Returning to mixed martial arts after a successful tenure in boxing, former EliteXC Lightweight Champion “King” Karl James (KJ) Noons has signed a multi-fight deal with Strikeforce and is expected to make his promotional debut on January 30, 2010 in Sunrise, Florida.
Noons is most famous for his heated grudge match title fight with the ever-controversial Nick Diaz at EliteXC: “Renegade” in November of 2007, which Noons won when the cageside doctor stopped the fight after the first round due to cuts around Diaz’s eyes.
The Strikeforce middleweight division became a lot more interesting today when the promotion announced the signing of “Marvellous” Melvin Manhoef, who is arguably the most feared striker in all of mixed martial arts and advanced to the semi-finals of the DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix last year with a pair of vicious knockouts.
UFC welterweight contender Josh Koscheck may get a chance to avenge his humbling February knockout loss to Paulo Thiago, as the pair are reportedly set to compete in a rematch at UFC 109, which takes place just shy of one year after their first meeting at UFC 95.
With his extremely impressive WEC Featherweight Championship win over Mike Brown at WEC 44, Jose “Junior” Aldo claims the top spot in the 145-pound rankings, but a busy month of fights in November has resulted in many other changes among the divisions.