KJ Noons vs Nick Diaz 2 Set For October 9thJust shy of three years after their first bout ended in controversy, “King” KJ Noons and Nick Diaz will once again square off for a major title on October 9th. Noons will challenge for Diaz’s Strikeforce Welterweight Championship at Strikeforce: “Diaz vs Noons 2” at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. The promotion officially confirmed the fight today.

Noons became the first EliteXC Lightweight (160-Pound) Champion when he defeated Diaz at EliteXC: “Renegade” on November 10, 2007. The fight was stopped after the first round due to multiple lacerations around Diaz’s eyes.

Noons (10-2-0), who held the EliteXC title until the promotion stripped him of the belt shortly before its closure, has won four straight fights since the controversial bout with Diaz, which ended with an in-cage brawl that involved members of both fighters’ families. Noons took nearly two years away from MMA to pursue a career as a professional boxer before returning this March at Dream.13 in a bout with Andre “Dida” Amado. He has since totalled Strikeforce victories over Conor “The Hurricane” Heun and, this past Saturday, Jorge “J.G.” Gurgel. Noons will move up in weight to challenge for Diaz’s title.

Diaz (22-7-0, 1 ND) has long been one of the most polarising fighters in mixed martial arts. His brash attitude and affinity for trash talking has endeared him to some and incited dislike among others. An incredible 19 of Diaz’s career victories have come by stoppage and he has won seven fights in a row since the loss to Noons. Among Diaz’s recent victories are wins over Frank Shamrock, Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith and Marius “The Whitemare” Zaromskis. The latter of which netted Diaz the Strikeforce Welterweight Championship. In May, Diaz travelled to Japan and submitted Hayato “Mach” Sakurai with a first-round armbar at Dream.14. He will now return to Strikeforce to defend his title.

Strikeforce: “Diaz vs Noons 2” takes place on October 9th at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. The co-main event features Strikeforce Women’s Welterweight (135-Pound) Champion Sarah Kaufman defending her title against Dutch submission specialist Marloes “Rumina” Coenen, who will drop down in weight for the fight. Middleweight veteran Matt “The Law” Lindland faces rising star Luke Rockhold in another featured bout on the card.

 

 

(Photo Credit: Sherdog.com)