Shamrock vs Diaz Set

by Robert Sargent

Adding to its already impressive April 11th card, Strikeforce has announced the signing of a 179-pound catchweight bout between legendary former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Frank Shamrock and former EliteXC and UFC contender Nick Diaz.

Shamrock (23-9-2) last competed against Cung Le and suffered a broken arm in a Strikeforce Middleweight Championship loss. Diaz (18-7-0, 1 ND) defeated Thomas Denny last July.

The bout is a very interesting one, as Shamrock and Diaz are among the most outspoken and, especially in the case of Diaz, controversial fighters in the sport. Both have made careers out of hyping fights with pre-fight trash talk, but both also possess the skills to back it up when the bell sounds.

Following a lengthy tenure in Pancrase, and later becoming a champion with a perfect 5-0 record in the UFC, Shamrock first retired from active competition in 2000, but returned for one fight in the WEC in 2003. It would be nearly three years to the day before Shamrock would fight again, but he made an immediate impact by knocking out the famed Cesar Gracie in just 21 seconds at a Strikeforce event in March of 2006. Gracie is the long-time trainer and mentor of Diaz.

Shamrock later went on to capture the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship when he submitted another MMA bad boy, "The New York Bad Ass" Phil Baroni, in June of 2007. Though he lost the title to Le, it is clear that Shamrock still has enough fight left in him to pose major problems for many of today's top stars.

Diaz, on the other hand, rose to prominence in the UFC. Wins over future EliteXC Middleweight Champion "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler and Drew Fickett put Diaz on the fast track to success, but losses to Karo Parisyan, Diego Sanchez, Joe Riggs and Sean Sherk left Diaz on the outside looking in. Though he concluded his UFC career with a pair of stoppage wins over Josh Neer and Gleison Tibau, Diaz was cut from the UFC and moved to the PRIDE promotion.

Though controversy had long followed Diaz, it was his lone PRIDE bout, against PRIDE Lightweight Champion Takanori "Fireball Kid" Gomi at PRIDE 33, that really made headlines. Diaz was brutally battered in the opening minutes, and eventually suffered a broken orbital bone and badly bloodied eye and face, but Gomi - who was rumoured to have been out partying the night before - horribly fatigued and was eventually submitted with a gogoplata. However, Diaz tested positive for marijuana after the fight, and the bout was ruled a No Decision.

Diaz moved on to the now-defunct EliteXC promotion, where he debuted with a "victory" over the little-known Mike Aina. Diaz was dropped multiple times in the fight and looked to have lost all three rounds, yet was awarded what can only be described as a gift by the judges. Further controversy followed when Diaz was defeated via cuts by EliteXC Lightweight Champion KJ Noons, but Diaz fought back with wins over Katsuya Inoue (at DREAM.3), Muhsin Corrbrey and the aforementioned Denny.

This bout is a pivotal one in both fighters' careers. A loss for Shamrock could prove to be his final fight, as he has recently transitioned successfully into commentating and may look to begin a new career in that regard. A loss for Diaz could all but eliminate any hopes he has for ever possessing a world title. Wins, on the other hand, would immediately vault either fighter into title contention for Strikeforce championships.


Already confirmed for the April 11th card is a middleweight bout between former EliteXC Middleweight title challenger Scott "Hands of Steel" Smith and Benji "Razor" Radach. Other fighters rumoured to be competing include former Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Gilbert "El Niņo" Melendez, one-time EliteXC star Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson and female standout Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos. In addition, Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair "Demolition Man" Overeem may also return to Strikeforce competition.

The event will be one of five "main-event" level cards planned for Strikeforce in 2009, in addition to five other "contender" shows throughout the year. This will increase to 16 total events in 2010.

With more blockbuster fights expected to be announced in the coming days and weeks, Strikeforce seems well on its way to solidifying its place among the elite MMA promotions in the world.