Matt Hughes: GSP Will Beat Diaz and Silva

Diaz Inks Deal To Have Walk-out Music at UFC 137

The evolution of sponsors in the MMA game can usually only go so far.

Patches on fight shorts, t-shirts, an occasional can of an energy drink, and supplements are the standards in the MMA world of sponsorships.

Coker: Diaz Will Be Only Fighter To Cross Organizations

For those of you fanboys waiting for lightweight champ Gilbert Melendez to vacate his Strikeforce belt and challenge for a UFC crown, don’t hold your breath.

Nick Diaz Vacates Strikeforce Belt

According to UFC President Dana White, Nick Diaz is now a UFC fighter and has vacated his Strikeforce welterweight belt to get a shot at UFC champion Georges St-Pierre.

White to Diaz: Please Don't Flip Off and Threaten the Fans

"I talked to them again here tonight," White said after the soldout UFC 129 show. "When they got off the stage [Friday], the were yelling [expletive] at fans, and Nate Diaz starts flipping everybody off when they get off the stage. Everywhere we go, I talk to those two first and say, 'Be cool. Everything is going to be good, right?'"

"They're unique individuals, those two. I like them. I like their attitudes. I like their styles. You've got to play the game a little bit, please. And please don't flip off fans and threaten to kick everyone's asses."

But if Nick Diaz can make that commitment, is a return to the UFC a legit possibility? After all, since leaving the organization in 2006, Diaz is 11-1 and now ranked among the world's top welterweights.

Despite the UFC's recent purchase of Strikeforce and his promise that business would continue "as usual," is there anything that could prevent White from setting up St-Pierre (22-2 MMA, 16-2 UFC) vs. Diaz (25-7 MMA, 6-4 UFC)?

Full Article & Source: MMA Junkie

Mayhem, Why On The Shelf So Long?

Ever wonder where Jason 'Mayhem' Miller went? Last time we saw him in the cage was against the legendary Kazushi Sakuraba where Miller found a win with a triangle choke early in the first round. But, before that, the last time he fought in America under Strikeforce was back in April of 2010. He faced Tim Stout and won via TKO again in the first round.

Questions began to arise, where has Miller been? Well, unfortunately it turns out the reason he has not been back in the cage here in the states are for some very specific reasons. It all boils down to the good old Strikeforce 'Nashville Brawl.' Miller stepped into the cage after Jake Shields got finished destroying Dan Henderson in a five round war for the middleweight belt. Jason asked for a rematch and that's when Melendez and the Diaz brothers came to the aid of Shields and began the tussle with Miller.

Strikeforce Payouts: Diaz V Daley

Some four days after the main event this past Saturday in Strikeforce's latest card, we saw some fighters walk away with impressive performances.

Melendez dismantled Kawajiri in the first round. The referee, Cecil Peoples stepped in as Melendez was in Kawajiri's open guard administering a barrage of elbows.

Diaz also successfully defends his title against the British striker Paul Daley. Another first round TKO for the local Skrap Pack left those who are not fans of the family from the 209 with bitter tastes in their mouths.

Zuffa released the payroll for the fighter's and it sure varies by a whole lot. Check out the main event and then compare it to the opening bout of the card. Fair? That's your call.

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

Nick Diaz: Daley Can Have Belt

Nick Diaz has some harsh words for Strikeforce and for possibly his fan base. In a recent interview he was quoted as saying:


"(About UFC buying Strikeforce) Honestly, I don't understand this whole thing. I'm way too busy training. It's hard for me to understand what's going on. But I knew there was a reason why I never strapped that belt around my waist. Whatever, champion, whatever. (Paul Daley) can have the belt. I'm fighting for money."


"I don't feel like a champion right now that the UFC bought this organization. I don't understand all that. I thought we were competing with the UFC. I thought my belt was potentially just as important as the UFC belt and we had the best fighters here (in Strikeforce); more technical martial artists and stand-up fighters."


"But now this is all about going to the UFC so I don't care about the Strikeforce belt. There was a reason why I never put that shit on anyways."

 




He says this coming into the fight at this point less than 48 hours away. Is this is insight into the fighter coming into the cage or will Diaz be the same? Will the lack of luster for the belt have gotten into his head too much? Is the paycheck enough to fight more tough because Zuffa can potentially pay more?

Let us know your thoughts and check out: Bloody Elbow

Nick Diaz Not A Fan Of Unified Rules

The first change to the promotion following the transaction was to implement the Unified Rules in Strikeforce, allowing the use of elbows to the head of a grounded fighter.

Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz has been a critic of the new change.

“I like it because it just reminds me of the way the Pride rules used to be because that’s the way mixed martial arts should be because it favors mixed martial artists and the more technical grappler and the more technical stand up fighter,” said Diaz about Strikeforce’s old rules.

“It’s in favor of everybody except for maybe the wrestler or a stronger guy who is going to hold control."

According to Diaz, elbows to the head on the ground makes fights less exciting.

“The elbows just kind of help it so that they’re not going to stand the fight up. Because if the guy is holding you, then they’re like, ‘okay, let’s see some action,’ so the guy doesn’t let go, he just throws those short elbows. I think it’s boring. That’s the only reason why I have criticism towards the whole thing,” he said.

Diaz actually does have another reason to dislike the rule change. Elbows cause cuts.

Source & Article: Heavy

Nick Diaz's Top 10 Moments

There's a good chance Nick Diaz will wow us Saturday night on Showtime. The Strikeforce welterweight champion always seems to. Whether its extracurricular brawling, taunts galore, exotic submissions, or just plain excellence, Diaz never fails to delight. But whatever happens in the Paul Daley fight, it would have to be pretty special to supplant any of these moments from the Diaz highlight reel. With no further ado, let's run down Nick Diaz's top ten moments in chronological order.

 
10. Nick Diaz versus Robbie Lawler
Lawler was the UFC's golden boy. To Dana White, he could do no wrong. People compared him to Tyson with a straight face. Leave it to the kid from Stockton to open up eyes. Diaz, a grappler by trade, stood toe to toe with the dangerous Lawler. Not only did he beat him at his own game, he talked a better game too. Although it was his second UFC fight, it was the first time fans got to see the real Nick Diaz.



9. Nick Diaz versus Karo Pariysan
Karo Pariysan's potential seemed unlimited. Before depression and drugs sidetracked a promising career, he had a series of great fights, including a beauty with Diaz at UFC 49. The grappling exchanges had to be seen to be believed and both men left the cage bigger stars than they entered it. A great fight.



8. Nick Diaz versus Diego Sanchez
Diaz spoke for a lot of UFC veterans when he criticized Sanchez and other products of The Ultimate Fighter. It's hard to imagine now, but there was the idea at the time that the reality television stars weren't real fighters yet and didn't deserve prominent roles in the suddenly thriving UFC. Sanchez flushed that notion down the toilet by beating Diaz in the cage.

Rest of Article: Bloody Elbow

Diaz V Daley Breakdown

This coming Saturday April 9th, we see Strikeforce's next event Diaz Daley. The bout is slated to be held in San Diego at the Valley View Casino as the main event.

This fight will be for the Strikeforce Welterweight title. Diaz (24-7) is undefeated under the Strikeforce banner and looks to put his sixth straight win in the organizations in the record books up against Paul Daley (27-9).

Daley earned his shot for the title by winning the main event back on February 26th at BAMMA 5 against Yuya Sharai. The fight only lasted one minute and 46 seconds where Daley found his fists ending the night of Sharai with a flurry up against the cage.

Diaz has a No Contest due to a positive test for Marijuana and a Loss via TKO (cut, doctor stoppage) to K.J. Noons in recent years that attribute to his losing record, but the Stockton native has not lost a battle in over five years. His last real loss came at the hands of former UFC Lightweight champion Sean Sherk via decision.

This bout will no doubt be a test for both fighters. Daley will have to overcome the impressive ground game of Diaz, and Diaz will have to stay focused on his game plan.

Daley has one of the most vicious left hooks in all of mixed martial arts, and could find the chin of Diaz, although this will prove to be a tough test to walk away with a KO because Diaz has only lost to strikes once, and that was back in 2002. Semtex also has seen holes in his takedown defense, most recently in his loss to Koscheck at UFC 113 in May of 2010 where he found himself on his back for three straight rounds.

Diaz on the other hand will have to stick to his game plan. His background comes from Gracie Jiu Jitsu underneath the teachings of Cesar Gracie. Nick Diaz has a chin of steel which we have seen in past fights. He has been known to stand in the pocket and take punches, while dishing them back out in two and threefold with his speed and precision.

Diaz will have the edge coming into the fight as a much more well rounded fighter. Daley has predicted a KO by the third round, and Diaz has been oddly quiet about the upcoming fight. At the end of the day Diaz must take Daley to the ground and use his superior ground game to submit the striker. If Diaz decides to stand a exchange punches, he may see stars by the end of the night. This will be a difficult task because Diaz is known for playing to the game plan of the opponent.

Let BJJardos know what you think about the fight. Pick how you think the fight will end over on the right side of the page and then tune into Showtime this Saturday at 7 pm Pacific & 10 pm Eastern for the fights.

Paul Daley Signs on Dotted Line

Since the recent acquisition of Strikeforce underneath the Zuffa banner, the Nick Diaz, Paul Daley fight got interesting. Paul Dley was released by the UFC back in 2010 following his post-fight punch directed towards Josh Koscheck. Dana White went on record stating that Paul Daley would never fight in the UFC again. Well, much like Rashad this last weekend in the cage with Jones, "Well, I guess you should never say never."

Paul Daley since hearing of the purchase began to run his mouth on the blogs and internet saying he would back out of the April 9th fight for the Strikeforce Welterweight title because he refused to 'fight for' Dana White and 'make himand Zuffa money'. Rumors began swirling around the underground about who would replace Daley on a few weeks notice. The threat left some wondering if the UFC might put one of their own fighters into the Strikeforce bout if need be.

All was silenced yesterday afternoon when Nick Diaz's trainer and manager, Cesar Gracie confirmed that on Tuesday afternoon, Paul Daley signed the contract to fight. The two will be headlining a stacked card that is still yet to be completed, although four total fights have been signed. The co-main event sees Gilbert Melendez defending his lightweight title against Tatsuya Kawajiri, Gegard Mousasi takes on quickly rising Mike Pyle, and in a battle of the 'fancy pants fighters', Shinya Aoki battle Lyle Beerbohm.

DALEY ON DIAZ...AGAIN

Paul Daly continued his tirade on local boy Nick Diaz. The Stockton, CA native will be putting his title on the line in the main even Saturday April 9th in sunny San Diego. He was recently interviewed by MMA HQ and went on record making predictions about the fight and his personal opinion on the Strikeforce 'heel' persona that Diaz has take on over the years due to his no love loss attitude and inside cage antics, with his lowest point being the Nashville Strikeforce brawl involving Jason Miller, Jake Shields, and Gilbert Melendez.

Here are some quotes from the interview, the full one can be read here


Do you honestly think that Nick Diaz will stand up with you?

There’s no way he’ll stand up with me. He might think he wants to but his coaches won’t allow it; Cesar Gracie’s a great coach and he won’t want him trading punches.

Do you ever want to fight back in the UFC or do you just want to fight?
I just want to fight against decent competition and be able to live the life of a fighter and pay my bills. The thing is there’s a lot of great fighters in different organisations and the UFC doesn’t have such a stranglehold on all the best talent.
It’s great for fighters who want to fight often against good guys and maybe don’t want to fight in the UFC.

PAUL DALEY ON TAP FOR DIAZ

Scott Coker stated at the last Strikeforce event, that if Paul Daley beat his opponent in the BAMMA 5, the young Brit would earn the next title shot against Nick Diaz near early April.

Tonight, Daley only took minutes to dispose of the Yuya Shirai and proved his stance as the next title contender. Even though Daley came in overweight for the fifth time in eleven fights, he still promised an exciting fight and a first round knockout.

Daley delivered with a nasty uppercut, left hook combination that resulted in a KO victory for the young phenom.

Full article and more information can be found through MMA Weekly.