Strikeforce San Diego: Diaz vs Daley *April 9th*
- Thread starter B-Buzz
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Jardine replaces injured Kyle, faces Mousasi at "Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley"
"The Dean of Mean" will get another shot at the big show.
Strikeforce officials today announced that Keith Jardine (17-9-1 MMA, 0-0 SF), a 13-time UFC veteran, has agreed to step in one just one-week's notice and face Gegard Mousasi (30-3-1 MMA, 2-1 SF) at "Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley."
The slot becomes available when Mike Kyle broke his right hand in training and was forced to withdraw from the contest.
"Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley" takes place April 9 at Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, and the main card airs live on Showtime. The event is headlined by a welterweight title fight between reigning champ Nick Diaz and challenger Paul Daley.
While Jardine recently endured a five-fight losing streak that including four defeats in the octagon and a release from the UFC, he's since battled back with two-straight wins. Jardine most recently earned a first-round TKO victory over Aron Lofton at an event New Mexico on March 4.
Mousasi, meanwhile, enjoys a two-fight win streak since the loss of his Strikeforce title to Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal this past August.
jardine is gonna get murked
"The Dean of Mean" will get another shot at the big show.
Strikeforce officials today announced that Keith Jardine (17-9-1 MMA, 0-0 SF), a 13-time UFC veteran, has agreed to step in one just one-week's notice and face Gegard Mousasi (30-3-1 MMA, 2-1 SF) at "Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley."
The slot becomes available when Mike Kyle broke his right hand in training and was forced to withdraw from the contest.
"Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley" takes place April 9 at Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, and the main card airs live on Showtime. The event is headlined by a welterweight title fight between reigning champ Nick Diaz and challenger Paul Daley.
While Jardine recently endured a five-fight losing streak that including four defeats in the octagon and a release from the UFC, he's since battled back with two-straight wins. Jardine most recently earned a first-round TKO victory over Aron Lofton at an event New Mexico on March 4.
Mousasi, meanwhile, enjoys a two-fight win streak since the loss of his Strikeforce title to Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal this past August.
jardine is gonna get murked
"Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley" official with 10 bouts, six preliminary-card additions
The fight card for next weekend's "Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley" event is now official with the addition of six preliminary-card bouts.
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) previously reported five of the matchups, including a featured untelevised attraction of DREAM featherweight champ Hiroyuki Takaya (15-8-1 MMA, 0-0 SF) vs. Robert Peralta (13-3 MMA, 0-0 SF).
"Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley" takes place April 9 at Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, and the main card airs live on Showtime.
The event is co-headlined by a welterweight title fight between reigning champion Nick Diaz and Paul Daley, as well as lightweight champ Gilbert Melendez vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri.
Takaya returns to the U.S. for the first time since a two-fight stint with the WEC in 2008. Since then, the Japanese fighter has competed exclusively in DREAM, where he posted a runner-up finish in the organization's 2009 featherweight grand prix. He also defeated then-DREAM champ Bibiano Fernandes for the title in his most recent fight. He's now won three straight and six of his past eight.
He faces another Strikeforce newcomer in Peralta, who enters the promotion on the heels of a six-fight win streak in the California-based Gladiator Challenge organization. All of the wins have come via stoppage, though his opposition has a combined 5-11 record. However, Peralta does own an early-2009 victory over current Tachi Palace Fights flyweight champion Darrell Montague.
Other action includes heavyweights Brett Albee (3-0 MMA, 0-0 SF) vs. Virgil Zwicker (9-2 MMA, 0-1 SF), lightweights Joe Duarte (5-2 MMA, 0-0 SF) vs. Saad Awad (8-3 MMA, 0-0 SF), welterweights Herman Terrado (5-2 MMA, 0-0 SF) vs. A.J. Matthews (4-0 MMA, 0-0 SF), featherweights Rolando Perez (5-4-1 MMA, 0-0 SF) vs. Edgar Cardenas (3-0 MMA, 0-0 SF), and welterweights Casey Ryan (1-0 MMA, 0-0 SF) vs. Paul Song (2-0 MMA, 0-0 SF).
The official card now includes:
MAIN CARD
Champ Nick Diaz vs. Paul Daley (for welterweight title)
Champ Gilbert Melendez vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri (for lightweight title)
Keith Jardine vs. Gegard Mousasi
Shinya Aoki vs. Lyle Beerbohm
PRELIMINARY CARD
Robert Peralta vs. Hiroyuki Takaya
Brett Albee vs. Virgil Zwicker
Saad Awad vs. Joe Duarte
A.J. Matthews vs. Herman Terrado
Edgar Cardenas vs. Rolando Perez
Casey Ryan vs. Paul Song
The fight card for next weekend's "Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley" event is now official with the addition of six preliminary-card bouts.
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) previously reported five of the matchups, including a featured untelevised attraction of DREAM featherweight champ Hiroyuki Takaya (15-8-1 MMA, 0-0 SF) vs. Robert Peralta (13-3 MMA, 0-0 SF).
"Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley" takes place April 9 at Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, and the main card airs live on Showtime.
The event is co-headlined by a welterweight title fight between reigning champion Nick Diaz and Paul Daley, as well as lightweight champ Gilbert Melendez vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri.
Takaya returns to the U.S. for the first time since a two-fight stint with the WEC in 2008. Since then, the Japanese fighter has competed exclusively in DREAM, where he posted a runner-up finish in the organization's 2009 featherweight grand prix. He also defeated then-DREAM champ Bibiano Fernandes for the title in his most recent fight. He's now won three straight and six of his past eight.
He faces another Strikeforce newcomer in Peralta, who enters the promotion on the heels of a six-fight win streak in the California-based Gladiator Challenge organization. All of the wins have come via stoppage, though his opposition has a combined 5-11 record. However, Peralta does own an early-2009 victory over current Tachi Palace Fights flyweight champion Darrell Montague.
Other action includes heavyweights Brett Albee (3-0 MMA, 0-0 SF) vs. Virgil Zwicker (9-2 MMA, 0-1 SF), lightweights Joe Duarte (5-2 MMA, 0-0 SF) vs. Saad Awad (8-3 MMA, 0-0 SF), welterweights Herman Terrado (5-2 MMA, 0-0 SF) vs. A.J. Matthews (4-0 MMA, 0-0 SF), featherweights Rolando Perez (5-4-1 MMA, 0-0 SF) vs. Edgar Cardenas (3-0 MMA, 0-0 SF), and welterweights Casey Ryan (1-0 MMA, 0-0 SF) vs. Paul Song (2-0 MMA, 0-0 SF).
The official card now includes:
MAIN CARD
Champ Nick Diaz vs. Paul Daley (for welterweight title)
Champ Gilbert Melendez vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri (for lightweight title)
Keith Jardine vs. Gegard Mousasi
Shinya Aoki vs. Lyle Beerbohm
PRELIMINARY CARD
Robert Peralta vs. Hiroyuki Takaya
Brett Albee vs. Virgil Zwicker
Saad Awad vs. Joe Duarte
A.J. Matthews vs. Herman Terrado
Edgar Cardenas vs. Rolando Perez
Casey Ryan vs. Paul Song
Daley fights for career, pride vs. Diaz
Opportunities to compete for a title don't come often, but when they do the pressure on a challenger becomes intense. For Strikeforce welterweight Paul Daley, intense doesn't come close to describing the pressure he is under heading into his bout with welterweight champion Nick Diaz on Saturday night (Showtime at 10 ET) in San Diego, Calif.
More than a welterweight title is at stake for the British-based slugger: He needs a win over Diaz to secure his mixed martial arts future.
Daley's financial well-being will be on the line against Diaz. A victory Saturday night will provide him extra leverage at the bargaining table.
"When I become Strikeforce champion, I'll just leave that up to my manager," Daley told ESPN.com during a recent conference call. "I saw Nick Diaz's purse in his last fight, and I would be asking for that kind of money.
"I know he's not probably driving a Honda no more."
If only it was that easy. Daley (27-9-2) is persona non grata with UFC president Dana White.
It stems from a mental meltdown Daley suffered inside the Octagon during his loss in May 2010 to Josh Koscheck at UFC 113. Immediately afterward, White kicked Daley out of the promotion and vowed that he'd never be welcomed to fight there again.
Daley then took his talents to Strikeforce. Zuffa, LLC -- UFC's parent company -- revealed in March that it had purchased Strikeforce -- news that sent Daley into a mental tailspin.
"I wasn't going to take the fight [with Diaz]," Daley said. "I was actually a bit hot-headed at the time. I'm that kind of character.
"Strikeforce was the biggest competition to UFC. And with Dana White kicking me out of UFC, I thrived in knowing I was the rival to UFC. That was driving me," he said.
"The sport's going to be a monopoly. In 10 years' time, people are going to be calling MMA the UFC. That's bad. That's why I wanted to pull out of the fight. But having spoken to my manager and the people around me, it's a big opportunity to become Strikeforce champion. It's a big fight, regardless of who owns the company. So I decided that I would take the fight in the end."
The pressures of financial security and possible future negotiations with Zuffa, LLC -- negotiations which are likely to be strained -- would be more than enough for any fighter to handle, but Daley also has to deal with a not-too-happy Diaz.
Learning that Daley considered pulling out of the fight didn't sit well with the champ.
"This show got pushed back," Diaz told ESPN.com. "I just found out that I'm fighting, and he's talking about he is not going to take the fight, this and that. That's not good for anybody. It's not motivating.
"I'm a fighter and I'm ready to fight. I'm not going to be the one to back out of this. I'm the last person who's going to be the first guy to back out of a fight."
While Diaz (24-7-0) remains miffed by Daley's previous talk of pulling out of the fight, it has done nothing to diminish his focus. He is still eager to get a win Saturday night and retain his belt.
But extending his reign as the Strikeforce welterweight champion isn't his only source of motivation. Diaz fights for himself as well as for his mixed martial arts family.
"My brother [UFC welterweight Nate Diaz] is depending on me; my team's depending on me; my partner [UFC welterweight contender] Jake [Shields] is depending on me to stay in great shape," said Diaz, who will be making the third defense of his Strikeforce title.
It is important to Diaz that he disposes of Daley with as little difficulty or harm to his body as possible. Immediately after his fight with Daley concludes, Diaz will return to Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in Pleasant Hill, Calif., and resume helping his brother, Nate, and close friend, Shields, prepare for their upcoming bouts. Nate Diaz is scheduled to face Rory MacDonald on April 30 at UFC 129 in Toronto, while Shields will battle UFC 170-pound champion Georges St. Pierre on that card's main event.
Getting his brother and Shields ready to win their fights is just as important to Diaz as knocking off Daley. If one of them falters, Diaz's goal will not be accomplished.
"We're a team; we're going to try to win this whole thing," Diaz said. "That's my motivation as far as mixed martial arts goes."
Opportunities to compete for a title don't come often, but when they do the pressure on a challenger becomes intense. For Strikeforce welterweight Paul Daley, intense doesn't come close to describing the pressure he is under heading into his bout with welterweight champion Nick Diaz on Saturday night (Showtime at 10 ET) in San Diego, Calif.
More than a welterweight title is at stake for the British-based slugger: He needs a win over Diaz to secure his mixed martial arts future.
Daley's financial well-being will be on the line against Diaz. A victory Saturday night will provide him extra leverage at the bargaining table.
"When I become Strikeforce champion, I'll just leave that up to my manager," Daley told ESPN.com during a recent conference call. "I saw Nick Diaz's purse in his last fight, and I would be asking for that kind of money.
"I know he's not probably driving a Honda no more."
If only it was that easy. Daley (27-9-2) is persona non grata with UFC president Dana White.
It stems from a mental meltdown Daley suffered inside the Octagon during his loss in May 2010 to Josh Koscheck at UFC 113. Immediately afterward, White kicked Daley out of the promotion and vowed that he'd never be welcomed to fight there again.
Daley then took his talents to Strikeforce. Zuffa, LLC -- UFC's parent company -- revealed in March that it had purchased Strikeforce -- news that sent Daley into a mental tailspin.
"I wasn't going to take the fight [with Diaz]," Daley said. "I was actually a bit hot-headed at the time. I'm that kind of character.
"Strikeforce was the biggest competition to UFC. And with Dana White kicking me out of UFC, I thrived in knowing I was the rival to UFC. That was driving me," he said.
"The sport's going to be a monopoly. In 10 years' time, people are going to be calling MMA the UFC. That's bad. That's why I wanted to pull out of the fight. But having spoken to my manager and the people around me, it's a big opportunity to become Strikeforce champion. It's a big fight, regardless of who owns the company. So I decided that I would take the fight in the end."
The pressures of financial security and possible future negotiations with Zuffa, LLC -- negotiations which are likely to be strained -- would be more than enough for any fighter to handle, but Daley also has to deal with a not-too-happy Diaz.
Learning that Daley considered pulling out of the fight didn't sit well with the champ.
"This show got pushed back," Diaz told ESPN.com. "I just found out that I'm fighting, and he's talking about he is not going to take the fight, this and that. That's not good for anybody. It's not motivating.
"I'm a fighter and I'm ready to fight. I'm not going to be the one to back out of this. I'm the last person who's going to be the first guy to back out of a fight."
While Diaz (24-7-0) remains miffed by Daley's previous talk of pulling out of the fight, it has done nothing to diminish his focus. He is still eager to get a win Saturday night and retain his belt.
But extending his reign as the Strikeforce welterweight champion isn't his only source of motivation. Diaz fights for himself as well as for his mixed martial arts family.
"My brother [UFC welterweight Nate Diaz] is depending on me; my team's depending on me; my partner [UFC welterweight contender] Jake [Shields] is depending on me to stay in great shape," said Diaz, who will be making the third defense of his Strikeforce title.
It is important to Diaz that he disposes of Daley with as little difficulty or harm to his body as possible. Immediately after his fight with Daley concludes, Diaz will return to Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in Pleasant Hill, Calif., and resume helping his brother, Nate, and close friend, Shields, prepare for their upcoming bouts. Nate Diaz is scheduled to face Rory MacDonald on April 30 at UFC 129 in Toronto, while Shields will battle UFC 170-pound champion Georges St. Pierre on that card's main event.
Getting his brother and Shields ready to win their fights is just as important to Diaz as knocking off Daley. If one of them falters, Diaz's goal will not be accomplished.
"We're a team; we're going to try to win this whole thing," Diaz said. "That's my motivation as far as mixed martial arts goes."
This is one of those fights where I don't want to see either lose, but i'm pulling for Semtex in this one for a couple reasons. First if Nick Diaz loses his future is already secure no matter what, Zuffa will keep him around no matter what. If Semtex loses he might be done, it would suck to see probably the best P4P one punch knockout power in the sport being relegated to nothing but B-shows for the rest of his career, a title win will definitely help him stay with Zuffa.
Second reason is maybe if Semtex KO's Diaz then Nick will start being a little less cocky with his stand up. That fight with Cyborg he took waaay too many shots with no head movement and he's talking about taking pro boxing fights this year, he needs to use his boxing to set up his BJJ, not become a pure boxer like he's trying to be. A Semtex KO could be humbling.
Second reason is maybe if Semtex KO's Diaz then Nick will start being a little less cocky with his stand up. That fight with Cyborg he took waaay too many shots with no head movement and he's talking about taking pro boxing fights this year, he needs to use his boxing to set up his BJJ, not become a pure boxer like he's trying to be. A Semtex KO could be humbling.
MAIN CARD
* Champ Nick Diaz (169.75) vs. Paul Daley (169.5)
* Champ Gilbert Melendez (154.75) vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri (154.25)
* Keith Jardine (205) vs. Gegard Mousasi (205.5)
* Shinya Aoki (155) vs. Lyle Beerbohm (155.5)
PRELIMINARY CARD
* Robert Peralta (144.5) vs. Hiroyuki Takaya (144.5)
* Brett Albee (218.5) vs. Virgil Zwicker (222.5)
* Saad Awad (155.5) vs. Joe Duarte (155.5)
* A.J. Matthews (169) vs. Herman Terrado (170.5)
* Edgar Cardenas (139) vs. Rolando Perez (140)
* Casey Ryan (185) vs. Paul Song (184.5)
* Champ Nick Diaz (169.75) vs. Paul Daley (169.5)
* Champ Gilbert Melendez (154.75) vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri (154.25)
* Keith Jardine (205) vs. Gegard Mousasi (205.5)
* Shinya Aoki (155) vs. Lyle Beerbohm (155.5)
PRELIMINARY CARD
* Robert Peralta (144.5) vs. Hiroyuki Takaya (144.5)
* Brett Albee (218.5) vs. Virgil Zwicker (222.5)
* Saad Awad (155.5) vs. Joe Duarte (155.5)
* A.J. Matthews (169) vs. Herman Terrado (170.5)
* Edgar Cardenas (139) vs. Rolando Perez (140)
* Casey Ryan (185) vs. Paul Song (184.5)
