Nick Diaz vs KJ Noons rematch set for Oct. 9th in San Jose

Strikeforce has issued a press release announcing that Nick Diaz will indeed defend his Strikeforce welterweight title in a rematch with KJ Noons at the October 9th event that will take place in San Jose, CA.

Yesterday, in the ”Strikeforce Insider” newsletter, the company accidentally listed “Diaz vs Noons” on the ticket information for the event so this isn’t a huge surprise, but many people had more desire to see Diaz and Jason Miller settle their unfinished business instead.

Diaz and Noons have some friction themselves spawning from when they squared off in Elite XC previously, but it’s been so long that most fans don’t remember or, frankly, don’t care.

Strikeforce filled with highs and lows in Houston

by Adam Lawman

Yeah….So that happened last night.

There was a lot to love about Strikeforce: Houston but there was also quite a bit to loathe. For every stunning KO and takedown there was a referee issue or something else to counter the excitement. Overall, the event was a gambler’s dream with many underdogs finding their way to the win column, including the first fight of the night (and biggest upset) which saw Chad Griggs work through 16 months of ring rust to defeat the over-hyped Bobby Lashley.

Ryan Couture, son of Randy, signs with Strikeforce; Pro debut on August 13th

Strikeforce has officially announced the signing of Ryan Couture, son of UFC hall of famer Randy Couture, who will compete on the Strikeforce Challengers card in Phoenix next month. He and his opponent, Lucas Stark, will both be making their professional MMA debuts.

Ryan Couture (amateur: 5-1-1) has previously fought with the amateur MMA promotion Tuff-N-Uff, based out of Las Vegas. His most recent fight with them, his last amateur bout, proved to be filled with controversy when the young star was choked into unconsciousness by his opponent Sean Bollinger, yet Couture still managed to avoid a loss and pick up a draw.

Jake Shields has signed with the UFC; Debuts vs Martin Kampmann at UFC 121

Jake Shields officially signed with the UFC today, in a move that most MMA observers saw from a mile away. He has agreed to cut back down to welterweight (170 lbs.) after suggestions from UFC officials. Shields’ will set his target for a journey towards current UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre, but first in his path will be Martin Kampmann at UFC 121 in Anaheim, California.

Shields was released by Strikeforce just weeks ago, making him available to finalize his UFC contract sooner than later and allowing for Strikeforce themselves to save some cash as well. Shields, one of Strikeforce’s biggest stars, was swayed mostly by the UFC’s ability to produce better competition, however Strikeforce’s failure to successfully promote him definitely factored into the equation.

Cris Cyborg: Unstoppable?

Cris Cyborg mauled Jan Finney last night… and without a doubt, Jan deserves some credit for toughing it out, despite having punches, kicks and knees raining down on her almost non-stop. I dont believe that there is a female middleweight that can beat Cyborg at this point. I’ve heard people mention that Cyborg should be fighting men from now on, because it’s just no competition with the females anymore; it’s predictable that Cyborg is going to win whatever fight she’s in.  Dana White really ought to consider allowing females to fight in the UFC, because Cyborg appears to have outgrown her competition in Strikeforce. There are a few other females that I’m sure could do quite well in the UFC… maybe sometime in the next few years we’ll see females fighting in the UFC… maybe… because until there is a tougher field for Cris Cyborg, she’s gonna be unstoppable.