least three times.

And for the most part, everyone thought Paul Daley would be cannon fodder when (not if) Nick Diaz brought this fight to the ground. Daley’s lack of ground game was always his Achilles Heel, and Diaz has that vaunted BJJ black belt under Cesar Gracie. A few fans were hopeful that Diaz would strike with Daley, but a lot more were realistic in thinking that the smarter move by far was to take this fight to the ground. As great of a striker as Nick Diaz is, Paul Daley’s nickname is a British explosive for a reason.

But of course, with Nick Diaz being Nick Diaz, doing the smart thing was one of the last things he wanted to do.

We all thought Nick Diaz would be a fool if he were to stand there and openly taunt a knockout artist like Paul Daley… and then he stood there and openly taunted Paul Daley. We all thought Paul Daley may finally be able to crack Nick Diaz’s chin… and then Paul Daley cracked Nick Diaz’s chin. But remarkably, Diaz survived and even thrived, to the point where the fight would end only minutes later with Paul Daley suffering the first proper (T)KO loss of his career.

It was, perhaps, one of the most exciting one-round fights in MMA history. It was an all-out brawl between two heavy-handed strikers. It was a fantastic comeback. It was an unexpected finish, given that no one had ever stopped Daley due to strikes. It was all that and more. Even though the fight lasted just one round, I definitely think Nick Diaz vs. Paul Daley is the “Fight of the Half-Year”.

5. Paul Daley vs. Tyron Woodley at Strikeforce “Fedor vs. Henderson”

Say what you will about Paul Daley, and I’ve personally said plenty in my time, but the man is an entertaining fighter. His recent loss to Nick Diaz was one of the most exciting one-round fights of the year. Meanwhile, Tyron Woodley has been making waves on the lower-level “Challengers” shows with his growing skill and his finishing ability. With Daley’s original opponent bowing out, this is the opportunity of a lifetime for Tyron Woodley, especially now that the Strikeforce Welterweight Championship has been vacated. And that, combined with the fact that Paul Daley is rarely not entertaining, should result in one heck of a fight.

4. Pat Curran vs. Ronnie Mann at Bellator 47

Whoever wins this fight has got to be the favorite to win the entire “Summer Series” tournament. Both men gave fantastic performances in their first-round fights, and have been giving fantastic performances for quite some time. I don’t know what to expect from this fight, but only because both men are so versatile and can finish their opponent in so many different ways. It’s going to be an all-out war, and it should be one of the best fights of the month.

3. Marloes Coenen vs. Meisha Tate at Strikeforce “Fedor vs. Henderson”

In the fight that won her the championship, Marloes Coenen proved that her long arms and legs coupled with her skills as a veteran are enough to beat just about anybody. In her first defense of the championship, she proved to have the heart of a champion and never gave up, winning her fight in the fourth round despite being picked apart up until that point. Now, Coenen faces Meisha Tate, one of the most popular and well-rounded women’s fighters in Strikeforce. Can Coenen deal with such an all-around threat, especially after her image took a not-insignificant hit in her last fight? It’ll certainly be interesting to find out.

2. Joe Warren vs. Patricio Freire at Bellator 47.

As the saying goes, the “stars are aligned” for this fight and I’m thinking Freire will be able to take Warren out. Joe Warren’s last fight was one big blunder of a Bantamweight debut, prompting me to “award” Joe Warren my “Flop of the Month” for May 2011. And Patricio Freire has been looking all kinds of excellent lately. Whoever wins this fight will undoubtedly be the best Featherweight in Bellator, and it should be quite the rematch.

And my number-one most-anticipated fight of July 2011 is…

1. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Dan Henderson at Strikeforce “Fedor vs. Henderson”

This will be the fight that decides Fedor Emelianenko’s future. I can’t stand Fedor’s cynics, and it really angers me to think of what they’ll say if Emelianenko loses to a Dan Henderson that comes in at Heavyweight. But if Dan Henderson beats Fedor Emelianenko, it’ll be one of the biggest wins of his career and a crystal-clear statement that he’s back and better than ever.  But if Fedor Emelianenko beats Dan Henderson, he still might retire. I just don’t know what will happen to Fedor Emelianenko, even if he wins this match. And with Fedor one of my favorite fighters and one of the fighters I personally consider as a “best of all time” Mixed Martial Artist, there’s absolutely no chance that I’m missing this fight.

And there you have it, fans and friends!

We head to MMA Fighting for the official word. According to their report, an injury has forced “Cyborg” Santos to pull out of his upcoming fight with the British knockout artist. It is currently unknown who will replace Daley, it’s not even known whether or not Daley will still be competing on the card.

Ironically, both men have one big thing in common: they both lost to Nick Diaz in supremely humbling fashion in their most-recent fights. Heading into his showdown with Diaz, Santos held a barely-positive record of 18-13 and was soundly trounced by Diaz before succumbing to a second-round armbar. Many felt that Strikeforce was grasping at straws when putting someone like Santos, a longtime journeyman, into such a pivotal match-up.

Diaz’s next opponent, Paul Daley, was much more of a threat to Diaz’s reign. In perhaps the most exciting single-round fight of the last several years, Daley and Diaz fought an all-out war that saw both men dazed and hurt several times. After coming back from the razor’s edge and avoiding the first real KO loss of his career, Diaz ended the fight in the first round, stopping Daley due to strikes and giving “Semtex” the first real TKO loss of his career.

I definitely would’ve liked to see this fight, but if one of these fighters had to get injured, I’m glad it’s Santos. I know that sounds pretty insensitive, but I can’t help the way I feel. I think Paul Daley is a great addition to Strikeforce’s roster and gives them a badly-needed injection of talent. I think Daley will be a one-dimensional striker for the rest of his life, but he’s so entertaining and usually so dominant in that one dimension that I just can’t hold it against him. If he does decide to take a new opponent for “Fedor vs. Henderson”, I’ll certainly enjoy watching him fight.

Meanwhile, Evangelista Santos has never struck me as anything more than an up-and-down journeyman whose performances vary wildly based on the quality of the competition he’s facing. Much like I consider Valentijn Overeem “the other Overeem”, I consider Evangelista Santos “the other Cyborg”.

Of course, the removal of Santos makes me wonder who’s ready and deserving of a shot against Daley. But that just makes me think of an even bigger question that needs to be answered: what’s left for Paul Daley in Strikeforce? I’ll go one step further: what’s left for any Welterweight in Strikeforce?

When will Strikeforce crown a new Welterweight Champion now that Nick Diaz has vacated the belt and signed with the UFC? And let’s be honest: that new champion is going to have a long, hard road ahead of him if he wants to emerge out of the shadow of Diaz. Nick Diaz was one of Strikeforce’s biggest stars and one of its top draws both in television ratings and live attendance/gate receipts. He was mathematically, figuratively, and literally the most-dominant champion in Strikeforce history. Whoever wins the Strikeforce Welterweight Championship now that it’s vacated… I’ll always wonder “could he have beaten Nick?”

And I have a sinking feeling that I’m going to answer “no” to that question, time and time again. So, really, where does the Strikeforce welterweight division go from here?

Nick Diaz is a controversial man, who says controversial things. In the days and weeks leading up to his mega-fight with British knockout machine Paul Daley, Nick Diaz made himself no stranger to controversy. Although he kept it mostly civil with Daley, Diaz let his heated opinion fly on many different subjects. First and foremost, he claimed to be the most over-trained and under-paid fighter in the business, constantly comparing himself to Georges St. Pierre and asking why he wasn’t making that kind of money. Diaz also stated that if everyone thought GSP was so much better than him, they should get GSP to fight him and prove it. In another now-infamous interview, Diaz accosted MMAFighting.com’s Ariel Helwani, one of the most notable and respected journalists in the business, claiming that Helwani is an instigator and that he should be slapped.

Leading up to this fight, many fans wondered if Nick Diaz would be brave enough (or foolish enough, in the eyes of some) to engage in a striking battle with Paul Daley. Many pointed out that Daley had and continues to have true one-hit knockout power in his hands, and to this day, Daley has an astounding twenty out of twenty-seven wins by some form of (T)KO. But Daley’s Achilles Heel is and likely always will be his ground game, while Nick Diaz is a Gracie-trained Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu wizard.

But of course, this is Nick Diaz we’re talking about. If you tell him he can’t do something, more than likely he’ll do it just to spite you.

And that’s exactly what Diaz did when he fought Paul Daley: he played the game exclusively in Daley’s element, and he beat Daley where Daley was strongest. Diaz’s cockiness never wavered, and he taunted Daley several times throughout their one-round fight. It nearly cost Diaz everything, with Daley flooring Diaz several times. But Diaz always found a way to survive and get back on his feet, and eventually, Diaz’s “punches in bunches” style won out. After an amazing first round, Paul Daley went down and was finished. It was the first legitimate TKO loss of Paul Daley’s career.

Shortly after the fight, it was announced by both Nick Diaz and his coach, Cesar Gracie, that Diaz would be pursuing at least one fight as a professional boxer. Currently, it is not known if Diaz plans to end his MMA career to focus on becoming a boxer. It’s not even known if he’s really allowed to fight as a boxer, although both Diaz and Gracie say that that’s a part of his contract. With the recent purchase of Strikeforce by Zuffa, it’s been said that UFC President Dana White will personally sit down with Nick Diaz to figure out his future. Even a rumor of a potential super-fight with Georges St. Pierre is currently floating around.

Here’s why Nick Diaz earns “Fighter of the Month” for April 2011: he lives up to the hype. He doesn’t care what you think, and he’ll say whatever he feels like saying whenever he feels like saying it. You can love him or you can hate him, but you can’t ignore him, especially when he’s spent the last several years tearing apart the non-UFC Welterweight division. Nick Diaz is one of the most controversial MMA fighters in the world, but he’s also one of the best MMA fighters in the world. And he proved that once again in April 2011.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. What about you? Do you agree or disagree, and why?

5. Daniel Straus vs. Kenny Foster at Bellator 41.

Starting this list off is a three-round war at Bellator 41 that saw the young and dangerous Kenny Foster take on the soft-spoken “dark horse” of Bellator’s current Featherweight tournament, Daniel Straus. It was clear from the moment the fight started that Kenny Foster had more tenacity and exuberance, but Straus utilized a grinding style and several well-timed blows to take the fire out of Foster. In the end, Straus would win it with a little over a minute left in the fight, submitting the hot prospect and cementing his status as the “dark horse favorite”. As someone who entered Bellator’s tournament with almost no fanfare or hype, Straus rocketed past two very tough, young competitors and sealed his fate with a big stoppage to earn his shot in the finals.

4. Gegard Mousasi vs. Keith Jardine at Strikeforce: “Diaz vs. Daley”

Everyone knew how tough Keith Jardine was going into this fight, that was never in doubt. What was in doubt, though, was his ability to remain competitive against top-flight competition. And in Strikeforce, it doesn’t get much better than a former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion. But Jardine persevered through three tough rounds of action, taking down Mousasi frequently while absorbing all of Mousasi’s best shots. The fight would end in a controversial draw, with many thinking Mousasi should have won. Nevertheless, this was a very tough test for Keith Jardine, and he responded by putting on a very heartfelt display of guts and fortitude, taking a former champion to the limit.

3. Lyoto Machida vs. Randy Couture at UFC 129: “St. Pierre vs. Shields”

It may have ended quickly, but I can’t think of a better finish in April 2011 in terms of pure brilliance and awesomeness. I’ve called it the Jumping Front Face Kick of Death, mostly out of humor, but that’s exactly what it was. No matter what the technical name of that kick is called, it was a beautiful, expertly-timed knockout blow from former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto Machida. Plus, before that kick, Machida managed to neutralize the clinch game of one of the best pure wrestlers in MMA history. With the way the fight ended, and with Randy Couture going out on his shield and finishing his stellar career by taking on a former champion, there’s no doubt in my mind that this fight belongs on here.

2. Jose Aldo vs. Mark Hominick at UFC 129: “St. Pierre vs. Shields”

For five straight rounds, Jose Aldo and Mark Hominick pushed each other to their limits. Seeing Aldo struggle against Hominick was the first time I’ve ever seen Jose Aldo have problems dealing with a fighter. Seeing Hominick battle on while having a giant lump on his head was just plain astounding. It was a five-round all-out war of attrition, and it was closer than I ever thought it would be. This could be a “Fight of the Year” candidate before all is said and done.

And the number-one best fight of April 2011 is…

1. Nick Diaz vs. Paul Daley at Strikeforce: “Diaz vs. Daley”

It may have only lasted one round, but what a round it was. I honestly think you could make an argument that Diaz vs. Daley was one of the best one-round fights of the last several years. People were afraid that Diaz wouldn’t want to strike with Daley and turn it into a boring ground battle… and then Diaz started taunting Daley and brawling with him. It was an incredibly back-and-forth fight, with Daley nearly stopping Diaz several times before Nick’s “punches in bunches” style finally cracked Daley’s near-impenetrable chin. Even if it ended at 4:57, I was on the edge of my seat for every single second. And that’s why this fight earns “Best Fight of April 2011”.

And what about you, fans and friends? What were some of your favorite fights of the month?

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.

Here are the full fighter payouts, which are courtesy of MMAJunkie.com by way of the California State Athletic Commission:

Nick Diaz: $175,000 (no win bonus)
def. Paul Daley: $65,000

Gilbert Melendez: $150,000 (no win bonus)
def. Tatsuya Kawajiri: $97,612.50

Gegard Mousasi: $150,000
drew Keith Jardine: $25,000

Shinya Aoki: $73,637.50 (no win bonus)
def. Lyle Beerbohm: $10,000

Robert Peralta: $4,000 (includes $2,000 win bonus)
def. Hiroyuki Takaya: $2,740

Virgil Zwicker: $3,000 ($1,000 win bonus)
def. Brett Albee: $1,000

Joe Duarte: $2,000 ($1,000 win bonus)
def. Saad Awad: $1,500

Herman Terrado: $1,500 ($500 win bonus)
def. A.J. Matthews: $1,000

Rolando Perez: $3,000 ($1,000 win bonus)
def. Tom Peterson: $1,000

Casey Ryan: $2,000 ($1,000 win bonus)
def. Paul Song: $750

So, MMA peeps, any surprises here? What stands out first for me is Mousasi’s payday. So, had he won, how much money would he have made? Should his pay scale be more than that of Nick Diaz? Sound off in the comment section below.

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?

At the weigh-ins is when the tension first began to mount. As far as normal Nick Diaz standards go, he was relatively calm leading into his bout with Daley, with neither man really taking any jabs against one another, however all of the respect went out the window when the two men were first introduced face-to-face opposite of one another, screaming verbal obscenities towards one another.

The fight, however, took on a life of it’s own. During the ceremonial staredown, Diaz stood face to face with his opponent, taking his last moments to put in a few expletives towards the way of Daley who in return just smiled and welcomed the violence that was about to come his way.

During the bout, the two men stood toe-to-toe for the the entire round, with Daley dropping Nick early with a powerful left hook that sent him crashing to the canvas. Diaz quickly recovered, came back to his feet to record the TKO win.

Needless to say, both men should have been sour towards one another, so when I first heard word that the two men met in the hotel just moments after the fight was over, I was almost certain that there would be an immediate rematch taking place right then and there.

However, in this clip captured by MiddleEasy.com, both men immediately embrace and congratulate one another on a fight that will be remembered for a long, long time.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of this side of Daley and Diaz? I was pleasantly surprised. There is more than meets the eye with both men. Sound off in the comment section below.

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.

While Diaz is known for his style of fighting which is categorized as nothing less than “electrifying”, everyone knew the smart thing to do for Diaz would be for him to clinch to Daley, wear him down, and eventually work for the takedown. Whether or not Nick fought the way he did for the fans or not, it certainly felt that way, as the Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt stood toe-to-toe with “Semtex” for the entire bout.

Diaz began getting the better of the exchanges, using his reach (though it held no advantage over Daley) coupled with his height in order to wing shots to both the head and the body. Just as Daley seemed to be withering against the cage, he uncorked a powerful left hook that sent Diaz crashing to the mat. However, just moments later Diaz regained his composure and Paul failed to capitalize on the opportunity.

Back to the feet the two met again, with Nick again working Daley against the corner. Punches in bunches had the Brit again reeling, and once a short right-hook landed in an exchange for Diaz, Paul clinched immediately. Once separated, Daley immediately stumbled back, falling face first to the canvas—a consequence of the repeated blows. Diaz pounced immediately, and with only three-seconds left in the round, Nick claimed the TKO stoppage once referee “Big” John McCarthy deemed the former Cage Rage champion unable to continue.

While the stoppage has been panned as a bit “premature” initially, replays reflected that Daley was not intelligently defending himself and thus justified the ending.

With the win, Diaz remains undefeated in Strikeforce with a perfect 5-0 record over notables which include former UFC champ Frank Shamrock, Scott Smith, DREAM titleholder Marius Zaromskis, former EliteXC champ KJ Noons (which helped Diaz avenge his last loss), “Cyborg” Santos, and now Daley. It’s an impressive list for Diaz, and while Paul tasted defeat by form of knockout for the first time in his MMA career, he has little to be ashamed of as he put on one of the most memorable bouts in MMA history, which will be talked about for years to come.

Sound off in the comment section below.

The Cecil Peoples Award For The Best Display Of Utter Blindness And Ineptitude: The judges who scored the bout between Gegard Mousasi and Keith Jardine a Draw. I keep having to hand this award out, and it keeps infuriating me each and every time. Even with Mousasi losing a point for an illegal upkick, there’s no way this fight was anything other than a commanding victory for Mousasi. Gegard got taken down a few times, but Jardine was a bloody, bruised mess by the end of this fight. It was another fight plagued by horrendous judging, and a further reminder of why I’m so very glad that most Strikeforce fights nowadays don’t go to the judges.

The Phoenix Award: Shinya Aoki, who breathed new life into his career with a thrilling first-round submission over Lyle Beerbohm. Aoki displayed that his ground game is still as flawless as ever, and that he could one day possibly be a major star in Strikeforce. Strikeforce is definitely in need of more stars in their Lightweight division, and so long as Aoki is used correctly and given opponents where his ground game is allowed to shine, Aoki could become Strikeforce’s Lightweight “submission magician”.

The Evil Mirror Universe Award: This is a reference to a classic Star Trek episode, and it goes to Gilbert Melendez because of how he rocked a goatee and showed up a very different fighter at “Diaz vs. Daley”. Melendez was always tough and loved to brawl, but he showed up to this event wanting to knock Tatsuya Kawajiri’s head off. It honestly startled me to see Gilbert Melendez go headhunting, and in fact, this was only the third first-round stoppage of his career. While his performance was radically different than what I’m accustomed to, it was also a fantastic performance, so it deserves to be highlighted as much as possible.

The “So Close And Yet So Far Away” Award: Paul Daley, for hurting and nearly finishing Nick Diaz several times throughout their epic first-round encounter. Daley had Diaz in a whole lot of trouble at several different points in this fight, but somehow he was unable to bring the fight to a close. He certainly came close, but whether it was Diaz’s ability to adapt when the fight went to the ground (even if the fight went to the ground because Diaz was floored) or Diaz’s near-impenetrable chin, the fight did not end with Daley as champion. But it certainly could have.

So that’s what I think, fans and friends. And remember, it’s all in good fun… mostly. What about you? Any thoughts/opinions ready to be shared?

Let’s begin as we always do: by putting the fight into context.

Paul Daley was known for his one-hit knockout power heading into his championship bout with Nick Diaz. However, he was also known for his fiery temper, which got him kicked out of the UFC. Nevertheless, Daley boasted an impressive win-streak, having won his last four fights and eight of his last nine fights. Those eight victories included seven stoppages, which included six first-round stoppages.

His opponent, Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz, also boasted an impressive win-streak of his own. Diaz had won his last nine fights, during the course of which he became the first-ever Strikeforce Welterweight Champion and then proceeded to defend it twice. Much like Daley, Diaz had finished a large majority of those fights: eight of nine, in fact.

And then the fight began, and everything fans wanted to see happen, did happen.

Nick Diaz doing what he always does and starting the match taunting his opponent? Check.

Daley landing several big blows that nearly toppled Diaz’s reign? Check.

Diaz keeping the fight standing in order to give fans one of the best brawls of the year? Check.

A very, very dramatic stoppage? Oh yes.

The end of the fight came after another scary close call that had Nick Diaz wobbly and wounded. But eventually Diaz was able to close the distance and land his trademark “punches in bunches”, attacking Daley from all angles and hitting him at multiple areas of his body. Whether it was a slip, fatigue, or Daley being stunned and/or rocked, Daley would end up falling to the canvas shortly after shoving Diaz away from him. Diaz would pounce, land several more hard fists, and force the referee to stop the fight with only three seconds left on the clock.

There are already some fans out there claiming that it was an early stoppage, even Daley himself seems to think so. But here’s what I remember. While Team Cesar Gracie was busy in post-fight celebration, I clearly remember the Strikeforce cameras cutting to Paul Daley. And I also clearly remember Paul Daley needing help from several men in order to make it to his corner’s stool. That, above all else, leads me to believe that this was definitely a fair stoppage.

With this victory, Nick Diaz has become the best fighter in Strikeforce. He’s ran through his division. He’s defended his championship more times than any other champion in Strikeforce history. In an era where even the UFC’s champions can lose their belts in their first defense, Nick Diaz has defended his belt three times. He may be difficult to deal with, he may be controversial, a large section of the fanbase may hate him. But none of that really matters. What does matter is what happens in the cage, everything else is just filler and pre-fight hype. And inside the cage, Nick Diaz is one of the best fighters in the world. There’s not a single doubt in my mind that he deserves “Best Performance of the Night” for Strikeforce: “Diaz vs. Daley”.

And what about you, fans and friends? Who took home your unofficial end-of-night accolades?

5. Shinya Aoki’s domination of Lyle Beerbohm.

Shinya Aoki is an interesting case of “what should have been”. Or at least, that’s generally how fans thought of him before this fight with Lyle Beerbohm. Now fans are thinking of Aoki as a case of “what still might be”. Shinya Aoki may never be a multi-dimensional threat, but last night he proved that no one save for the best in the world can hang with him on the ground. So long as Strikeforce utilizes him correctly, they can look forward to many more first-round submissions. Aoki’s heartfelt performance combined with an emotional post-fight celebration was a great way to start the night.

4. Gilbert Melendez’s “Hellbows”.

I’ve made it no secret that I loathe Mauro Ranallo. But I agreed with him on this matter: Gilbert Melendez’s vicious, vicious elbows, the ones that put an end to his fight with Tatsuya Kawajiri, deserve to be called “Hellbows”. I remember emphatically telling my friend “This is what you get when you allow elbows on the ground!” It was a very dramatic finish, and if it weren’t for the Zuffa brass doing away with the Strikeforce-only rule that prevented such a strike, it may never have happened. I for one am very, very glad that elbows to the head on the ground are now legal in Strikeforce.

3. Keith Jardine taking Gegard Mousasi to a three-round decision.

Let’s put aside our feelings of anger over this fight going to a Majority Draw. If you can do that, then answer me this: how tough is Keith Jardine? The man took the fight on ultra-short notice, and he still managed to take down Mousasi several times throughout the fight. He finished the fight a swollen, bloody, and tired mess… but he did not go down. He did not submit and he was not knocked out. Jardine has the heart of a warrior, and seeing him reaffirm that at “Diaz vs. Daley” was honestly a great moment even when taking into account the horrendous decision.

2. Gilbert Melendez’s call to unify the UFC and Strikeforce championships.

I want it, you want it, everyone wants it. But Gilbert Melendez voiced it. It’s one thing for fans and journalists to get together and call for action. It’s another thing entirely when one of your most high-profile champions, one of your biggest stars, takes the microphone in front of a live audience, in front of hundreds of thousands of fans watching live on Showtime, and asks for some unification bouts. Melendez’s performance will have everybody talking for weeks to come, but his post-fight call to arms for a “Strikeforce vs. UFC” war will likely have people talking for months.

And my personal pick for the best moment of Strikeforce: “Diaz vs. Daley” is…

1. Nick Diaz finishing Paul Daley.

In February 2006, Paul Daley lost by TKO due to a dislocated thumb. It was the first and only TKO on Daley’s record. That was the case… until last night. Last night, Nick Diaz fought Paul Daley’s game, survived Paul Daley’s best shots, and then served up his own unique form of brutal punishment. Whether it was the killer body blows or the hard shots right to the dome, Daley ended the fight staggered and defeated, needing help to even make it onto his corner’s stool. Nick Diaz dropping and stopping Paul Daley was by far the best moment of “Diaz vs. Daley”.

So there you have it, fans and friends: those are the moments I’ll be remembering from “Diaz vs. Daley”. But what about you? What do you think everyone will be talking about in the days/weeks to come?

Next for Lyle Beerbohm: I’ll make this short and sweet: Lyle Beerbohm is headed back to Strikeforce’s “Challengers” series of shows. I hate to say that about a man I’ve found so entertaining, but there’s really no other option for him after Shinya Aoki made such quick work of Beerbohm. I definitely think Beerbohm could one day be a major player in Strikeforce, but for now, he’s best served filling the co-main or main event slots of a “Challengers” show.

Next for Shinya Aoki: Aoki’s future is a bit uncertain. Aoki’s home is the Japanese-based DREAM promotion, but Japan is still dealing with its numerous tragedies, and DREAM has been plagued with rumors of its financial demise for the last several months. If not Japan, Aoki’s next fight will definitely take place in Strikeforce, since Aoki breathed new life into his career at “Diaz vs. Daley”. Aoki may not be ready for another shot at Gilbert Melendez, but he proved that he’s still very much the “Master of Flying Submissions”.

Next for Keith Jardine/Gegard Mousasi: Each other, which is why I’m grouping them together. Keith Jardine will likely postpone his move to Middleweight for one more fight, in order to give fans a firm winner. I know Gegard Mousasi can beat Keith Jardine, and I think we all know Mousasi should have won that fight. But at “Diaz vs. Daley”, Jardine showed that he’s still game, and that he can take on anyone at any time. I say: give Jardine a full camp to prepare, and let’s see who wins the rematch.

Next for Gilbert Melendez: What’s left in Strikeforce’s Lightweight division? “El Nino” has pretty much done it all, and his performance at “Diaz vs. Daley” was one of the most dominating of his career… and Melendez was coming off nearly a year-long layoff. Melendez needs to take on Bellator’s Eddie Alvarez, because there’s very few people left in Strikeforce that could conceivably pose a threat to him.

Next for Paul Daley: “Semtex” will likely take one or two fights in Britain before making his Strikeforce return in the late summer or early fall. Expect Daley to get some more (T)KO’s on his record and then show up ready to take on someone like KJ Noons or Evangelista Santos. So long as Daley makes weight and isn’t involved in any more post-fight shenanigans, Daley will have a home in Strikeforce so long as Strikeforce remains Strikeforce.

Next for Nick Diaz: Much like Gilbert Melendez, I’m struggling to find a worthy opponent for Nick Diaz in Strikeforce. Diaz is now the most dominant Strikeforce title holder in the history of the promotion. I supposed Tyron Woodley would be an interesting match-up. But I think it’s high time that Nick Diaz moves up to Middleweight or a 180-pound catchweight. Whoever he fights there is up to him.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. But what about you? What do you see happening in the near and not-so-near future of the big winners and losers of “Diaz vs. Daley”?

Virgil Zwicker defeats Brett Albee via TKO at 1:46 of Round 1. Joe Duarte defeats Saad Awad via armbar submission at 2:45 of Round 2. Herman Terrado defeats AJ Matthews via TKO at 4:16 of Round 1. Rolando Perez defeats Edgar Cardenas via Unanimous Decision. Casey Ryan defeats Paul Song via triangle at 1:39 of Round 1. Robert Peralta defeats Hiroyuki Takaya via Split Decision. Shinya Aoki defeats Lyle Beerbohm via submission at 1:33 of Round 1. Gegard Mousasi and Keith Jardine fight to a Majority Draw. Gilbert Melendez defeats Tatsuya Kawajiri by TKO at 3:14 of Round 1. Nick Diaz defeats Paul Daley via TKO 4:57 of Round 1.

I was very, very surprised that it only took Shinya Aoki a minute and a half to submit Lyle Beerbohm. But it was a pleasant surprise. For all his flaws, part of me still very much enjoys watching Shinya Aoki fight. This fight once again proved that Aoki’s ground game is without question one of the best in the sport. It was a dramatic performance for the Japanese fighter, and with the rumored downfall of the Japanese-based DREAM promotion, I can see Aoki finding a new home and new life in Strikeforce.

I thought Gegard Mousasi would win this fight. I knew Keith Jardine would make him work for it. What I didn’t know is that my respect for Jardine would grow higher while my hopes around Mousasi being a good opponent for current champion Dan Henderson crashed and burned. Mousasi displayed great striking, as always, but Mousasi also displayed an inability to deal with takedowns. I was very surprised that the fight ended in a Draw, and I think that was the final straw in killing Mousasi’s comeback hype.

Ring rust may be real… but Gilbert Melendez is much, much realer. Without a doubt, he deserves to be ranked near the top of the Lightweight division… not just in Strikeforce, but in all of MMA. I honestly don’t know what’s left for him in Strikeforce. I want Melendez to finally get the chance to fight Bellator’s Eddie Alvarez. But no matter what happens, Melendez proved tonight that he’s one of Strikeforce’s best fighters.

And in the main event, Nick Diaz and Paul Daley simply gave Strikeforce fans the best round of the year so far, one of the best rounds of the past several years in fact. I was biting my nails when Diaz decided to strike with Daley, and I was very, very worried about Paul Daley stopping Nick Diaz. He certainly came close. But then Nick Diaz did what he does best, he landed a crazy number of shots, remained focused, remained tough, and finished Paul Daley. It was an amazing performance, and there can be no doubt: Nick Diaz is the best fighter in Strikeforce.

Overall, this was a great night of fights for Strikeforce. Shinya Aoki grabbed a very dramatic finish, while Gegard Mousasi and Keith Jardine was a tough war that really displayed Jardine’s heart. And there’s one word that perfectly describes Gilbert Melendez’s performance: perfect. And as for Nick Diaz, what’s left to say? Love him or hate him, loathe him or revere him, Nick Diaz is for real. He’ll fight your fight and knock you out. Laugh at his interviews if you want, but no amount of money will ever convince me to step into a cage against Nick Diaz. Not even for a minute.

And what about you, fans and friends? What did you think of “Diaz vs. Daley”?

Is it wrong that I still like Shinya Aoki? I know he’s been faltering a lot lately, I know he’s done some stupid things, I know his stand-up is utterly atrocious. But I still love it when he gets a fight to the ground and is able to work his wizardry. This is the guy that gave us the Mounted Gogoplata, remember? Aoki may have taken a tumble down the rankings, but when he gets the fight in his comfort zone he’s a very entertaining and incredibly dynamic performer. So part of me does still honestly hold out hope for the “Tobikan Judan”.

I feel like some of my comments I’ve made towards Keith Jardine could be construed as disrespectful, so I apologize if it came off that way and I would like to once again state that I consider myself a fan of Keith Jardine. It is quite saddening that my opinion of him has become so deflated. At one point, I considered Jardine a very under-rated and under-appreciated fighter. But now? It’s going to be a long, hard road back to relevancy, and Gegard Mousasi is a former champion. Part of me really, really hopes Jardine pulls off the upset, but the other 99% of me knows that that’s almost impossible.

Am I a bit angry at Gilbert Melendez? Maybe I am. He did take almost a year off, and his fight with Eddie Alvarez never materialized. It may be unfair to blame Melendez considering how insanely difficult it must be to make a co-promotional champion vs. champion super-fight happen, but I just generally don’t like it when a fighter takes a prolonged absence that isn’t injury-related. I’ve made some exceptions, of course, but normally I don’t. However, I will say that a rusty Melendez should be more than capable of beating Tatsuya Kawajiri so long as he doesn’t get caught and puts Kawajiri on his back with regularity.

Nick Diaz isn’t knocking out Paul Daley. I’m sorry, but, it’s just not happening. I’m one of the biggest Diaz supporters out there, but Nick Diaz’s style prides itself on cumulative damage that takes a few rounds to really start hurting the opponent. That just isn’t going to work against a striker like Daley, who has demonstrated an iron chin for most (if not all) of his entire career while also demonstrating true one-hit knockout power. Diaz is far, far more likely to submit Daley than he is to (T)KO him. And no matter what, I’m still in Nick’s corner and I can’t wait to see him win again.

And that’s that, fans and friends: my final say on “Diaz vs. Daley”. But what about you? Any last thoughts on the card?

5. This will be the first “Arena Series” event under the Zuffa umbrella.

While “Challengers 15” holds the distinction of being the first-ever Strikeforce event now that Strikeforce exists as a subsidiary of Zuffa, the parent company of the UFC, this will be the first major show of Strikeforce’s “Zuffa Era”. “Challengers 15” didn’t feature a whole lot of changes, other than the obvious rule change about elbows to the head on the ground now being allowed, but that could be due to the fact that “Challengers” is and always will be the “B” show. There’s still a chance that we could see some pretty big changes to the way Strikeforce presents itself, and that’s a pretty alluring reason to give this show a watch.

4. What’s left of Shinya Aoki?

A few years ago, Shinya Aoki’s ground game was approaching “legendary” status. It didn’t matter that he had terrible stand-up because he always found a way to get the fight to the ground and work his magic. Then several things all happened to cause Aoki’s star to come crashing back down to earth: he got KO’d by Hayato Sakurai and then had an atrocious match with Vitor Ribeiro, he became a “bad boy” only to get dominated by Gilbert Melendez, and on New Year’s Eve 2010, he embarrassed himself before getting KO’d once again. Now Aoki is set to face Lyle Beerbohm, a rising star that is hungrier than ever considering he just lost for the first time ever. It’ll certainly be interesting to see if Aoki has anything left to give, because if he doesn’t, this fight should prove once and for all that Aoki’s one-dimensionality has finally caught up to him.

3. How on earth does Keith Jardine survive against Gegard Mousasi?

I like Keith Jardine, I really do. But Jardine just barely put two wins together after losing five, count ‘em, five straight fights. It’s great that Jardine is on a two-fight win-streak, but when you put it into context, those wins are the beginning of a long, hard climb out of “rock bottom”. This fight against Mousasi just isn’t one that Jardine needs if he wants to keep the win-streak going. Jardine is tougher than almost anybody and will also fight everybody, so he definitely gets my respect for taking this fight. I can’t see him winning, but part of me hopes he proves me wrong, and all of me knows that he’s going to make it a fun fight no matter what happens.

2. Will Gilbert Melendez dominate even though he’s been gone for almost a year?

With the skill and technique he’s demonstrated in Strikeforce so far, Gilbert Melendez could stay a champion for a long, long time. But it’s been almost a year since he last fought, and as I keep saying, ring rust is very real. Tatsuya Kawajiri is still a good fighter, and he can still be a threat to Melendez if Melendez shows up rusty. And getting to see which Gilbert Melendez shows up at “Diaz vs. Daley” is one of the biggest reasons to check out this show.

And the number one reason to watch Strikeforce: “Diaz vs. Daley” is…

1. Diaz. Daley. ‘Nuff said.

Now this is a main event. In one corner, you’ve got the powerful champion that’s absolutely wrecked everyone he’s ever been paired up against in Strikeforce. In the other, you’ve got a man with over twenty KO’s on his record and a very high-profile mean streak. If Diaz takes this fight to the ground, this could be one of the most dominating performances of the year. If it turns into a brawl, it could be one of the best brawls of the year. There’s only one way to find out, and that’s definitely the main reason to tune in and watch “Diaz vs. Daley”.

So there you have it, fans and friends: five great reasons to tune in and see “Diaz vs. Daley”. What about you? As the date draws ever-closer, what are you most looking forward to for this event?

Nick Diaz vs. Paul Daley: This one’s the million-dollar question of the night. Here’s how I think it will go: I think Diaz will put the ego away and focus on his counter-striking. Daley will land, but he’ll never land with the kind of power to one-hit KO Diaz. He might stagger Diaz, but Nick will go into survival mode and take Daley down. If Daley doesn’t land that kind of shot, Diaz will take him down anyway just because he can. Once Diaz realizes how easy it is to put Daley on his back, he’ll keep doing it. Nick Diaz wins by Submission in Round 3, possibly Round 2.

Gilbert Melendez vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri: Although he’s primarily known as a striker, the last time “Crusher” Kawajiri (T)KO’d anyone was in 2009. In fact, the last time he was able to string together at least two straight (T)KO wins was in 2006. Worse yet, Melendez already holds a victory over Kawajiri. There’s a chance that Melendez will show up rusty and Kawajiri will nail a KO blow, but I just don’t see that happening. Gilbert Melendez will win this one by Unanimous Decision.

Gegard Mousasi vs. Keith Jardine: It’s too much and too soon for “The Dean of Mean”. Since getting the boot out of the UFC on the heels of a four-fight losing-streak that saw him get KO’d twice, Jardine has gone 2-1 on the regional circuit, beating two non-entities and losing to Trevor Prangley. It truly pains me to say this, but I don’t think Jardine has done anything to deserve a fight with a former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion. If Jardine wins this one, I’d be beyond shocked. I’d even be surprised if he makes it out of the first round, which I don’t think he will. Gegard Mousasi wins by first-round TKO.

Shinya Aoki vs. Lyle Beerbohm: If this was a few years ago, back when Aoki was tearing people’s limbs off with reckless abandon, I’d immediately call for Beerbohm to lose by submission. But not only has Aoki slowed down a bit, several of his glaring weaknesses continue to be exploited, namely his relatively weak chin and his nearly-nonexistent stand-up game. I think Beerbohm will have to fight through some submission attempts, and I won’t rule out Aoki grabbing something and forcing the tap, but my gut and my head are in agreement: Beerbohm will more than likely be able to dominate Aoki standing as well as on the ground, all the while avoiding and/or eventually breaking any submission attempts. Lyle Beerbohm wins by Unanimous Decision.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. But what about you? Who do you see winning, and why, at Strikeforce: “Diaz vs. Daley”?

The Event: Strikeforce: “Diaz vs. Daley”, currently scheduled for April 9, 2011 at the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, California. The main card will be broadcast live on the Showtime network starting at 10:00 PM ET.

Why You Should Care: This is the first “Arena Series” event after Zuffa’s surprise purchase of the Strikeforce promotion. Also, two championships are on the line, with two of Strikeforce’s biggest and brightest stars taking on some pretty tough challenges. As if that wasn’t enough, former UFC star Keith Jardine makes his Strikeforce debut by taking on former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Gegard Mousasi.

What to Look Forward to in the Main Event: Nick Diaz vs. Paul Daley is being marketed as one of the biggest matches of the year, both for Strikeforce and for MMA in general. While it may not quite measure up to some of the UFC’s mega-matches planned for this month and beyond, it’s definitely one of the biggest matches Strikeforce could make at this point in time. At least for Strikeforce, it doesn’t get much bigger than putting your best, most marketable, most notorious champion against an iron-fisted knockout artist that is almost as notorious.

What to Look Forward to in the Co-Main Event: Gilbert Melendez looks to make the second defense of his Strikeforce Lightweight Championship after unifying the belt back in 2009. Much like his first defense, Melendez will take on a Japanese import. But unlike his fight against Shinya Aoki, Tatsuya Kawajiri is an exciting brawler that loves to knock people out. And Melendez has been out for almost a year. It’s a fight where anything is possible, and it should be one of the night’s most entertaining bouts.

Why You Should Watch This Card: Simply put: there are two titles on the line, featuring two of Strikeforce’s best fighters facing legitimate, tough challengers to their championships. You’ve also got the aforementioned Jardine/Mousasi bout, which should be a real proving point for both men. It remains to be seen what happens if Jardine wins, but if Mousasi wins he’ll most likely be getting a shot at the title. And you’ve even got ground wizard Shinya Aoki taking on Lyle Beerbohm, who recently suffered his first loss in a great fight with Pat Healy.

Why You Shouldn’t Watch This Card: Here’s some rare criticism of Strikeforce: if all four of these televised fights go the way assorted fans are predicting they’ll go, we’re in for a night of mismatches. Don’t believe me? If Nick Diaz takes Paul Daley to the ground, it’s all over. If Gegard Mousasi can keep the fight standing against Keith Jardine, it’s all over. If Gilbert Melendez can outwrestle Tatsuya Kawajiri, it’s all over. If Shinya Aoki can get and keep Lyle Beerbohm on the ground, it’s all over. All of the fights could be competitive, or they could end up being like the recent Anthony Johnson vs. Dan Hardy fight. I’m not saying they will turn out like that, and I definitely still have a lot of faith in Strikeforce, but I do feel the need to point out that the possibility is there.

Closing Thoughts: In the end, I think Strikeforce’s recent track record of incredible shows more than earns them the benefit of the doubt for this show. In fact, I’ll go one step further: I think this could end up being one of the best Strikeforce events of 2011. Not only do I think the fights will live up to their potential, I think a few of them will even exceed it. I’m very pumped for this show, and I look forward to tuning in and watching live.

And what about you, fans and friends? What are your thoughts on “Diaz vs. Daley”?

April 9, 2011 – “Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley”: Nick Diaz looks to become the most dominant champion in Strikeforce history by defending his Welterweight Championship for a third time. Standing in his way is iron-fisted power-puncher Paul Daley. Also on the card, Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez defends his championship against international star Tatsuya Kawajiri.

April 9, 2011 – “Bellator 40”: Bellator Welterweight Champion Ben Askren fights grizzled veteran and former champion Nick Thompson in a non-title bout. Also in action is another tough veteran, as Jay Hieron fights for his shot in the finals of the Bellator Welterweight Tournament against Brent Weedman. And Michael Chandler fights Lloyd Woodard to determine one of the finalists for Bellator’s current Lightweight Tournament.

April 16, 2011 – “Bellator 41”: Both the Bellator Bantamweight and Featherweight Champions will be in action, although in non-title bouts. 125-pound champ Zach Makovsky fights Chad Robichaux while Joe Warren fights Marcos Galvao. Also, both the Featherweight semi-final match-ups are scheduled for Bellator 41, with Daniel Straus taking on Kenny Foster and Wilson Reis fighting Patricio Freire.

April 23, 2011 – “Bellator 42”: The Bellator Light Heavyweight Tournament Semi-Final round is scheduled for Bellator 42. Richard Hale will be taking on DJ Linderman while Tim Carpenter faces Christian M’Pumbu.

April 30, 2011 – “UFC 129: St. Pierre vs. Shields”: In front of over 55,000 fans in Toronto’s Rogers Centre, UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre will defend the title against multiple-promotion champion Jake Shields. Also, Featherweight engine of destruction Jose Aldo makes the first defense of his newly-minted UFC Featherweight Championship against Mark Hominick. And to top it all off, former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto Machida will face legendary UFC Hall of Fame member Randy Couture.

And now, here are some thoughts on how I think the month of April 2011 will unfold.

I’m really looking forward to “Diaz vs. Daley”, it has the potential to be perhaps the best event Strikeforce has given us in 2011 so far. I think the main event will be an excellent fight, and I think Diaz will be willing to stand and trade with Paul Daley just to prove that he can.

The month of April will be a good time to be a Bellator fan, and I’m really looking forward to seeing the Bellator champions compete, even in non-title bouts. The semi-final match-ups of Bellator’s various tournaments all have serious potential, and as a whole, I think April 2011 will be a very good month for the upstart promotion.

I can’t even begin to imagine how utterly insane UFC 129 will be. GSP/Shields, Couture/Machida, and Aldo/Hominick could have all been the main event of a Pay-Per-View on their own, but the UFC saw fit to cram those three mega-matches inside the sold-out Rogers Centre. I truly believe this will be a massive turning point for the UFC, it may even go down as the most important UFC event since UFC 100. I absolutely cannot wait for this event.

And what about you, fans and friends? What MMA events are you looking forward to in April 2011?

Diaz will probably have to fight Jorge Masvidal.

The first thing on everybody’s minds if Diaz beats Daley will certainly be who he fights next. And given the nature of Strikeforce’s Welterweight division, Diaz has some slim pickings. As much as I dislike him both as a fighter and as a person, I have to admit that Jorge Masvidal stands out as one of the most-likely candidates for a title shot.

Diaz will also probably have to fight Tyron Woodley.

Another very likely candidate is the currently-undefeated Tyron Woodley, who has been lighting it up in the “Challengers” series of shows and is perhaps only one more fight away from a title shot. Woodley’s record stands at a perfect 6-0 in Strikeforce and 8-0 overall, with six stoppage wins (five by submission, one by TKO). Woodley is also a high-level wrestler, and would be a very different challenger for Diaz, stylistically, than any of the fighters he’s faced to both win and retain his championship.

Diaz will officially become Strikeforce’s most dominant champion.

If Nick Diaz defeats Paul Daley, it will mark the third time that Diaz has successfully defended his Welterweight Championship. That’s the most successful title defenses any champion has ever had in Strikeforce since the promotion’s inception. That’s no small feat when you consider that Strikeforce didn’t even have a Welterweight Championship until Diaz fought and beat Marius Zaromskis for the vacant title in 2010. In just over one year, with just one more victory, Diaz will become the most dominant champion in Strikeforce history.

Nick Diaz will move up to 185 at least once.

What’s left for Nick Diaz at Welterweight, aside from the aforementioned Masvidal and Woodley? Not much, if we’re being honest. So I think Nick Diaz will make his move up to 185 for at least one more fight, or perhaps a 180-pound catchweight. Diaz has pretty much ran through his division, but there’s a lot of challenges and big-money encounters left for him at Middleweight. So he’ll probably make the switch, even if it’s just a one-off deal, before long.

Nick Diaz still won’t fight Jason Miller.

I know, I know. Everyone wants to see this fight. You best believe I want to see it to. But it’s just not going to happen. Or at least, there are several strong factors holding it back from happening. First and foremost, Nick Diaz wants a truckload of money to make this fight happen. It’s always tough to navigate those kinds of political waters, but maybe the recent purchase of Strikeforce by Zuffa will smooth things a bit. But then there’s the second, equally-large problem: even though he’s a recognizable name, one of the most-recognizable in Strikeforce in fact, Jason Miller hasn’t done anything in Strikeforce to warrant a shot at Nick Diaz. Both men absolutely hate each other, but Miller has fought in Strikeforce twice, and his record of 1-1 isn’t anywhere close to Diaz’s Strikeforce record of 5-0. Everyone will still be talking about this match, but it still won’t happen. At least not in the immediate future.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. What about you? Any predictions for what the future holds if Diaz beats Daley?

5. Will “punches in bunches” work against a fighter that’s never been KO’d?

Much has been made of Nick Diaz’s punching style, and I’ll be the first one to say that I find it very effective and surprisingly powerful. Diaz’s strikes may look like pitter-patter shots at first glance, but they do a large amount of cumulative damage and it’s resulted in him earning five of his nine most-recent wins by (T)KO. But will that style of striking work against a man who has only ever been TKO’d once? And not even properly TKO’d, Daley’s lone TKO loss was due to a dislocated thumb. Diaz will have to land an even bigger number of shots, more than he’s ever nailed before, if he ever hopes to crack Daley’s granite chin.

4. Paul Daley’s massive size could allow him to bully Nick Diaz.

Daley’s continuing battle to successfully make 170 is a hindrance, of that there can be no doubt. But it has its benefits. Daley may have missed weight recently, but the three most-recent examples of Daley missing the scales? He won all three of those fights, two of which were by first-round highlight-reel KO. Daley’s sheer muscle mass could allow him to bully the smaller, lankier Diaz. It’s not for certain, but if that does indeed end up happening, that’s a big advantage that Daley will have over Diaz.

3. Nick Diaz has never faced a striker as good as Paul Daley.

I referenced this in the first part of today’s two-parter, and now I get to properly do this reason justice. Paul Daley has twenty wins by (T)KO. Think about that for a second: that’s four times the amount of wins he has by decision, and ten times the amount of wins he has by submission. And when you consider that those submission wins were due to strikes, you could say that Daley actually has twenty-two (T)KO’s. The term “knockout artist” is given out a bit too readily these days, but Paul Daley defines that term. If you give him a chance, he will knock your head off of your shoulders. And striking-based fighters give Daley that chance countless times, which is why…

2. Paul Daley shines against strikers.

Paul Daley may forever be a one-dimensional fighter, but when faced with a fellow striker, it’s no contest: the other guy is the one that goes down. Consider his recent victory over Scott Smith, the “Comeback King” of Strikeforce. There was no comeback in that match: Daley’s fist met Smith’s head, Smith’s head met the Strikeforce canvas. Nick Diaz may be a high-level Brazilian Jui Jitsu fighter, but he also loves to strike. And Paul Daley loves to knock out strikers.

And the number-one reason Paul Daley could beat Nick Diaz is…

1. One hit knockout power could be deadly against a fighter that normally has to eat a few to get fired up and unleash his full potential.

Scott Smith is no Nick Diaz, but both men share a common trait: they have to eat a few in order to fully realize that they’re in a fight. In particular, both Nick and his brother Nate Diaz are guilty of taunting opponents and basically giving them free shots. This usually results in said opponents taking those free shots, which focuses the Diaz brothers and allows their true potential to shine through. But will that work against Daley? Can Diaz afford to eat even one single, well-timed punch from a striker famous for being able to knock men out with a single blow? If Diaz gets even a little bit cocky, Daley could turn out the lights. And let’s be honest, Diaz has been accused of being too cocky for a long time.

And that’s that, fans and friends. While I’m obviously pulling for Diaz, I won’t deny that this should be a very competitive match. And what about you? Who’ve you got winning, and why?

5. Paul Daley was rushed to a title shot because they’re running out of interesting opponents for Nick Diaz.

Paul Daley had one fight in Strikeforce and was immediately awarded a shot at the title. Granted, that one win was a highlight-reel KO, but is one fight really enough to prove that Diaz is ready for a shot at the championship of a high-level promotion? Plus, that one fight was against Scott Smith, who had just gotten TKO’d by Cung Le and had lost two of his last three fights before meeting Daley. The fact that Daley may not be able to deal with the pressure of rocketing to the top is a key weakness that, if present, Diaz can wholeheartedly exploit.

4. Paul Daley continues to have issues with his weight.

Paul Daley has missed the mark and tipped the scales over his weight class five times in his eleven most-recent fights. He missed weight in Shark Fights, he missed weight in his recent fight at BAMMA, he even missed weight in his high-profile run in the UFC. If Daley comes into this fight overweight, this may even be changed to a non-title bout. Even if he does come in at weight, it’s becoming painfully obvious that the monster weight cut he must undergo leaves Daley very gassed if the fight goes past the first or second round. And this is a five-round fight… if Daley makes weight.

3. Nick Diaz has faced experienced strikers before.

The last five opponents Nick Diaz has faced have all been high-level strikers. Scott Smith has fourteen wins by (T)KO. Marius Zaromskis has twelve. Hayato Sakurai has eleven. KJ Noons has seven and has competed as a professional boxer. Evangelista Santos has eleven. Daley is certainly more imposing with twenty wins by (T)KO, and I’m not arguing that that’s not an impressive number. It’s very impressive that Daley has KO’d so many people, and I’ll talk about that a little later. But what I am arguing is that Daley isn’t bringing anything to the table that Diaz hasn’t seen before, except for stronger and harder fists.

2. Nick Diaz hasn’t lost in over three years.

That’s when he lost to KJ Noons due to a cut, a decision that’s still debated to this day. But a loss is a loss, and what’s remarkable is that Diaz hasn’t posted up a loss since that one way back in 2007. Since then he’s been on an absolute monster tear, finishing people left and right in a variety of ways. Diaz has fought and won nine times since that loss, with eight stoppage victories. Diaz is quite likely one of the most legitimate champions in MMA and especially in Strikeforce. This is arguably the toughest test of Daley’s career.

And the number-one reason Nick Diaz could beat Paul Daley is…

1. If this fight goes to the ground, consider Daley submitted.

Here’s the best way I can describe Paul Daley’s lack of ground game: this Achilles Heel is as big as the Trojan Horse. Time and time and time again, this is the one aspect of the game that Daley has shown a supreme susceptibility to. It doesn’t matter if it’s against submission specialists or high-level wrestlers, if the fight goes to the ground and Daley goes on his back, he’s not a dead man walking, he’s a dead fish flopping. Daley’s lack of ground game is by far his biggest weakness, especially against a Cesar Gracie-trained grappler with eight submission wins on his record who just got done submitted a striking-based challenger. If Diaz plays it smart and takes this fight to the ground for the entire fight, Daley will eventually serve up his neck, a limb, or a ligament on a silver platter.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. Stay tuned for the reverse, soon to follow. But what about you? What are your thoughts on this upcoming match-up?

We head to MMA Weekly to see what “Hendo” had to say regarding the situation. Henderson, who left the UFC amidst a very high-profile contract dispute, said, “It’s a little shocking. I had no idea… I don’t know what to feel about it, I don’t necessarily think, it might not be the best thing for the sport… I had no plans of leaving [Strikeforce], but I don’t know what this is going to do those plans, but I have one fight left on my deal and we’ll see what happens.”

Knockout artist Paul “Semtex” Daley, who was given a permanent ban from the UFC after a post-fight attack on Josh Koscheck, had this to say over at “The Underground”: “Business as usual, what if i dont wanna fight for DANA WHITE? …Someone better holla at my manager real quick… Dana white bans me for life from the UFC, Then buys STRIKEFORCE, and thinks im still gonna be EASY and fight on one of the most anticipated fights of the year (vs Diaz)? Which will no doubt make ZUFFA/Dana White money… Not sure what im gonna do right now, honestly…”

I can understand why a section of the fanbase is taking a strong negative stance against this latest bit of news. I can even understand why fighters like Henderson and Daley feel very uncertain about their futures right now. However, I think this all boils down to one thing: Zuffa purchased Strikeforce, not Dana White. And Zuffa, LLC is much more than just Dana White.

Although the UFC President is by far the most well-known of the bunch, Zuffa, LLC is still a four-part team: brothers Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, White himself, and Abu Dhabi’s Flash Entertainment. The Fertitta brothers still own an overwhelming majority of Zuffa, and by extension the UFC. It’s easy to look at Dana White and assume that fighters like Henderson and Daley are as good as done for. But that’s simply not the case. Nothing is for certain right now, and while Dana White always seems to be perceived as the “Big Bad” to the type of underground fan that appreciates Strikeforce, in truth he’s just one cog, albeit a very, very vocal one, in a large, ever-spinning wheel.

I think Paul Daley would be making a serious mistake if he burned his bridge with Strikeforce, which according to White himself will continue to operate as a promotion, simply because Dana is now the man behind the curtain. Because honestly, what’s left for him? The UFC will never be an option again. He’s about to fight for a major championship of a major promotion. With no UFC and no Strikeforce, all that’s left for Daley are promotions like Bellator or international promotions like BAMMA, which he has expressed interest in. But either option represents a severe paycut compared to what he could be making as a Strikeforce headliner.

At the end of the day, I’m going to try and remain positive about this deal. It’s very easy and even understandable to have a strong negative reaction since this was so unexpected and very few people thought it would happen as quickly as it did. But it’s happening whether we like it or not, so I choose to think positive and hope for the best.

But what about you, fans and friends? Any thoughts on what “Hendo” or “Semtex” had to say?

Courtesy of Strikeforce itself, there’s plenty of new info on their upcoming show on April 9. According to Strikeforce’s latest press release, the following four matches are now official for Strikeforce: “Diaz vs. Daley”.

In the main event, Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz defends the belt against British knockout artist Paul Daley. Also, Gilbert Melendez will put his Strikeforce Lightweight Championship on the line against “The Crusher”, Japan’s Tatsuya Kawajiri. In another co-promotional effort between Strikeforce and the Japanese-based DREAM promotion, Lyle Beerbohm will face Shinya Aoki. And finally, it’s been confirmed that Mike Kyle will face Gegard Mousasi at “Diaz vs. Daley”, with the winner most likely getting the first shot at Dan Henderson’s newly-won Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship.

With just four matches, Strikeforce has already put together an event I have no intention of missing. These are fights literally exploding with potential. Lyle Beerbohm is coming off a fantastic (though losing) performance against Pat Healy, while Shinya Aoki is a dreaded submission master even though his stand-up isn’t anything to write home about (and that’s putting it lightly). Although both fighters have their flaws, this is a fight where their styles match up perfectly, so I’m expecting an excellent and supremely technical ground war.

I also love the idea of Mike Kyle vs. Gegard Mousasi, I think Mousasi is an incredibly tough opponent for Kyle while a win over Kyle will restore most of Mousasi’s luster. Many still think that Mousasi will one day be the future of the division, and many are now once again interested in Mike Kyle after a dramatic performance against Antonio Silva at Heavyweight, a bout that Kyle came very close to winning.

I’m also glad to see Gilbert Melendez back in action, although to be perfectly honest, I would have much rather had the long-hyped and fiercely-debated “champion vs. champion” bout between him and the Bellator FC Lightweight Champion, Eddie Alvarez. But this is not said to disrespect Kawajiri, I simply think that’s a better match. But it’s Kawajiri we’ll be getting, and I think he’s a pretty good replacement. He’s incredibly tough, a knockout artist, and one of Japan’s best.

And in the main event, we see two of the best strikers in Strikeforce battle it out with a championship on the line. This is a very interesting, potentially catastrophic match-up for Diaz. Nick usually has to take a couple to fire him up and really get him into his groove, but when you face someone that has one-hit KO power from virtually any angle, those are shots you can’t afford. I do think Nick Diaz can wear Daley down and even finish him, but I also think that Daley is going to have ample time to land that one huge sledgehammer that has made him so famous. It’ll likely be a strong candidate for “Fight of the Year”, and I can see myself biting my nails from the first second to the last.

And what about you, fans and friends? How excited are you for “Diaz vs. Daley”?

The one and only Sherdog gives us the scoop on where “Semtex” stands heading into the bout that could very well cost him his upcoming shot at the Strikeforce Welterweight Championship. It was mostly assumed that Daley would be next in line if he won at “BAMMA”, with Daley missing weight once again, it’s anyone’s guess right now. Daley weighed in at 172 pounds for his first attempt, and he later weighed in at 170.4 pounds, which is still overweight since championship bouts don’t carry the “one pound allowance” of regular MMA contests. Daley’s opponent weighed in at 169.6.

Courtesy of MMA Weekly, Daley recently said the following about once again losing the war of the weighing machine: “I apologize to Shirai and the fans for missing weight. Although the fight is 3 rounds now I only need 1 round to knock him out…I promise them, title or not, I’ll win this fight and win it in style.  Then I’m going after [Nick] Diaz…”

Many sites around the internet are pointing out this very interesting fact: this marks the fifth time in eleven fights that Daley has missed weight. That means that nearly half of Daley’s last eleven fights have seen him tip the scales over his allotted weight, and that usually includes the “one pound allowance” of normal bouts.

To be perfectly honest, I really don’t take this as a sign of disrespect. I think Daley knows how important this fight is, I think he knows that a shot at Nick Diaz hinges on how dominating his performance is in this smaller league. I don’t think Daley is unmotivated, I think he wants a win badly and badly wants to follow up on his impressive Strikeforce debut, which saw him add another thunderous KO to his highlight reel at the expense of Scott Smith.

I simply think Paul Daley is a Middleweight pretending to be a Welterweight, and it’s just not working for him anymore.

Paul Daley has been fighting as a professional Mixed Martial Artist for almost eight years. If he’s beginning to miss weight more and more, that’s obviously an indication that his body is changing as he comes closer and closer to competing as a professional fighter for a decade. Even though Daley isn’t even 30 yet, he’s still got all the battle-scars of a veteran fighter, because that’s what he is. And as a veteran fighter that’s struggling to make weight, perhaps it’s finally time to move up in weight and see how that goes.

Honestly, what’s the alternative here? If Daley continues to miss weight, no promotion is going to want to chance giving him a title shot, including Strikeforce, in fear of Daley coming in overweight and diminishing the value of the title he’s fighting for. If Daley does make weight, he usually ends up gassing if he doesn’t finish his opponent in the first round. His bout with Josh Koscheck in particular perfectly illustrated how badly the weight cut can affect Daley if a competent wrestler puts constant pressure on him and doesn’t allow him to throw his hands. I still think Paul Daley has plenty of years left in him as a fighter… but at Middleweight.

And what about you, fans and friends? What’s your reaction to Paul Daley once again missing weight?

5. A possible move up to 170 to take on someone like Paul Daley.

Melendez has expressed an interest in fighting at a higher weight class, specifically against Paul Daley, and I think this would be the natural thing to do if he keeps winning at Lightweight. Melendez has a lot of interesting possible challenges at Welterweight, not the least of which would be the actual jump in weight in and of itself, since Melendez has always been a smaller fighter. Whether it’s with or without the championship, a run at Welterweight is definitely an option for Melendez and would result in some tough, entertaining fights.

4. A fight with KJ Noons.

Even though he was unable to secure a second win over arch-rival Nick Diaz and claim the Strikeforce Welterweight Championship in the process, KJ Noons is still a feared striker and a big threat to most Strikeforce fighters. Noons has had the most success in his MMA career at Lightweight, so he’ll probably drop back down to 155 after taking time off to heal the injuries he sustained in his second scrap with Diaz. And Melendez will be waiting for him. Melendez/Noons would be an awesome fight between a very tough grappler with a very tough chin and a very hard striker that is a former champion at Lightweight.

3. A second fight with Tatsuya Kawajiri.

In regards to Melendez’s immediate future, Tatsuya Kawajiri finds himself on the short-list of possible opponents that both the fans and Strikeforce management want to see Melendez test himself against. “Crusher” has won five of his last six and most recently beaten Josh Thomson at the K-1/DREAM supershow “DYNAMITE!! 2010”. Kawajiri is a tough knockout artist and, like KJ Noons, poses a big threat to Melendez on the feet. It’s also been over four years since these two last fought, so it has the potential to be a radically different second encounter.

2. A third fight with Josh Thomson.

Many fans seem to think that it’s inevitable that these two will meet for a third and final time to finally prove which one is better. I wholeheartedly agree. I think these two have a great rivalry going: both are highly competitive and highly skilled, but both respect each other a lot. It’s a rivalry born not out of scorn, but out of the honest desire to see which man is the better fighter. The two previous times these two fought each other were both Fight of the Year candidates, so a third (and most likely final) showdown would be a pivotal moment in both their careers.

And finally, we have…

1. A  champion vs. champion showdown with Bellator FC’s Eddie Alvarez.

There have been on-again, off-again talks of putting together a super-fight between Gilbert Melendez and Eddie Alvarez, the current Bellator FC Lightweight Champion. The reason this fight hasn’t happened yet is subject to much debate, and things actually got a bit bitter between Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker and Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney. This fight seems to have faded back into the background at the start of 2011, but make no mistake, it would be an amazing fight between two of the best Lightweights on the planet.

And what about you, fans and friends? Did Melendez make the right call in sticking with Strikeforce? What do you think the future holds for “El Nino”?

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.

MMAFighting.com was able to catch up with the controversial slugger where he gave his thoughts on the championship bout.

“I hit unlike any other welterweight in MMA. I will knock Diaz out. I will knock him out”, began the UFC cast out.

“Nick doesn’t have great wrestling. Most of his takedowns come from the clinch or he’s dropping guys with bodyshots, but that ain’t gonna happen with me. Yeah he’s fast but he’s not explosive like me when it comes to MMA. He’s got great conditioning, yeah, but what happens when I’m moving three or four times as fast as anybody he’s fought in the past? How’s he going to deal with that?”

Granted, it was exciting, but it wasn’t one of Diaz hottest performances, where he took an insurmountable amount of leg kicks, though he was still able to outbox the Chute Boxe fighter, and eventually lock up a fight ending arm bar after Santos foolishly went for a take down with 30 seconds left on the clock of the second-round.

Daley does present some interesting problems for the Cesar Gracie product. Coupled with solid takedown defense, “Semtex” is one of the hardest hitting men in the welterweight class, which is evident by his 18 career knockouts among his 26 victories. Technical and visceral in his approach, he will be one of his toughest challenges to date, at least that’s in my own humble opinion.

Paul will first face off against Yuya Shirai, a DREAM veteran, for the vacant BAMMA 170-pound title in Machester, England on February 26. His title shot with Diaz is contingent on whether or not Daley claims a victory over the Japanese fighter.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of Daley’s quotes from MMAFighting? Most of it is just what a confident fighter says, where as the rest is what the Brit truly believes. Diaz hasn’t suffered a loss in his last 9 fights, and was only TKO’d once in his career against Jeremy Jackson back in 2002. Afterward, Nick would go on to beat Jackson twice over, first with strikes then via submission. Sound off in the comment section below.

Daley is a different kind of fighter.  In other words, he’s a dynamo on his feet, displaying awesome power plus outstanding technical striking.  Where Diaz has had a distinct striking advantage over most of his opponents during the aforementioned nine fight winning streak, he will not in this potential bout.  Which leads to a different kind of analysis.

Here are the three things that should make the difference if Diaz and Daley do get to throw down.

Wrestling: Here’s a fact- Diaz is a way better submission fighter than Daley.  In the end, he’s one of those guys that you simply do not want to hit the ground with for any length of time.  The Cesar Gracie product is flexible and outstanding technically.  But the problem for Diaz would be getting Daley to the ground, not fighting him once there. 

 ”Nick doesn’t have great wrestling,” Daley told The MMA Hour on Monday. “Most of his takedowns come from the clinch or he’s dropping guys with bodyshots, but that ain’t gonna happen with me. Yeah he’s fast but he’s not explosive like me when it comes to MMA. . .” 

So yes, the easiest way for Diaz to win this fight would be with a takedown, followed by a submission.  But Daley is right; that’s easier said than done.  If Diaz is not able to take him down early- which is a distinct possibility- then we move onto the next piece to the puzzle.

Toughness: Diaz has one of the best jaws in MMA.  He’s simply a tough hombre.  That said, guess is that his jaw would be tested by Daley early in their fight.  As was mentioned in the previous quote,  Daley is explosive.  He hits hard and fast.  That plus his solid technical stand up skills would likely translate to a couple of big shots landing on Diaz, particularly early on.  There is no doubt that the Cesar Gracie product has proved his mettle in the past, but Daley is a different kind of fighter.  Can Diaz withstand an early onslaught?  That will go a long way toward determining what happens in this potential battle.

Cardio: “He’s got great conditioning, yeah, but what happens when I’m moving three or four times as fast as anybody he’s fought in the past?” asked Daley, during the aforementioned interview. “How’s he going to deal with that?”

Daley is correct with his question.  But as explosive as he is, as fast as he is, those later rounds would likely belong to Diaz.  His cardio is simply amazing, and the longer he’s able to survive, come the third and fourth rounds, it’s likely that the tide would turn in his favor.  Those pitter patter shots of his would begin to hit their mark.  Daley would likely begin to tire, as seemingly all of Diaz’s opponents do.  And that would leave him open to punches and or that takedown which was likely all-too-hard to get earlier in the fight.

In the end, a Nick Diaz vs. Paul Daley match up is interesting on numerous levels.  Diaz has probably never seen the likes of Daley’s striking/athleticism on his feet.  Daley has not gone up against a guy with the combination of mettle, cardio, boxing, and submissions that Diaz possesses.  Here’s hoping that the fight eventually goes down as hoped.

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.

Fighters Only was the first to reveal that Daley’s next opponent, DREAM veteran Yuya Shirai, will be his upcoming opponent for BAMMA 5. The two will battle it out for the promotion’s vacant title on February 26, close to a month after Diaz and Cyborg vie for their own welterweight title, currently held by the Stockton native.

During a recent media teleconference heading into this weekend’s Strikeforce event, CEO Scott Coker revealed that a win for Daley in his upcoming fight in the U.K. will keep in next in line for the organization’s title, while a loss will cause them to search for a new opponent in his place post-Cyborg/Diaz.

Paul is currently riding a three-fight win streak since his release from the UFC, which came on the heels of a decision loss and sucker punch to welterweight heel Josh Koscheck last May.

Victories over Daniel Acacio, Jorge Masvidal, and the aforementioned Smith are among those who have aided the Brit in his recent win streak.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the news? Should Daley come out unsuccessful against the DREAM vet, who do you think should step in his place? While Strikeforce is a strong promotion, a strong welterweight division they do not have. Sound off in the comment section below.

5. Diaz has been properly TKO’d once in his career… over eight years ago.

Diaz has been TKO’d twice in his career, and one of those times had nothing to do with Diaz being separated from his mental faculties. Diaz has in fact been properly stopped by punches only once in his career, losing by TKO to Jeremy Jackson way back in September 2002. Since that time, Diaz has fought some of the toughest strikers and hardest punchers in several major promotions, from the UFC to PRIDE FC, from EliteXC to Strikeforce. Diaz’s chin has held up remarkably well these past eight (going on nine) years, and based on its toughness and the fact that Diaz is so great at ducking and dodging, I just don’t think it’s going to fail him again anytime soon.

4. The last three fighters Paul Daley (T)KO’d all had major (T)KO’s on their record shortly before meeting Paul Daley.

You can love him or hate him, but Josh Koscheck raised an excellent point where he claimed that he had loosened up the chin of Dustin Hazelett a year before Paul Daley ever got a chance to KTFO him. But it doesn’t stop there: Scott Smith is equal parts famous and infamous as a “Comeback King” because he usually comes very close to being KO’d before he makes a dramatic comeback, and he was in fact coming off a pretty hard (T)KO loss to Cung Le before he met Daley. As stated previously, it hadn’t even been a year since Josh Koscheck brutally KO’d Dustin Hazelett when Daley KO’d Hazelett. And Martin Kampmann? Again, it hadn’t even been a year since Nate Marquardt TKO’d Kampmann when Daley TKO’d Kampmann. Daley’s last three KO’s, impressive though they were, were all against fighters that had their chins tested and found wanting shortly before they met “Semtex”.

3. Paul Daley hasn’t fought a true top-division welterweight since being booted out of the UFC on the heels of a one-sided loss to Josh Koscheck.

Who has Daley beaten since his post-fight scuffle with Josh Koscheck got him permanently exiled from the sport’s biggest and most competitive promotion? He beat Scott Smith, who is a tough veteran but has never emerged as a true championship contender in Strikeforce. He beat Jorge Masvidal at Shark Fights 13, but most fans know Masvidal as the fighter that was on the wrong end of that amazing Inverted Triangle Choke by Toby Imada, the one that quickly became a viral video. Daniel Acacio hasn’t been relevant since the last time he fought in PRIDE… in 2005… in a fight that he lost. Depending on who he fights, a three fight win-streak is normally a great indicator that a fighter is ready either for top-division fighters or a championship opportunity outright… but Daley’s last three opponents have virtually all been “gimme” fights.

2. Diaz hasn’t lost in over three years, and realistically, that number should be higher.

Diaz’s last loss was in November 2007, which was a hugely-controversial doctor’s stoppage due to a cut. The outcome spawned an intense rivalry between Diaz and the winner of the bout, KJ Noons, a rivalry that was recently settled once and for all when Diaz pummeled Noons for nearly five whole rounds in the rematch that took several years to get properly worked out. Diaz also had a win over Takanori Gomi in PRIDE FC, but it was overturned and the outcome was changed to a No Contest when Diaz tested positive for marijuana. Considering the fact that Diaz would have more than likely beat Noons the first time if the fight hadn’t been called off, given the outcome of their second encounter, he should be on a ten-fight win-streak instead of an eight-fight win-streak. And depending on how you personally view marijuana and its effects as a performance-enhancing drug, that undefeated streak should conceivably be as high as fourteen straight fights, with Diaz being undefeated since early 2006.

And my number one reason why Nick Diaz will beat Paul Daley is because…

1. Paul Daley crumbles under pressure.

Nick Diaz has lost seven times, but he’s been to a decision five times. Paul Daley has lost nine times and has only been to a decision on three occasions. Even when you take into account the fact that Paul Daley’s lone (T)KO victory was due to a dislocated thumb, that shouldn’t overshadow the fact that Daley has been submitted on five separate occasions and lost all three of his decision fights by Unanimous Decision. Make no mistake, Daley’s raw punching power represents a major threat to any fighter regardless of their past history. But if a fighter is brave enough to look past that and skillful enough to nullify it, Paul Daley can be made to look like an outright amateur. When a fight doesn’t go exactly his way and doesn’t remain in the one and only element he’s ever been any good at, Paul Daley can crumble and has crumbled under pressure. And against Nick Diaz, he’ll crumble again.

So, fans and friends, that’s why I think Nick Diaz will be able to resoundingly beat Paul Daley. And what about you? What’s your take on the matter?

Daley was featured on every headline of every major mixed martial arts forum when he was the victim of the infamous UFC pink slips, however all on his own doing. In a number one contenders bout where Paul was pitted against Josh Koscheck last May at “UFC 113: Machida vs. Shogun II” he dropped a unanimous decision to the brash American Kickboxing Academy product. After the fight, Daley stalked Josh and sucker-punched the former title contender and was then released by the promotion.

Now, his career has taken a complete 180, as he now may be gearing up for a title fight against potentially one of the biggest challenges of his career.

First, however, Daley will be taking a fight overseas in his native England against an opponent that has been yet to be determined. The Brit is working closely with Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker in gaining approval from the head honcho for his next opponent before he makes his return to the San Jose based promotion.

“Paul has requested to have a fight in the UK, and our deal with Paul we have to sign off on it, and we have to have an opponent approval,” said Scott who spoke with MMAWeekly.com earlier this week.

Along with the proposed UK fight, Daley is prepared to meet the winner of the upcoming welterweight title fight, which pits current champion Nick Diaz against former PRIDE star Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos (husband of Strikeforce’s women’s 145-pound champion Cristiane “Cyborg”).

“There’s a couple names and we’re going through that process with him. He wants to stay busy and he wants to fight the winner of (Nick) Diaz and Evangelista (Cyborg), and I think that makes a lot of sense,” said the CEO.

Diaz and “Cyborg” will meet next on January 29 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Cali.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of Daley being named the next number one contender? There’s no better way to make a splash into the organization when you knockout the “knockout artist” in Scott Smith in your promotional debut. Will Paul have a chance in claiming Strikeforce gold? Sound off in the comment section below.

10. Antonio McKee – The GameBattles Wannabe

This is the type of player that does have some skill, but suffers from a horrendously inflated ego and thinks that they own the lobby and that all other play styles are inferior. The GB Wannabe is best recognized by its constant use of the dropshot and its uncanny ability to use his team as meatshields. Antonio McKee, who has gone as far as to call himself the Muhammed Ali of MMA, would be right at home with this holier-than-thou bunch.

9. Lyoto Machida – The Camper

Often misunderstood and always controversial, the camper is the type of player who hides in a strategic location, waits for enemies to come to them, and then mows them down thanks to the element of surprise. Some live and die by this strategy, others hate it immensely. Much is the same for Lyoto Machida, who usually relies on his counter-striking and superior strategy to win fights even while some cynics deride him as boring and afraid to engage. And just like Machida, when a camper is caught unprepared he’s usually soundly defeated in humiliating fashion.

8. Paul Daley – The Knifer

This is the type of player that literally brings a knife to a gun fight. They run around and use a combination of stealth and rushing tactics in order to knife their enemies before their foe has a chance to shoot them down. Paul Daley is much the same, he’s a one-dimensional striker fighting in a sport that prides itself on its multi-dimensionality. But since he knows how to use the tools he has, he generally wins fights, and sometimes posts up dominating victories. Much of the same can also be said when describing the experienced knife-only player.

7. Chris Leben – The Rusher

In both COD and Mixed Martial Arts, the rusher can always be depended on for making the next few minutes exciting. This player recklessly charges forward and practically spends the entire game holding down the sprint button. Much like Chris Leben, the rusher just can’t sit still and shines brightest in rapid-fire, extremely-close, usually-brief altercations.  Also like Chris Leben, the rusher’s win/loss percentage can vary wildly depending on the type of opponent he’s facing and their skill level.

6. Tank Abbott – The Nube Toob Jerk

This is the kind of player that is almost universally loathed, but every once in a while they’ll own the lobby. The “Nube Toob” is gamer slang for any sort of incendiary launcher, be it missiles or grenades. It is generally accepted that this is a “cheap” way to win since it requires virtually no skill and even less precision. The same holds true for Tank Abbott: his style of emptying his tank in the first twenty seconds and praying that something lands takes almost no skill and no focus. Like Tank, the Nube Toob Jerk blasts as quickly as possible, prays that something hits, and then has absolutely nothing else to give after their initial onslaught.

And so ends part one of this groundbreaking series! Stay tuned for Part 2!

And on a serious note, remember that this is just a joke and I’m only poking light fun at both the gamer types and the MMA fighters. I hold both COD and MMA close to my heart, and I’m quite proud of what that says about me and my nerdish habits. So while any and all comments are appreciated, remember that this is all in good fun.

In a recent interview with Bloody Elbow, Gilbert “El Nino” Melendez said the following: “I’m ready for some new blood… I hear Paul Daley called out K.J. Noons… Noons says that Daley isn’t worthy and I think that Paul Daley is a Top 10 guy. I would love to jump up and fight somebody with a high profile like that… Something like that interests me and those are the kinds of things I want to bring to the table. We can do it at a catchweight… but if he has a problem making that and we need to do it at 170-pounds, then let’s do it. ”

“Semtex” recently responded on “The Underground”, the popular user forum of MixedMartialArts.com. Here’s what Daley had to say: “Gilbert Melendez has called me out. Says he’ll fight at 170lbs. I’m down, but I know I will get negative feedback from the MMA Media for fighting a Lightweight…  So still we have a problem…”

I personally wouldn’t have much of a problem with Paul Daley fighting Gilbert Melendez. I think Melendez would be a pretty interesting test of Daley, likewise, I think Daley poses some big threats to Melendez. The fight absolutely would have to take place at Welterweight, though. Daley has struggled to make 171 in the past, I just can’t imagine him being able to cut to under 170.

My problems with Daley have always been twofold. First and foremost, Daley will be fighting to get out of the shadow of what he did to Josh Koscheck for quite some time in my eyes. What he did was completely classless and hurt the sport as a whole. I’ve talked about it at length, so all I’ll add is this: while I’m willing to give Daley another chance given how exciting he usually is, the memory of that post-fight attack is going to remain for quite some time.

My only other problem with the man is that he’s a flopping turtle when put on his back. The man has no ground game to speak of, even though he’s an amazing striker. In a way, he’s a lot like Shinya Aoki: Aoki has a tremendous ground game and utterly abysmal stand-up, Daley has dynamite in both hands but is only relevant in MMA until someone inevitably tries to take him down and keep him down. Both are so good in their one element that that’s normally all they need to rely on in order to secure a win. However, when their problems/weaknesses are forced out they’re very, very glaring.

But in the end, I’m willing to give Daley the respect he deserves for being an entertaining and dynamic striker. Add to this the fact that I’ve got no major problems with Gilbert Melendez, and you’ve got a fight that I’d definitely like to see if it was offered to me. It would certainly be an interesting test for both men, and whoever emerges as the winner would likely be regarded as one of Strikeforce’s top talents overall, not just in their own respective weight divisions. It does seem a bit unlikely that this match will ever come to fruition, but if it does, you can count me in.

And what about you, fans and friends? How likely do you think this match is? And just in case it does happen, what are your thoughts on a fight between Gilbert Melendez and Paul Daley?

Here are the highlights from an interview Scott Coker recently had with Sherdog: “I think Evangelista [‘Cyborg’ Santos] comes to my mind [as a possible next opponent]… [KJ Noons is also] a possibility depending on if KJ wants to continue fighting at 170. I think Nick Diaz, that would be a hell of a fight. I think we have some solid fights for [Daley] up ahead… There’s a fight on January 7 between Tyron [Woodley] and Tarec Saffiedine; maybe the winner of that… He’s just a great fighter and a great puncher obviously.”

In the here and now, I think KJ Noons should be the next man to test Paul Daley. Not only is it a very interesting match on paper, it’s also a very different match than the recent KJ Noons vs. Nick Diaz 2. Whereas Noons/Diaz 2 was a clash of different-but-still-technical boxing styles, Noons/Daley would be a battle between a striking tactician and a bull-rushing phenomenon. It would prove a lot for both men: for Noons it would bring him right back up to a championship level, for Daley it would prove once and for all that he’s ready for a run at the top.

In all honestly, Evangelista Santos or the winner of Woodley/Saffiedine just feels like a consolation prize when compared to Paul Daley vs. KJ Noons. Still, I’ll take whatever I can get because I honestly don’t want to see Daley get an immediate title shot. Daley definitely burst onto the scene in dominating fashion, but he needs at least one more test, preferably against a top-division opponent, before he gets a shot at the championship outright.

Like many, I don’t think I’ll ever fully forgive Paul Daley for attacking Josh Koscheck after the final bell had rung. I still stand by one of my earliest sentiments on the matter: in a world where MMA is making considerable gains towards full mainstream acceptance and lasting global appeal, those kinds of classless acts only serve to strengthen negative stereotypes. I can’t just say “boys will be boys” and be done with it, Daley is going to have to earn his shot at a title, win it, and defend it multiple times before I ever call him one of the best welterweights in the world.

I just think that, with his recent performance against Scott Smith, that possibility has now taken a firm step into the land of reality. Maybe Daley does have it in him to realize all of his potential. Maybe he can become a dominant champion and a best-in-the-world fighter. Whether or not he does indeed do that is up to him, but I’m pretty sure he’s at least going to die trying. Daley isn’t done, and so long as he keeps viciously separating people from their consciousness, ultimately I’ll continue to watch him.

But what about you, fans and friends? What do you think the future holds for Paul Daley?

Next for Antonio Silva: A champion is made by scoring a big win, but the mark of a true champion is the ability to survive and even thrive under pressure. In his fight with Mike Kyle, Antonio Silva proved once and for all that he’s ready for the best Heavyweights in the game. He remained calm under pressure, he absorbed a massive amount of damage, and he came back to emphatically put an end to Kyle. By the end of 2011 we’re going to see Antonio Silva challenge for the Strikeforce Heavyweight Championship.

Next for Mike Kyle: A quick trip back down to the land of the Light Heavyweights. Mike Kyle showed a lot of potential against “Bigfoot”, so I’m hopeful for his future. In Strikeforce’s increasingly-stacked Light Heavyweight division, I think Kyle could be an important test for many of Strikeforce’s best. Expect him to get an opponent the caliber of Gegard Mousasi or Muhammed Lawal sooner rather than later.

Next for Robbie Lawler: Somebody big, that’s for sure. Lawler has certainly earned his spot at the top of the division with his crushing KO of Matt Lindland. I don’t honestly have any particular opponent in mind, just a general feeling that 2011 will see Lawler emerge as a true top-division athlete and even a potential title challenger.

Next for Paul Daley: If Strikeforce wants to get the most out of their investment, if they want to keep duplicating the great performance Daley gave against Scott Smith, then Paul Daley needs to dine on a steady diet of striking-based fighters for the foreseeable future. The good thing about that is that there’s no shortage of those in Strikeforce’s welterweight division. If Strikeforce can convince KJ Noons to stay at Welterweight, Noons/Daley is the obvious move going forward. If not, Daley may even get an immediate title shot.

Next for Scott Smith: Smith will be a perennial gatekeeper until one of two things happen. The first and more unlikely situation is that Smith goes on a prolonged losing streak and/or abandons his entertaining fighting style and gets fired. That’s unlikely because Smith always entertains and he has beaten some good competition in his day. The second and most likely scenario is that Smith gets a chain of wins going, gets another shot at the top of the division, but is ultimately cast back down after another humbling (T)KO loss. I know that outlook seems a bit bleak, and as a sorta-kinda Scott Smith fan, I do hope that “The Comeback King” ends up proving me wrong.

Next for Dan Henderson: 2011 will be a banner year for “Hendo”. I’ve got some pretty high hopes for the man. With his mind set and his body healthy, Hendo should quickly become a force to be reckoned with in Strikeforce’s Light Heavyweight division. Before 2011 is through, I have a strong feeling that we’ll see Dan Henderson challenge for the championship or win it outright.

So that’s what I see when I gaze into the crystal ball, fans and friends. What about you? What do you think the future holds for the big winners and even some of the losers of Strikeforce: “Henderson vs. Babalu”?

Dan Henderson defeats Renato Sobral via KO (strikes) at 1:53 of Round One. Paul Daley defeats Scott Smith via KO (strikes) at 2:09 of Round One. Robbie Lawler defeats Matt Lindland via KO (strikes) at 0:50 of Round One. Antonio Silva defeats Mike Kyle via TKO (strikes) at 2:49 of Round Two. Ovince St. Preux defeats Benji Radach via Unanimous Decision. Fernando Bettega defeats Wayne Phillips via Split Decision. Justin Lawrence defeats Max Martytniouk via Technical (accidental illegal kick) Unanimous Decision. Patrick Cummins defeats Terrell Brown via TKO (strikes) at 2:44 of Round One. Cortez Coleman defeats Lucas Lopes via Submission (guillotine choke) at 2:04 of Round One. Matt Ricehouse defeats Tom Aaron via Unanimous Decision. Mike Glenn defeats Lee Brousseau via TKO (strikes) at 2:00 of Round One. Booker DeRousse defeats Colton Cole via TKO (strikes) at 3:04 of Round Two. J.W. Wright defeats Josh Epps via submission (guillotine choke) at 1:29 of Round One.

This was an awesome, awesome event. Ovince St. Preux vs. Benji Radach was the worst fight on the card, and the worst thing about that fight? It was average. For this event, “average” just wasn’t good enough. I was out of my seat the second Mike Kyle landed a big right that nearly finished Antonio Silva, and I didn’t leave the edge of my seat for the rest of the evening.

As an MMA fan first and foremost, I can’t help but vault onto the Strikeforce bandwagon and even lead the charge into 2011 after an event of this caliber. Every single fight lived up to its potential. Antonio Silva came back from the brink of defeat and cemented his status as a top-level Strikeforce Heavyweight. In this fight, Silva proved that he can take a huge amount of punishment and still fight back to not only win, but finish his opponent.

Things just got crazier from that moment on. Robbie Lawler taking out Matt Lindland with a beautiful diving strike was fantastic. What wasn’t so great, however, was the fact that Lindland looked like a corpse after Lawler got through with him. I’m a sucker for the epic KO’s, but I’m not a bloodthirsty savage, so rest assured, I breathed a big sigh of relief when Lindland regained his faculties.

That sigh was quickly turned into a gasp as I was greeted with another epic KO courtesy of the one and only “Semtex”. To be honest, Paul Daley has got to be the absolute worst opponent Scott Smith could have faced: Daley has one-hit KO power no matter how hard your chin is or how many comebacks you’ve made. So long as Daley can keep the fight standing, the world may be his oyster in Strikeforce.

And finally, we had the triumphant return of Dan Henderson: to the Light Heavyweight division, to Strikeforce, to MMA relevancy as a whole. I had a lot of faith in “Hendo” heading into this fight, and I’m honestly not surprised that he came through in a big way when his situation looked so bleak. 2011 has the potential to be a huge year for Dan Henderson.

And what about you, fans and friends? Were you as impressed with this show as I was?

Headliner’s Dan Henderson and Renato Sobral were green lighted for the event when the two light heavyweights came in under the required 205-pound limit.

Strikeforce debutant Paul Daley successfully made the 170-pound limit, which in the past he has notoriously struggled with weighty issues however came in at 169 pounds for the welterweight contest.

And Scott Smith, who spent nearly his entire career as a middleweight, easily made the transition to the welterweight class when he came in at 170-pounds on the nose.

Here are the entire weigh-in results in full, thanks to MMAJunkie.com who was on scene when the fighters hit the scale.

MAIN CARD

* Dan Henderson (204.5) vs. Renato “Babalu” Sobral (202)
* Paul Daley (169) vs. Scott Smith (170)
* Robbie Lawler (186) vs. Matt Lindland (185.5)
* Mike Kyle (219) vs. Antonio Silva (263)
* Benji Radach (205.5) vs. Ovince St. Preux (205.5)

PRELIMINARY CARD

* Fernando Bettega (170.25) vs. Wayne Phillips (171)
* Justin Lawrence (155.5) vs. Max Martytnuk (154.5)
* Terrell Brown (208.25)* vs. Patrick Dummins (205.5)
* Cortez Coleman (184.75) vs. Lucas Lopes (185)
* Tom Aaron (155.5) vs. Matt Ricehouse (156)
* Lee Brousseau (204) vs. Mike Glenn (207.25)
* Booker DeRousse (185) vs. Coltin Cole (185.5)
* Josh Epps (127.5) vs. J.W. Wright (130.5)

* – Missed weight on initial attempt; has two hours to make 206-pound limit

“Strikeforce: Henderson vs. Babalu” takes place at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri and marks the promotions last event before we head into the new year.

The Event: Strikeforce: “Henderson vs. Babalu 2”, also known as Strikeforce: “St. Louis”. It takes place December 4, 2010 from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis Missouri. The five-fight main card will be broadcast on the Showtime network.

Why You Should Care: This event has a little something for everyone. If you’re a fan of old-school MMA, you’ve got two great veterans fighting in the main event, Dan Henderson and Renato Sobral. You’ve also got Matt Lindland trying to get a big comeback going by taking on the heavy-handed Robbie Lawler. And if you love seeing a great brawl, you’ve got Paul Daley vs. Scott Smith. If you’re a fan of the big men, they don’t get much bigger than “Bigfoot”, Antonio Silva, and he’ll be taking on rising star Mike Kyle.

What to Look Forward to in the Main Event: Renato Sobral vs. Dan Henderson is a rematch that’s been over a decade in the making. Both men are at a crossroads in their career: recent losses have called into question their ability to compete at a championship level, and a big win here could eliminate any doubts and firmly put the winner “into the mix”. Both men will more than likely look to finish this fight quickly and in dominating fashion in order to stay afloat in the increasingly-competitive Strikeforce Light Heavyweight division.

What to Look Forward to in the Co-Main Event: I’m not sure what main card fight will officially be given co-main event status, but either way, there are some great fights on this card besides the main event. Paul Daley vs. Scott Smith will be an all-out war and I’d be surprised if it made it out of the first round. Daley, the controversial knockout artist who famously got a lifetime ban from the UFC when he attacked Josh Koscheck after their fight, will be looking to make his debut one to remember. Then you’ve got Matt Lindland vs. Robbie Lawler, which also has all the makings of a fantastic brawl.

Why You Should Watch This Card: You’re in for a fun night of fights if you decide to watch Strikeforce. Every main card fight has the potential to end quickly, and just about all the main card fighters are known to put on exciting performances. They may not be the biggest stars that Strikeforce could bring to the table, but they’ve all set a great precedent of entertaining fans time and time again.

Why You Shouldn’t Watch This Card: There’s only one major reason you should possibly skip this card, and it has nothing to do with Strikeforce itself. The UFC will be holding its own event on December 4, “The Ultimate Fighter 12 Finale”, a live night of fights that closes out the latest season of the popular UFC reality TV show “The Ultimate Fighter” and crowns the season’s champion. In the battle of UFC vs. Strikeforce, Strikeforce ultimately has the bigger names, but the UFC does have several great-sounding fights lined up for their event.

Closing Thoughts: In the end, I think Strikeforce has the better card when compared to the UFC’s outing for December 4. I don’t mean to say that the UFC card is bad, though, there are actually several fights on that card that I’m really interested in. But Strikeforce simply has more to offer: bigger stars, a better main event, etc. If you could only watch one, I’d suggest watching Strikeforce. It really has all the makings of a great event.

So, that’s it on my end, fans and friends. What about you? Which show will you be watching December 4?

This moment may have started the “legend” of Scott Simth, but as fans have learned, it was just the beginning.  He has taken the Mohammed Ali “rope a dope” style to new levels, and was nearly finished against Benji Radach and Cung Le only to rise from near cage death to land devastating blows and pull victory from the edge of defeat, leaving fans with jaws dropped in stunned awe.

Now, “Hands of Steel” may be looking in the mirror when he stands across the Strikeforce cage from Paul Daley on December 4^th in St. Louis.  Daley has his own list of knocked silly opponents who dared to stand with him, including UFC studs – Martin Kampmann and Dustin Hazlett.   On Saturday, two of the heaviest handed fighters in all of MMA square off and Smith thinks it will be a surprise if he spends much time with his back on the mat.

“I am definitely looking for a standup fight, but this is mixed martial arts so I have to be prepared for anything. So, I am working all aspects of my game, but I definitely plan on this being a slug fest.”

Aside from dealing with the dynamite in Paul Daley’s hands, Smith may be most anxious about getting his body down to 170lbs for the first time.

“A big part of the decision is that I have been lazy at getting away with making 185. I’ve been a little soft a couple of times.  Fighting at 170 has forced me to diet and that has been the worst part of my training.  Three weeks after my last fight I was walking around at 189, but I didn’t think there was any reason that I couldn’t cut down to 170, so I’ve been walking around at about 185, eating a ton of healthy food. I think the cut should be good. I might be crying about it on the day of weight-ins but I don’t think there is any reason why I shouldn’t be fighting at 170.”

By witness of Smith’s passion for the dramatic over his career, it is no surprise he welcomed the chance to drop to 170.  Not for the potentially painful cut, but for the chance to provide another all out, fists flying war with a like minded pugilist in Paul “Cemtex” Daley.

“I just look for these exciting fights and a fight with Paul Daley is an exciting fight.  That is more important to me that a title fight.  I know when me and Daley fight we are going to put on a show and the fans are going to like watching. Those are the type of fights I look for.

Saturday December, 4^th is a day sports fans will be flooded with entertainment options from watching Oregon and Auburn face their final hurdles to qualify for the national title game in college football, to UFC stars Demian Meia, Kendall Grove and Stephan Bonnar in action on Spike TV.  However the sports event with the most potential for pure drama and excitement will go down on Showtime when Scott Smith and Paul Daley hit the Strikeforce cage in St. Louis.

“Yeah, I think we are kind of made for each other. We are two guys who like to go banging and come at each other.  I think this has a fight of the night potential.  When I got the call to fight Paul Daley I got excited.  I think this fight will be fun.”

Thoughts MMA fans … are you as excited for this brawl as I am?

Antonio Silva vs. Mike Kyle: Silva has become quite the controversial figure in the last few months, as he’s repeatedly called out and even at some points tried to discredit huge names like Fedor Emelianenko, Fabricio Werdum, Alistair Overeem, and even Brock Lesnar. And while I absolutely believe that Silva is not up to their level just yet, I also absolutely believe that Mike Kyle isn’t up to Silva’s level. Silva is within shouting distance of the upper-echelon, Kyle’s run to the top never fully materialized. Expect to see “Bigfoot” Silva win by Round 2 TKO.

Paul Daley vs. Scott Smith: Someone’s getting KO’d in the first round, and my money just has to be on the guy that’s never been KO’d before. Daley is an incredibly dangerous striker and Scott Smith is crazy enough (some would say “foolish enough”) to stand and bang with just about anybody in order to try and make the fight exciting and score a big win. Despite the fact that I don’t think Daley will ever be anything other than a dead fish on the ground, “Semtex” has dynamite in both hands and Smith will practically be serving up his chin on a silver platter thanks to his willingness to engage. Paul Daley wins by Round 1 KO.

Robbie Lawler vs. Matt Lindland:  This is another good match featuring some great strikers, but I don’t see this one ending definitively. I can’t really pick out one reason why I feel this way, it’s more like a bunch of small reasons coming together. I think both men are going to absorb a lot of damage, and while there may be some close calls here and there, I think these two are going to grind out a decision. My gut and my head favors Lindland due to his vast experience and his sheer toughness. Matt Lindland wins via Unanimous Decision.

Dan Henderson vs. Renato Sobral: I’ve still got plenty of faith left in Dan Henderson. I won’t say “the best is yet to come”, I think any fan of the man knows that we’re probably past that point. But that doesn’t mean that Henderson is done as an elite-level Mixed Martial Artist. Everything that’s been reported leading up to this card leads me to believe that we’ll see the old, beastly “Hendo” re-emerge against Sobral. Dan Henderson wins by KO in Round 2.

So that’s what I think, fans and friends. Now it’s your turn to take the crystal ball out and/or consult your inner Nostradamus. What do you think will happen at Strikeforce: “Henderson vs. Babalu”?

As a big fan of wild brawls, I can say with certainty that I’m really looking forward to both fights. This is very smart match-making on the part of Strikeforce, and I think everyone matches up really well against everyone else. All four men are known for their awesome punching power. You can never fully count out Robbie Lawler or Scott Smith, but you also have to respect the one-hit KO power of Matt Lindland and Paul Daley.

I think Robbie Lawler vs. Matt Lindland will be the more technical fight of the two. Matt “The Law” Lindland is a very gifted, very wily veteran, so I don’t see him engaging just for the sake of engaging unless he’s absolutely sure that he’ll win the encounter. I see both men pushing the pace, but doing so in a very cerebral fashion. If Lawler wins, it’ll be a big win against a crafty veteran, the kind of victory that really helps set you up as a possible championship challenger. If Matt Lindland wins, he’ll have fully committed himself to a career rebirth that one day just might result in him wearing some Strikeforce gold.

Scott Smith vs. Paul Daley will see fists flying from the second the bell rings, though. I think Smith is honestly one of the best match-ups Strikeforce has for Paul Daley as he makes his way into the promotion. Smith will push the pace with reckless abandon, and he’s made more than one stellar comeback throughout his career. I’d honestly be quite shocked if this fight lasted all three rounds, I’d be even more shocked if it was a boring fight. This fight in particular has all the potential necessary to quite possibly steal the show.

If any of these four men finish their fight in dominating fashion, I think we’ll see them emerge as very worthy championship contenders heading into 2011. In particular, I’d go out of my way to see Paul Daley vs. Nick Diaz. That sounds like an absolutely amazing match on paper. But no matter what the future holds, I’m definitely looking forward to both Smith/Daley and Lawler/Lindland when Strikeforce goes live on December 4.

And what about you, fans and friends? What are your predictions and analysis for these two matches, and which two of these four men do you think will soon be challenging for a Strikeforce championship?

The main event of the evening on said card will feature a special attraction pitting legends and former champions Dan Henderson and Renato “Babalu” Sobral against one another. While this bout has already been promised an immediate title shot against current light heavyweight kingpin Rafael Cavalcante (who defeated Muhammed Lawal last August for the promotion’s title), two more title shots may be waiting on the wings for two men.

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker recently revealed that the winners of Robbie Lawler/Matt Lindland and Paul Daley/Scott Smith could be in line for a title shot in their respective weight classes.

Robbie Lawler, the former Icon Sport middleweight champion is in desperate need of a win, and an impressive one at that. Since entering the San Jose based promotion in June of last year, “Ruthless” has lost two of his last three bouts, albeit against top flight competition in Jake Shields and Renato Sobral. Sandwiched in between the losses was an impressive come-from-behind knockout victory over K-1 striker, Melvin Manhoef. The native of Holland battered Lawler with leg kicks galore, before releasing his guard and opening him up for a right hook to the jaw, knocking him down before Robbie followed up with some telling ground-and-pound blows.

Lindland is in the twilight of his career. The 40-year-old co-founder of Team Quest, like Lawler, has lost two of his last three matches. A first round knockout loss to current UFC contender Vitor Belfort and submission loss against current Strikeforce champion Ronaldo Souza blemish his record in recent performances. Matt was able to halt the two-fight losing skid with a third-round TKO win over prospect Kevin Casey last May at the Strikeforce Challenger Series 8 show, where the two men served as the main-event of the evening.

The two middleweights, should one win, could face the aforementioned title holder “Jacare” in the foreseeable future, most likely in the early goings of 2011.

Paul Daley, the most well off of the bunch heading into his Strikeforce debut this December. Despite still carrying a trail of controversy following his bout with Josh Koscheck in his final appearance in the worlds largest mixed martial arts organization at UFC 113 last May, he has since gone on to win his next two fights following the decision loss. Wins over PRIDE veteran Daniel Acacio and American Top Team product Jorge Masvidal anchor Daley’s most recent accolades.

Scott Smith, the proverbial comeback kid, will make his welterweight debut when he meets Daley this December. Beginning his career as a heavyweight, Smith eventually pared down to the middleweight division where he has found most of the success in his career. With knockout power in either punch, “Hands of Steel” has made a habit of knockout out his opponents. His victims include former Strikeforce middleweight champion Cung Le, as well as UFC veterans Benji Radach and Kyle Noke.

These two welterweights, who have an affinity for punching people in the face, should provide an action packed fight which will produce the next contender for the welterweight title–more so for Daley, who is considered among one of the world’s best in the 170-pound division, and Smith can already account a loss to the champion in Nick Diaz.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the potential title challengers? Who would you rather see each respective champion face next? Would you like to see Diaz vs Smith II? Or would you be in favor for a Daley vs Diaz clash? Or how about Lawler, does his knockout power overcome Lindland’s wrestling pedigree in this middleweight fight? Who will come out victorious? Sound off in the comment section below.

In an interview with MMA Weekly, Coker had this to say on the situation: “Paul’s a good kid. He’s not a bad guy doing malicious things throughout his whole career. We just take it on a case by case basis, but I think he learned his lesson. It’s up to him to control himself, and we’re going to give him the opportunity. That said, we’re definitely going to keep our eye on him and make sure he abides by the rules and the regulations with the commissions that we’re promoting in and along with the Strikeforce rules.”

I have a very heated opinion when it comes to Paul Daley. I absolutely hated what he did to Josh Koscheck. He basically justified the major MMA stereotype that cage fighters are just a bunch of animals who don’t care about the rules and want to rip each other’s heads off. The fact that he was only suspended thirty days for his actions really angered me. Even with a lifetime ban from the UFC, it honestly doesn’t look like Daley is feeling the sting of his actions, since he’s got no shortage of promotions knocking on his door and offering him big fights.

I also believe that Paul Daley is about as one-dimensional as a fighter as you could possibly get. Time and time again, Daley has proven to be little more than a flailing turtle whenever he’s taken down. Both Jake Shields and Josh Koscheck made Paul Daley look like an inexperienced newbie, rather than a battle-hardened vet, because they were able to take him down again and again and again with Daley offering up virtually no defense and having absolutely nothing to offer on the ground. Paul Daley may be very good in the one dimension he’s skilled in, but he’ll never wear a championship if that one dimension is all he has to offer.

But I will say this: Strikeforce at least knows how to book Paul Daley. Daley is currently set to face Scott Smith at the December 4 “Henderson vs. Babalu” event. That, on paper, does sound like a very entertaining fight. And even I can admit that, for the most part, Paul Daley has been a very entertaining striker. This match-up with Smith should see fists flying with reckless abandon, and end with someone getting KO’d. I’ll give credit where credit is due: if Strikeforce knows what they’re doing, Paul Daley can end up being an asset to them. And (once again giving credit where credit is due) Strikeforce does seem to know exactly what they’re doing.

What about you, fans and friends? Are you excited for Paul Daley’s return to Strikeforce? Does he deserve a spot in another major promotion after what he did?

5. Leonard Garcia vs. Tyler Toner

Watch this one for the simple fact that Leonard Garcia always shows up to entertain and gives consistently amazing performances win or lose. It’s going to be awesome to see him back in the UFC, and the opponent he’s facing is no slouch either. Toner is 10-2 with six knockouts, so this has all the makings of a wild, can’t-miss brawl.

4. Stephan Bonnar vs. Igor Pokrajac

It’s got a lot of the same appeal of Garcia/Toner, but this one ranks higher because it involves two bigger names and two arguably better brawlers. Bonnar’s true potential doesn’t come through until he’s bloodied up, and he’s all too willing to take two to give one. Pokrajac has seven losses, twenty-two wins, and plenty of (T)KO victories. While Garcia/Toner will be a great and wild brawl, this one will be a bloody and entertaining war of attrition.

3. Scott Smith vs. Paul Daley

I don’t think it’s likely that we’ll see this one going past the first round, and I’d be shocked if it got past the second. Someone is going to get knocked out and it’s going to be brutally entertaining to watch. Look for “Semtex” and “Hands of Steel” to be throwing bombs from the first second of the first minute. This fight, above all the others on the list, has the potential to end the quickest, but that’s rarely a bad thing when you’ve got two heavy-handed power-punchers going in and swinging for the fences from the very start.

2. The TUF 12 Finale Fight

It’s the culmination of an entire season’s worth of drama, effort, tough fights, humbling defeating, and amazing victories. I don’t know who’s going to fight in the finale, but I do know that the finale is always the can’t-miss fight of the show. I look forward to seeing which TUF hopefuls end up fighting for the big prize on the main stage. Regardless of who ends up vying for the UFC contract, look for it to be a very exciting fight.

1. Dan Henderson vs. Renato Sobral

In the end, I just had to go with this pick. This fight has an amazing amount of potential, and it’s a fight between two highly-decorated former champions that both want to win and win big in order to set up a comeback. Not only does this fight have the biggest name-value stars, it also has the most potential given how multi-dimensional both fighters are. This one could go everywhere, it could end at any moment, and it’s definitely a worthy main event.

And what about you, fans and friends? Which side are you choosing, or do you plan to watch both shows simultaneously? Also, which show do you think is the better one?

Champion GSP will look to make his fifth successful title defense against foe Koscheck. The two had met previously at UFC 74, where the American Kickboxing Academy product was riding a 5-fight win streak inside the cage coming into the bout, meanwhile, “Rush” was coming off of a disappointing and shocking knockout loss to the unheralded Matt Serra at UFC 69.

While competitive in spots, St. Pierre was able to dominate the wrestling department against the former NCAA champion, en route to a unanimous decision victory.

UFC officials made the fight-card official yesterday, with GSP vs Koscheck serving as the headliner. While the card is filling up quickly, no co-main event has been announced as of yet.

The rematch is 3 years in the making, and both competitors have improved leaps and bounds. While GSP has gone undefeated since then, eventually reclaiming his welterweight title against Matt Serra in a rematch at UFC 83 in his native Montreal Josh has faltered against some of the top competition in his division. With losses to Brazilians Thiago Alves and Paulo Thiago inside of a three-fight stretch, Josh was able to bounce back with three-straight wins over Frank Trigg, Anthony Johnson, and most recently UFC castoff Paul Daley (UFC 113), have enabled the brash and cocky fighter his shot at the title.

No other bouts have become official as of yet, however the following bouts are rumored for the fight card as well.

Thiago Alves vs. John Howard
Mark Bocek vs. Dustin Hazelett
Sean McCorkle vs. Stefan Struve

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the fight card so far? With the bout officially official, who do you think takes the rematch? Sound off in the comment section below.

Not only is Daley officially signed with the organization, but he is set to make his promotional debut in a fight that has fireworks and knockout written all over it.

As previously reported, Scott Smith was to make his return to the cage come December 4, in what will actually be his welterweight debut, when he was expected to face 6-1 Jesse Finney, however, en-light of Daley signing with the organization recently, Strikeforce opted for the Smith-Daley bout in what will prove to be not only a top-contenders bout in a welterweight division which desperately needs one, but will also serve as a punch-you-in-the-face-till-you-fall, kind of fight.

After a lengthy career at middleweight which witnessed some of the greatest knockouts of Smith’s career, including former Strikeforce middleweight champion Cung Le, and UFC veterans Benji Radach and Pete Sell, Smith will be making the drop to the welterweight division for the first time, after beginning his career nearly 10 years ago as a heavyweight.

Daley, a fellow UFC veteran who was exonerated from the promotion after a post-fight punch in unsportsmanlike conduct against Josh Koscheck back at UFC 113, most recently picked up his second consecutive victory when he bested veteran Jorge Masvidal at Shark Fights 13, winning by unanimous decision.

If someone doesn’t get knocked out in this fight, then there is something truly amiss in the world today. An exciting addition to a stacked December card, is exactly what the fans had ordered.

MMA peeps, what do you think of the addition of this bout? Who do you think will take it, and is anyone else surprised that Smith is deciding to move to welterweight, considering he’s one of the bigger 185′ers? Sound off in the comments section below.

5. Jorge Masvidal

It’s been confirmed that Masvidal is moving back to Lightweight, but I can see him being coaxed back up to 170 if it means getting another shot at “Semtex”. The first fight proved little, as Masvidal seemed tentative to strike while Daley seemed tentative to pull the trigger. In the right circumstances, I think Masvidal/Daley could be an explosive, wildly entertaining fight. A slot in a stacked Strikeforce show, with the lights on bright and hundreds of thousands of fans watching at home, should be more than enough to bring out the best and the beast in both fighters and give us a great rematch.

4. Marius Zaromskis

It’s true that he’s been virtually unheard-of for awhile, but “The White Mare” would give Daley the kind of fight that he always thrives in: it would be a stand-up brawl with neither man giving a single inch until one of them goes down into the land of dreams. Zaromskis still has that killer head kick, Daley still has dynamite in his hands. It wouldn’t be pretty, it may even be a step back considering how hot of a commodity Daley is right now, but it would be one fantastic fight.

3. Evangelista Santos

Who makes for an even better opponent for “Semtex” than Marius Zaromskis? The man who beat him, of course. Unfortunately known as “the other Cyborg”, Santos has been scraping and clawing his way towards Welterweight legitimacy for the better part of a decade. He attacks with reckless abandon, he comes to either get the knockout or get knocked out. This seems to be the most likely opponent for Daley, and there’s good reason for it: this fight is a solid test for both men and could be a Fight of the Night-caliber showdown if it lives up to its potential.

2. Jay Hieron

The unsung star of Strikeforce’s Welterweight division, Jay Hieron gets far less credit than he deserves. He’s lost only four times in his seven-year career, and has nineteen victories (some of them against pretty decent competition) to his name. If Hieron wins, it would prove once and for all that he’s championship-caliber. If Daley wins, it proves once and for all that he belongs near the top of any promotion’s Welterweight division. It’s a trial by fire for both men, and it has the makings of a great fight.

But of course, #1 simply has got to go to…

1. Nick Diaz

Sometimes the most obvious examples are still the best ones. Anyone with a brain knows that Diaz/Daley would be a dream-match, and there’s plenty of reasons why. Daley is a brawler, Diaz is highly unorthodox but surprisingly technical. Daley has a weak ground game, both Diaz brothers have vastly under-rated ground games. They’re both bad boys who love to get in their opponent’s faces and talk ridiculous amounts of trash. It has all the makings of a fantastic and oh-so-bitter MMA rivalry, so Diaz/Daley easily takes the #1 spot.

And that’s my list, fans and friends. What do you think? And who would you like to see “Semtex” face in Strikeforce?

Paul Daley has seen his fair share of highs and lows throughout his tumultuous career. His run as a potential Welterweight contender in the now-defunct Elite XC promotion would be cut short by Jake Shields in a bout that snapped Daley’s six-fight winning streak, all of which came by stoppage (in one way or another) due to strikes. Ironically, Daley would fall to another high-caliber wrestler and once again have a good winning streak snapped when Josh Koscheck picked him apart so thoroughly that Daley famously attacked Koscheck post-fight out of frustration, a move that resulted in a lifetime ban from the UFC courtesy of UFC President Dana White. Daley has competed twice since getting the axe from the world’s biggest MMA promotion, and he’s won both times. Most recently, Daley outweighed (and was fined accordingly) but ultimately outpointed Jorge Masvidal at Shark Fights 13.

It is not currently confirmed who Daley will face, although the rumor mill seems to be pointing in the direction of Evangelista Santos, another hard-hitting Welterweight striker. He’s coming off of a two-fight, two-(T)KO win streak, but Santos is perhaps best known as the husband of female sensation Cristiane Santos. Evangelista “Cyborg” is a tough opponent even if his wife is more famous, and should be an excellent test for “Semtex”.

And in regards to Semtex fighting in Strikeforce? I’ve got no major problems with it. As I’ve said before, I believe that what Daley did was wrong but not exactly Scarlet Letter-worthy. Love him or hate him, Paul Daley is one of the last true, great, high-level pure strikers left in a Welterweight division that is becoming increasingly dominated by wrestlers. He will likely always be one-dimensional, with his kryptonite forever being the ground game, but against the right opponents Daley is a flawless striker that could become a major-name star and a marketable draw.

I think Daley has some good fights in store for him in Strikeforce. I honestly think he’ll work his way up to a title shot sooner rather than later, seeing that the UFC has almost all of the best Welterweights and “Semtex” has already proven that he can hang with most of them. But therein lies the rub: the UFC may have almost all of the top-ranked Welterweights, but Strikeforce has Nick Diaz. Diaz remains one of Strikeforce’s best fighters, and in a match pitting two controversial bad boys who love to strike against each other, Diaz/Daley would be a major-money fight that would likely score several Fight of the Year nominations.

Of course, all of this hinges on Daley being able to control his temper and make weight. Being controversial is fine, showing up out-of-shape is an entirely different scenario. Daley is beginning to become a repeat loser in the battle against the scale, and he needs to take his weight-cutting regimen seriously if he wants to make the most out of this Strikeforce deal. And he needs to keep that hot temper in check, or else he’ll find that he’s burned bridges with the two biggest sources of income he could ever possibly have.

But when all is said and done, I’m pretty hopeful for Paul Daley in Strikeforce. If he’s used right, and matched up against the right kinds of opponents, he has a good shot at winning several fights in dominating fashion. Paul Daley may always be one-dimensional, but at least he’s really entertaining in that one dimension. I look forward to seeing him debut in Strikeforce.

And what about you, fans and friends? Now that it’s official, how far do you see “Semtex” going in Strikeforce?

Here’s what Masvidal had to say over at BuddhaSport.com: “I signed a 6 fight, 2 year deal with Strikeforce. Let the world know I am going to knock out everybody they put in front of me. I don’t have an opponent yet but I want a big fight; you know. I want Melendez or the next big name. No B level fighters. Beerbohm is good but nobody really knows him. I would like to get Kawajiri, that would be great. That fight with Daley was bull****. I am ready to get back in there and kick some ass.”

I honestly have to laugh at Masvidal’s assertion that he’s ready for Strikeforce’s best Lightweights right out of the gate. Of course he’s not ready. He doesn’t have the record to justify an immediate title shot: he’s 1-2 in his last three, and 3-3 in his last six. Masvidal belongs on a Challengers show, and the odds are that that’ll be where he ends up. His big victories in Strikeforce were against Ryan Healy and Matt Lee. Also, he’s far more famous for being choked out via an Inverted Triangle courtesy of Toby Imada than for anything else he’s ever done as a professional Mixed Martial Artist. Masvidal has little-to-no name value right now, and I have no idea where this bravado is coming from, other than a place of ignorance and downright stupidity.

And the fight with Daley was a bad one…because Masvidal was so gun-shy that all he did was defend and take Daley down. Masvidal was afraid of Daley, plain and simple, and my how it showed in their fight. What I find especially hilarious is that Masvidal went the safe route, which is to take Daley to the ground, and he still couldn’t beat Daley. Josh Koscheck outwrestled Daley so badly that Daley couldn’t take the hit to his ego and attacked “KOS” after the bell. Masvidal did such a poor job on taking Daley down and keeping him down that “Semtex” was able to steal the third round and clinch the unanimous decision.

Now, in spite of all that, I actually think that Masvidal can have a decent run in Strikeforce. At the end of the day, he can be a pretty talented fighter when he wants to be. I just have a huge problem with him spouting off about how he’s going to knock everyone out and how he wants an immediate title shot. If Masvidal had been humble in accepting a Strikeforce contract after losing two of his last three fights, if he had been respectable of Strikeforce’s Lightweight talent and admitted that he had a long road ahead of him to get to the title but was willing to try his best to do it…if all of that happened, this would’ve been a very different opinion piece. If all that went down, I’d support Masvidal’s transition to Strikeforce 100%.

Now I just want to see him get schooled. I think Masvidal is underestimating Strikeforce’s Lightweights in a big way. If Masvidal comes in with an unwarranted ego and unjustifiable bravado, he’ll likely hit a brick wall in a big way if he gets matched up with Strikeforce’s best right from the get-go. He’ll probably get a couple of wins under his belt, I’ll give him credit where credit is due. But does anyone see Jorge Masvidal as a Strikeforce Lightweight Champion? I certainly don’t.

But what about you, fans and friends? How successful will Masvidal be in his return to Strikeforce?

“Semtex” recently told MMAWeekly the following in regards to how his termination from the UFC was handled: “To this day I’ve still never heard nothing from Dana. With all the talk Dana gives and the attitude of being a big man that he is, he could have at least came to my face and said ‘Paul, I don’t respect what you did, I think you’re an (expletive) or a jerk or whatever, you’re not going to fight here again’. But still to this day, I’ve had no phone call, no e-mail, no nothing, so that just goes to show the treatment I received having fought (Martin) Kampmann at late notice, and fought co-main event on my second fight in the UFC, and done a bunch of media work for them in the U.K. There’s some things I don’t agree with, but I’m happy to move on.”

In regards to Paul Daley’s lifetime ban from the UFC, I’m one of the ones that think that there’s a real gray area regarding the situation. Yes, what Daley did was wrong. Unquestionably wrong, in fact. He deserved to be fined, punished, and suspended. But permanently exiling him from the UFC? Stick him on the undercard, make him compete on the lower-end shows, give him a UFC-mandated suspension that lasts longer than the suspension the athletic commission handed down. The UFC has given second chances to countless people that have made mistakes in the past. Paul Daley could have been huge in the UFC. But since Dana White was so hell-bent on making an example out of Daley following the notorious post-fight brawl in Strikeforce, we as UFC fans are missing out on one of the best pure strikers left in a division that is almost completely dominated by wrestlers.

However, I think Paul Daley is causing controversy for controversy’s sake if he begins to criticize how he was fired in addition to why he was fired. Of course Dana White never said anything face-to-face: he probably wanted to distance himself from Daley as much as possible, and if you asked him, the foul-mouthed promoter would likely say that Paul Daley isn’t worth his time. And remember, none of this would have happened if Daley had just kept his cool in the first place. We can blame White for overreacting all we want, but at the end of the day it’s Daley that chose to put himself on this path when he attacked Josh Koscheck after the bell.

All in all, I think Paul Daley’s future is bright with or without the UFC. He’s very marketable, and he comes to fight. Whether in Strikeforce or even the Japanese-based DREAM, I see “Semtex” back on the main stage sooner rather than later.

And if you’re wondering, I’m one of the ones that think that Daley will get a second chance in the UFC one day, so long as he keeps winning fights. Dana White is just as famous for going back on his outlandish statements as he is for making them in the first place.

And what about you, fans and friends? What are your feelings on the Paul Daley situation as he moves forward in his career?