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The next great rematch: Diaz-Noons II
By Phil Lanides
 Rematches
have been a part of the fight game since long before mixed martial
arts became an organized sport. Boxing has boasted legendary
rematches such as Gene Tunney-Jack Dempsey, Rocky Marciano-Ezzard
Charles, and Joe Louis-Max Schmeling, which have set the bar high
for combat sports. Fortunately for MMA fans, the sport hasn’t lacked
for its own great rematches. Tito Ortiz-Chuck Liddell, Randy
Couture-Chuck Liddell, Rampage Jackson-Chuck Liddell, Rampage
Jackson-Wanderlei Silva, Matt Hughes-Georges St-Pierre, Matt Hughes-B.J.
Penn, Lesnar-Mir, Le-Smith…the list goes on and on.
Soon, we’re going to see what may be the next great rematch, and I’m
not talking about UFC 118’s lightweight title match between champion
Frankie Edgar and B.J. Penn this weekend in Boston. Yesterday,
Strikeforce announced Nick Diaz-KJ Noons II. Prepare yourselves,
fight fans.
Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz is riding high on a
seven-fight win streak. He’s coming off a dominant victory over one
of the top Japanese fighters in the world, Hayato “Mach” Sakurai,
and hasn’t lost since 2007. Which brings us to KJ Noons, the last
fighter to beat Diaz. Since their first bout, the Hawaii native has
continued his winning ways, running his streak to six. He knocked
out Jorge Gurgel in another dominant performance at “Strikeforce:
Houston” this past Saturday. Now, Noons and Diaz will collide once
again.
In their first bout, which was under the now-defunct EliteXC banner,
Diaz and Noons fought for the vacant 160-pound belt. Noons dominated
the bout, knocking the native of Stockton down with a punch, and
opening up nasty cuts all around Diaz’s eyes. It was enough to
prompt a disputed TKO via doctor’s stoppage. Seven months after
their first fight, on June 14, 2008, the fighters and their camp
members nearly came to blows in the cage after the fighters
registered victories in separate bouts. “Nick has no class, he’s a
bum, a piece of (expletive) and he and his team disrespected my
family and I with their gestures and trash talk and tried to upstage
my fight,” said Noons after the near-fracas. Offered Diaz: “I’m
sorry about what happened in the cage afterward, but I didn’t start
it. His guys were talking (expletive) to us.”
Later on, Noons was stripped of the belt because of a reluctance to
fight Diaz again. At the time, he felt he’d already vanquished his
foe and saw no need to do so again. Now, he’s had an apparent change
of heart. The result may end up being one of the more anticipated
rematches in MMA history.
For more from Phil Lanides check out
http://www.examiner.com/x-9970-San-Jose-MMA-Examiner
http://www.fightofyourlife.com/
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