STRIKEFORCE – Oct. 9: Nick Diaz vs. KJ Noons Rematch Video
THE REMATCH YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR: NICK DIAZ VS. KJ NOONS IS SET FOR SATURDAY, OCT. 9, IN SAN JOSE, CALIF.
Kaufman to Defend STRIKEFORCE Women’s Belt Against Coenen
Live on SHOWTIME® at 10 p.m. ET/PT; Ticket Pre-Sale Begins Today
SAN JOSE, Calif. (Aug. 25, 2010) – A grudge rematch that fans, media, and the confident fighters themselves have been clamoring for since the first fight ended in bloody controversy nearly three years ago, will take place on Saturday, October 9, when KJ Noons (9-1), fresh off a knockout victory last Saturday, challenges STRIKEFORCE World Welterweight (170 pounds) Champion Nick Diaz (22-7, 1 NC) in the main event at HP Pavilion here, live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).
In the co-feature, undefeated STRIKEFORCE Women’s Welterweight World Champion Sarah Kaufman (12-0) will make the second defense of her 135-pound title against No. 1 contender and Dutch superstar Marloes Coenen (17-4).
Another featured fight will pit an emerging star from the STRIKEFORCE Challengers series, up-and-coming Luke Rockhold (7-1), against the vastly more experienced, 2000 Olympic Games wrestling silver medalist, Matt “The Law” Lindland (22-7), in a middleweight (185 pounds) contest.
Tickets go on sale to the general public this Saturday, Aug. 28, at 10 a.m. PT online at Ticketmaster.com <http://www.strikeforce.com/insider.html> , at HP Pavilion ticket office, or by phone at (800) 745-3000.
A special presale opportunity for “STRIKEFORCE Insider” e-newsletter subscribers begins today, Wednesday, Aug. 25 at 10 a.m. PT. Sign up to become a “STRIKEFORCE Insider” at http://www.strikeforce.com/insider.html.
Diaz has not lost a fight since he first faced Noons, losing via disputed first-round TKO on Nov. 7, 2007. Diaz has been devastating in recent outings notching seven in a row. The talented, outspoken, no-nonsense brawler also boasts a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt.
The always-dangerous Noons is an aggressive and prolific striker who has won his last six fights, including the thrilling slugfest against Diaz that ended when the cageside physician halted the proceedings due to excessive cuts around Diaz’ eyes.
Since that fight, there has been no love lost between the pair of brash fighters. 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.”
Diaz is coming off a first-round submission (armbar) over fellow superstar Hayato “Mach” Sakurai last May 29 at DREAM 14 in Japan. The six-foot, 27-year-old Diaz won the STRIKEFORCE title with a convincing first-round TKO (punches) over Marius “The Whitemare” Zaromskis on Jan. 30, 2010.
The 5-foot-11, 27-year-old Noons, who was born and raised in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, registered a spectacular, crowd-pleasing second-round knockout over Jorge Gurgel during last Saturday’s STRIKEFORCE: Houston, live on SHOWTIME.
Kaufman, a former ballet dancer, retained her belt for the first time with an explosive third-round body slam KO over Roxanne Modafferi at STRIKEFORCE Challengers in Everett, Wash., on July 23.
The personable, hard-hitting, 5-foot-5, 24-year-old Kaufman, of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, has scored knockouts in nine of her 12 victories.
Coenen, 29, will appear before an audience for the first time since suffering a hard-fought third-round TKO loss to Cris Cyborg for the STRIKEFORCE Women’s Middleweight (145 pounds) Championship at STRIKEFORCE: Miami last Jan. 30.
The game and courageous, 5-foot-9 Coenen gave Cyborg one of her toughest fights. A member of Holland’s Team Golden Glory, Coenen has been a mixed martial artist since the age of 14. She will be moving down in weight to challenge for the title.
Rockhold of Santa Cruz, Calif. will bring a six-fight winning streak into what figures to be the toughest assignment of his career. Many feel the 25-year-old is one of STRIKEFORCE’s next great middleweight stars. He has been victorious by submission in all but one of his wins. A member of Team AKA in San Jose, Rockhold won his last start with a first-round TKO (knees to body) over Paul Bradley on Feb. 26, in San Jose.
Lindland of Oregon City, Ore, brought home the silver in Greco-Roman wrestling. He’s fought the best in a 13-year MMAs career, including the famed Fedor Emelianenko. An All-American at the University of Nebraska before turning pro in 1997, Lindland holds victories over Pat Miletich <http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Pat-Miletich-188> , Jeremy Horn, former UFC welterweight champion Carlos Newton <http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Carlos-Newton-7> and remains one of only two men to submit Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Travis Lutter <http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Travis-Lutter-4586> .
In his most recent fight, the six-foot-tall Lindland scored a third-round TKO over “King” Kevin Casey on May 21 during a STRIKEFORCE Challengers in Portland, Ore.
About STRIKEFORCE
STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com <http://www.strikeforce.com/> ) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.” In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose. In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network. The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.
STRIKEFORCE WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONS NICK DIAZ & SARAH KAUFMAN RETURN TO ACTION SATURDAY, OCT. 9 IN SAN JOSE
Live on SHOWTIME® at 10 p.m. ET/PT
SAN JOSE, CALIF. (Aug. 21, 2010) – The STRIKEFORCE men’s and women’s Welterweight World Champions Nick Diaz (170-pounds) and Sarah Kaufman (135-pounds) will return to the cage on Saturday, Oct. 9 at HP Pavilion in San Jose, LIVE on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).
Diaz will face an opponent to be named in the coming week while Kaufman will defend her title against Dutch superstar Marloes Coenen.
Also on the explosive card, emerging star from the Strikeforce Challengers series Luke Rockhold will risk his six-fight win streak against MMA superstar and former Olympic wrestling silver medalist Matt “The Law” Lindland in a featured middleweight (185 pounds) contest.
Tickets go on sale to the general public on Saturday, August 28 at 10:00 a.m. PT online at Ticketmaster.com, at the HP Pavilion ticket office, or by phone at (800) 745-3000.
A special presale opportunity for “STRIKEFORCE Insider” e-newsletter subscribers begins this Wednesday, August 25 at 10:00 a.m. PT. A special presale code will be sent out to all “STRIKEFORCE Insiders” on Tuesday, August 24. Sign up to become a “STRIKEFORCE Insider” at http://www.strikeforce.com/insider.html.
The 27-year-old Diaz (22-7), a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and native of Stockton, Calif., has won seven consecutive fights since his last loss in 2007. He is coming off a first round submission victory (armbar) over fellow superstar Hayato “Mach” Sakurai on May 29 at DREAM 14 in Japan. Prior to that, Diaz won the STRIKEFORCE title with a late, third-round TKO (punches) of Marius “The Whitemare” Žaromskis at STRIKEFORCE: Miami on Jan. 30.
The undefeated Kaufman (12-0), a former ballet dancer who hails from British Columbia, Canada, is fresh off the first defense of her title, an explosive body slam KO of Roxanne Modafferi at STRIKEFORCE Challengers in Everett, Wash., on July 23. The 24-year-old Kaufman, who has won nine of her fights by KO, will face Coenen (17-4), a submission specialist and the No. 1 contender to the STRIKEFORCE Women’s Welterweight belt.
The 29-year-old Coenen (17-4) will fight for the first time since a third-round TKO loss to Cris Cyborg for the STRIKEFORCE Women’s Middleweight (145 pounds) Championship at STRIKEFORCE: Miami. Coenen, a member of Holland’s Team Golden Glory and mixed martial artist since the age of 14, will be moving down in weight to challenge at 135 pounds. Kaufman and Coenen have both defeated Modafferi, with Coenen avenging a 2007 loss via first round armbar in her STRIKEFORCE debut on Nov. 7, 2009.
Rockhold (7-1), who could prove to be one of Strikeforce’s next great middleweight superstars, has won six of his seven fights via submission. The 25-year-old member of Team AKA is coming off a first-round TKO (knees to body) of Paul Bradley on Feb. 26 at a STRIKEFORCE Challengers event in San Jose. The impressive win was the first KO victory of the Santa Cruz, Calif., native’s professional career. Prior to his latest conquest, Rockhold had won five straight fights by way of submission.
Lindland (22-7), who won the silver medal in Olympic Greco Roman Wrestling at the 2000 Olympic Games, scored a third-round TKO victory over “King” Kevin Casey on May 21 at STRIKEFORCE Challengers in his hometown of Portland, Ore. A former UFC star who has been competing professionally in MMA since 1997, Lindland, 40, is also a former All-American wrestler for University of Nebraska and the 1993 NCAA Big Eight conference champion. During his stellar career, Lindland has triumphed over a number of all-time greats including former UFC champions Pat Miletich and Carlos Newton.
About STRIKEFORCE
STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.” In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose. In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network. The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.
About Showtime Networks Inc.
Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, SHOWTIME 2 HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL HD™, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL ON DEMAND™ and FLIX ON DEMAND®. SNI also manages Smithsonian Channel™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.
Diaz, Cyborg, Herschel Walker, Bobby Lashley and Lawlor score stoppages at Strikeforce Miami
Nick Diaz scored an exciting first round knockout over Mariusz Zaromskis in a wild round to retain his Strikeforce Welterweight title at the Bank Once Center in Sunrise, Florida.
Both guys landed heavy shots that included Zaromskis landing a hard shot that sent Doaz down to the floor but Diaz popped right up and and began to pound away on the face of Zaromskis as he landed some huge shots until he landed a booming right hook that put Zaromskis down and out at the 4:38 mark of round one.
Diaz, of Stockton, California is now 20-8-1 with twelve knockouts. Zaromskis of London is now 13-4.
Cris Cyborg retained her Strikeforce Lightweight title as she stopped a tough Marloes Coenen in round tyhree of their scheduled five round five.
Cyborg controlled most of the action throughout the fight by Coenen showed toughness and got in some big punches for herself until Cyborg pounded her on the ground and the fight was stopped at 2:07 of round three.
Cyborg, 144 1/2 lbs of Curitiba, Brazil is now 9-1 with seven stoppages. Coenen, 143 3/4 lbs of Amsterdam is now 17-4.
Former NFL Star and Olympic Bobsledder Herschel Walker proved that life begins at forty-seven years old as he made a successful pro debut by stopping an over matched Greg Nagy in round three of a scheduled three round Heavyweight fight.
Walker showed versatility as he was effective with strikes and on the ground and was in control for just about every second of the fight until it was stopped at 2:17 of round three.
Walker, 214 1/4 lbs looked in pronominal shape to winhis pro debut. Nagy, 210 1/2 lbs of Phoenix, AZ is 1-2
“Ruthless” Robbie Lawlor scored one of the most devastating one punch knockout over Melib Manhoef in round of their scheduled three round bout.
Manhoef dominated the fight as he was viciously kicking Lawlor’s legs and landing hard body shots until Lawlor landed a “Hayemaker” right hook that landed squarely on Manhoef’s chin and he was knocked out cold before he crumbled to the ground and for good measure, Lawlor landed a hard right to jaw the jaw and the fight was stopped at 3:33 of round one.
Lawlor of Granite City, IL is now 17-5-1 with fourteen knockouts. Manhoef of Amsterdam, Netherlands is now 24-7-1
Former WWE Superstar Bobby Lashley remained undefeated as he pounded Wes Sims for much of their two-plus minute Heavyweight bout.
Lashley had the 6′8″ Sims on tne ground and continued to pound Sims until the referee stopped the bout at 2:06 of round one of their scheduled three round fight
Lashley, 252 1/4lbs of Coconut Creek, Fla is now 5-0 with two knockouts. Sims. 258 1/4 lbs of Lancaster, OH is now 22-13-1-2.
Strikeforce Fighter Weigh Ins Open To The Public This Friday At BankAtlantic Center
FOOTBALL LEGEND HERSCHEL WALKER,
MMA SUPERSTARS BOBBY LASHLEY, NICK DIAZ, WOMEN’S CHAMPION CRIS CYBORG
& ALL THE FIGHTERS TO WEIGH IN
Friday, Jan. 29 at 5:30 p.m. ET at the Chairman’s Club at BankAtlantic Center
Preceded by Special Autograph Signing Session with MMA legend
Dan Henderson and other STRIKEFORCE superstars
WHO: Football Legend Herschel Walker
Unbeaten MMA Heavyweight Bobby Lashley
Superstar Nick Diaz
DREAM Welterweight Champion Marius “The Whitemare” Zaromskis
STRIKEFORCE 145 pound Women’s Champion Cris Cyborg
Submission Expert Marloes Coenen
& All The Fighters
WHAT: All 24 fighters will participate in the final weigh in on Friday, Jan. 29, just one day prior to the STRIKEFORCE mixed martial arts (MMA) fight card on Saturday, Jan. 30 at BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla., live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/PT). The weigh in is open to the public, free of charge.
Walker, the 1982 Heisman Trophy winner, will make his MMA debut against Greg Nagy. The 47-year-old two-time Pro Bowler will compete in the cage the night before the Pro Bowl and one week prior to the Super Bowl. The 6-foot 1-inch, 220 pound Walker holds a fifth degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and has experience in the combat disciplines of Muay Thai and Kenpo.
The 26 year old Diaz (20-7), a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, will take on DREAM welterweight (170 pounds) champ Zaromskis (13-3) in the main event and first STRIKEFORCE welterweight championship bout in history.
STRIKEFORCE 145-pound women’s champion Cyborg (8-1) will defend her crown against submission expert Coenen (17-3). Cyborg became the first STRIKEFORCE women’s champion in history on Aug. 15, 2009 when the Brazilian native stopped superstar Gina Carano.
The 6-foot, 3-inch, 250 pound Lashley, also a former collegiate wrestling star for Missouri Valley College and member of The United States Army, competed in both the WWE Raw and SmackDown! shows in 2005 and ‘06. The undefeated MMA heavyweight will face Wes Sims.
WHEN: Friday, Jan. 29 at 5:30 p.m. ET
WHERE: BankAtlantic Center Chairman’s Club
1 Panther Pkwy
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33323
(954) 835-7000
MMA SUPERSTARS NICK DIAZ & MARIUS ZAROMSKIS, WOMEN’S CHAMP CRIS CYBORG & MARLOES COENEN CONFERENCE CALL HIGHLIGHTS
Superstar Nick Diaz, DREAM Welterweight Champion Marius “The Whitemare” Zaromskis, STRIKEFORCE 145 pound Women’s Champion Cris Cyborg, and submission expert Marloes Coenen discussed the upcoming STRIKEFORCE MIAMI mixed martial arts (MMA) fights scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 30 at BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla., LIVE on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).
The 26-year-old Diaz (20-7), a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and native of Stockton, Calif, will take on DREAM welterweight (170 pounds) champ Zaromskis (13-3) in the main event and first STRIKEFORCE welterweight championship bout in history. Diaz, who will put a five fight win streak on the line, is making his first start since he submitted hard-hitting Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith on June 6, 2009. The highly explosive, 29-year-old Zaromskis, who hails from Siauliai, Lithuania, has won his last three fights on first-round knockouts via head kick.
STRIKEFORCE 145-pound women’s champion Cyborg (8-1) will defend her crown against submission expert Coenen (17-3). Cyborg made history on Aug. 15, 2009 when the 24-year-old native of Brazil stopped superstar Gina Carano with a punishing barrage of strikes in the first round of their meeting to become the first-ever STRIKEFORCE women’s champion. The long-awaited showdown between Carano and Cyborg also marked the first women’s main event in the history of any major MMA promotion. The 28-year-old Coenen, a member of Holland’s Team Golden Glory and mixed martial artist since the age of 14, made a successful STRIKEFORCE debut and avenged one of her three career defeats by overpowering and submitting Roxanne Modafferi with an armbar in the first round (1:05) on November 7, 2009.
Also on the STRIKEFORCE: MIAMI card, football legend Herschel Walker will make his professional MMA debut as he begins the next stage of his athletic career against once beaten Greg Nagy. Undefeated heavyweight Bobby Lashley (4-0) will face an opponent to be announced.
What the athletes had to say on Wednesday’s call:
What’s it like dropping back down to 170?
NICK DIAZ: “I’m very happy to fight at that weight. I look the best at that weight. I like it, I feel the best at that weight. I’ve been waiting for a long time to fight in here at this weight class. Those last two fights weren’t my idea. I’ve fought at welterweight most of my life, so this isn’t a new thing to me. I’m happy to fight at welterweight.”
A lot of people feel like you jumped ahead of the line for a title shot against Nick Diaz. What are your thoughts on that?
MARIUS ZAROMSKIS: “Well, I don’t really think much of it. They told me to fight, so I’m fighting.”
Jay Hieron thinks you’re trying to duck him. Do you have a response to that?
DIAZ: “Ditto. I’m just fighting who they want me to fight. Whatever. That’s how it is. I’m just fighting who they want me to fight. I try not to open my mouth.
Do you anticipate that matchup happening at some point?
DIAZ: “I’m ready to fight anybody. If they can make it, then let’s do it. I’m ready to fight Jay Hieron and everybody in this weight class to get to the top. Whatever, I’ll do it.”
Cris, you beat Gina Carano, who was the face of women’s MMA fighting. I guess now you are the face of women’s MMA fighting. Do you like that role?
CRIS CYBORG: “I wasn’t thinking about who is the face of MMA when I fought Gina. Gina was just another opponent like anyone else. With me being the face of women’s MMA or not, I’m just going over there and doing my job, making sure I’m training hard and leading up the pack for all women in MMA.”
I read that she was thinking about posing in “Playboy.” Is that true or not? Also, that video of you choking out a reporter, was that real?
CYBORG: “The Playboy thing, I was literally horrified one morning when I found out everyone found out about it. I’d prefer not to talk about that right now and just focus on my fight. With the video thing, the reporter actually asked to see how strong I was and he wanted me to choke him out, so I did it.”
Is there too much of an emphasis on appearance and looks in women’s MMA coverage and what do you think it will take to get beyond that?
CYBORG: “It’s just like with anything else that women do, their appearance is very important. However, it’s not what’s going to make you win a fight or not. It is your talent and what you’re doing in the ring that matters the most. I hope we move past that.”
MARLOES COENEN: “I agree with Cris. I think it’s because it’s just a young sport and people don’t understand it’s a sport that everyone can do. Women can do it, men can do it and you can start at a young age. With women, we’re always judged by our appearance, and you see that in tennis with (Anna) Kournikova. It’s almost like Gina is the Kournikova of MMA. I hope there will be girls out there and our level of fighting will increase that much where people talk about our fighting skills instead of the beauty that we do or do not have.”
You mentioned it’s a sport anyone can do, do you see boys and girls getting into this sport at a young age?
COENEN: “I’m from the Netherlands, and MMA is getting way more popular every year. You see children doing fights at 8-years-old or 10-years-old, so by the time they’re 16 they’ve got like 50 fights under their belt.”
And that’s for boys and girls,
COENEN: “Yeah, yeah, yeah.”
Nick and Marius, can you both assess your opponent’s strengths and weakness?
DIAZ: “I think he’s a good fighter, whatever. Anybody who is willing to fight at this level is a good fighter.”
ZAROMSKIS: “I think Nick is a very well rounded fighter. He has strengths in both boxing and grappling, just all around. I think it’s going to be a very tough fight for me. As far as how the fight will go or what I’ll be able to do, I don’t want to predict that. We’ll just have to see it in the ring.”
Nick, after the problems that arose on the STRIKEFORCE: Carano vs. Cyborg card, would you ever consider fighting in California again?
DIAZ: “I didn’t know there were any problems. I’ll fight wherever.”
Marius, despite being the DREAM Champion, Jay Hieron turned down a fight with you because he said you have little name recognition. Do you feel vindicated that STRIKEFORCE offered you a title shot?
ZAROMSKIS: “I don’t really care if I’m vindicated or not, because I don’t pay attention to that. I feel that a fighter should fight whoever they put in front of you, whether he’s famous or not. If Jay Hieron doesn’t feel that I’m famous enough to fight him, then I guess he’ll just have to wait until I get famous and I’ll fight him.”
Marius, is there a timeframe on when you’ll return and defend your DREAM title?
ZAROMSKIS: “No, right now I don’t know.”
Cris, what is your ultimate goal in MMA?
CYBORG: “I’m already married, I already have a good life. I want to build a family, not right now though whatsoever. In the future, hopefully. I just want to continue fighting and continue to hold my belt as long as I can. I want to make sure I continue to get better and train harder, and eventually build a team, have students fight, have a regular mixed martial arts career.”
Your style is very aggressive, how would you describe your personality?
CYBORG: “It would surprise you, but on a daily basis I am sometimes pretty aggressive. I’m a person that likes to have goals and looks towards the goals and achieve them. I’m calm some days, aggressive some days. I have a varying personality, but I definitely set my goals high and I like to do whatever it takes to achieve them.”
Marius, can you talk about your finishes in your last few fights (KO head kicks)? Is that something you go for?
ZAROMSKIS: “I don’t really look for a high kick, because when you look for something you end up being the one who’s getting knocked out. If I see it there in a split second I’ll take advantage of it. If it’s not there then I’ll use some other weapons. But, I do not look for a high kick.”
Why are your high kicks so effective?
ZAROMSKIS: “I kick (inaudible) a lot with my legs, so I’ve got power in it.”
Did you look up to Mirko Cro Cop at all? Or is your style completely independent?
ZAROMSKIS: “I was doing high kicks before. I’m not trying to imitate Mirko, I’m not inspired by Mirko. But, Mirko has a very devastating high kick, so if there’s something I could learn from him I definitely wouldn’t mind.”
Are you always constantly looking to do different things?
ZAROMSKIS: “It’s not something I look for, I just kind of do it. In a way, it kind of energizes me. I just do it for myself, but I guess fans find it interesting. I’m not doing it to be entertaining in a fight, I just do it to energize myself.”
Cris and Marloes, what do you expect to see in the ring?
CYBORG: “I don’t really think much about what’s going to happen. I just go in prepared for whatever comes. She can bring it, so hopefully she’ll be prepared for war, too.”
COENEN: “It will be a tough fight because Cris is an amazing athlete, a real powerhouse. I know that everything I do is good. My standup is OK, my ground game is OK. I really think we’ll both bring it and go toe-to-toe and give the audience what they’re expecting.”
What are your thoughts on the future of women’s MMA?
COENEN: “Well, my goal is that I hope I never have to do office work again. I just want to stay a professional athlete. It’s very important that women start fighting. When I grew up, it wasn’t an option for a girl to fight. There was some judo, but not too much around here. I think it really helps women. If you start fighting, you feel stronger in your mind and physically you’re stronger than you thought you were. That will help you in daily life. I just think it’s very important that we have some messengers like Gina, like Cris and, hopefully, myself that will inspire women to do it, to think that ‘if they can do it, I can do it,’ and start working out.”
CYBORG: “Every woman that’s working with MMA right now and every woman that’s fighting plays a very important role in the sport and where the sport is going to take them. I really hope that I have a lot of fans out there and I hope to train little Cyborgs all over the world. I’m just excited to be part of it.”
Cyborg, do you look at this as a nationalistic battle (Brazil vs. Netherlands), or is this just one women against another?
CYBORG: “I look at Marloes as a fighter and as a woman. I look at her as just another person competing with me and trying to take my belt away. Basically, I’m always defending my country no matter where I’m fighting, so I’m always defending the flag.”
Nick, do you get sucked into the challenge of trying to beat people at their own game?
DIAZ: “No, I just do it all, you know. I try to take the easiest direction. A lot of times, it’s easier to beat (inaudible) than it has been in the past. I’ll just do whatever it takes.”
Marius, what do you plan on doing to minimize the reach that Nick has with his punches?
ZAROMSKIS: “As far as Nick’s reach, Nick obviously has a reach advantage because he’s taller. But, I don’t feel like the height difference is so drastic between the two of us to really worry about it too much. Of course, I’m concerned about the reach and I have some plans to address that. It’s not like I’m 5 foot 6 and he’s 6 foot 9. I think it’s something I can handle.”
Marloes, can you talk about what it would mean for you to win this title?
COENEN: “Winning the title? I won my first title in the ‘90s in Tokyo, and ever since then I haven’t got a nice title. I’m very eager to get this title. I hope it’s a good start to my career in America.”
Worldwide, what do you think your profile is? Do you want to be as well known as Gina and Cris?
COENEN: “To be honest, I don’t think I’m on the same level as Gina and Cris are, but I hope this fight will change that.”
Do you think people would consider it an upset if you were to win?
COENEN: “I don’t know. I know I’m considered the underdog, but I think hardcore MMA fans know what I can do and what I’m capable of. I hope that my last fight was a demonstration of that. To be honest, I don’t really care what people think. I will show them in the cage.”
How would you have to win this fight?
COENEN: “Differently. I know people are really focusing on my ground game, but I know my standup is really good and my striking is really OK because I dropped Roxanne (Modafferi) with one punch and I’ve KO’d girls before with just one punch. I know my standup is OK and I know Cris will find out about it.”
Nick, is there any different preparation for you going into a championship fight?
DIAZ: “I do extra pushups and I run extra miles. I kick the heavy bag a lot, a lot. I just do the best I can. I learn more and more as I go. I’ve been doing this for a long time, I’ve got the same partners, so we’re always working on new things together. I’m just getting good help by Jake Shields and Gilbert Melendez and my brother, everybody training for this fight.”
Marius, have you been working on anything specifically on the ground because Nick has a big advantage in that department.
ZAROMSKIS: “I’ve prepared as well as I can on the ground because Nick has a superior ground game. But, this is MMA, this is not kickboxing. I train in all of it. I train in grappling, the fighting, the wrestling, the same for all fighters. I pretty much do everything my trainers tell me to do. If they say do more ground, I do more ground. If they say do more standup, I do more standup.”
Cris, how do you feel Marloes stacks up as an opponent as compared to Gina Carano?
CYBORG: “I don’t really compare any other opponents at all. I basically take each fight individually and look at whatever issues come up.”
Marloes, based on your style, as more of a ground oriented fighter, do you think a five round fight benefits you?
COENEN: “I don’t consider myself as a ground fighter. I consider myself as a complete MMA fighter. I’m training for a fight, I’m training for five-five minute rounds. I’m ready for everything.”
Cris, how has your life changed since you beat Gina Carano?
CYBORG: “Regardless of being a women or not, a belt changes any athlete’s life. The athlete’s goal is to get a belt, I got the belt. It would have changed it regardless. Life has changed for the positive and I’m happy with it.”
Marloes, are you looking forward to a standup fight with Cris? Do you think it will go five rounds?
COENEN: “I don’t think it will go five rounds at all, because of the person she is and the person I am. If you put that together, it will not go to the fifth round at all.”
Do you train with other women, or do you just train with men?
CYBORG: “I only train with men. I usually hurt the women.”
COENEN: “For me, I usually train with men because there are not that many good women that do MMA here.”
Marloes, this fight was supposed to happen a year ago. Has the extra time off helped you prepare more?
COENEN: “No, I’m always ready to fight. I was ready a year ago and I’m even more ready now.”
Cyborg, Strikeforce recently announced a women’s tournament at 135 and 145 pounds. What are your thoughts on that?
CYBORG: “I’m definitely going to analyze all the girls from different divisions, up and down to see who’s coming near me. It’s going to be very fun for the sport to have other divisions and other belts.”
HERSCHEL WALKER TO MAKE MMA DEBUT; NICK DIAZ AND CRIS CYBORG RETURN TO ACTION AT STRIKEFORCE EVENT IN SUNRISE, FLORIDA
Ticket Pre-Sale Begins Monday, December 7
NEW YORK (December 4, 2009) – Just months after the stunning announcement that he would try his hand at mixed martial arts (MMA), NFL and NCAA football legend, Herschel Walker, will make his highly-anticipated STRIKEFORCE MMA debut at BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida on Saturday, January 30. Superstar Nick Diaz and STRIKEFORCE world 145-pound women’s champion Cris Cyborg will co-headline a stacked fight card during STRIKEFORCE’s historic first visit to the state of Florida.
A special pre-sale ticket purchase opportunity will take place for “STRIKEFORCE Insider” e-newsletter subscribers (http://strikeforce.com/insider.html) beginning at 10:00 AM, ET Monday, Dec. 7, and ending at 10 PM, ET on Thursday, Dec. 10. “STRIKEFORCE Insiders” will receive a special e-newsletter Friday, Dec. 4 with the pre-sale code.
Tickets officially go on-sale next Friday, Dec. 11 at the BankAtlantic Center ticket office as well as online at www.Ticketmaster.com <http://www.ticketmaster.com/> or by phone at (800)745-3000.
Walker, the 1982 Heisman Trophy winner and two-time Pro Bowl competitor, will face an opponent to be announced in one of as many as five live, SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) televised bouts on the STRIKEFORCE card.
The 6 foot 1 inch, 220 pound former running back, who already holds a fifth degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and boasts additional training in the combat disciplines of Muay Thai and Kenpo, recently entered a 12 week MMA training camp at San Jose, California’s American Kickboxing Academy (AKA), which plays home to a host of the world’s greatest fighters, including STRIKEFORCE Lightweight Champion Josh “The Punk” Thomson and undefeated middleweight superstar Cung Le.
Walker, a 1999 College Hall of Fame inductee who was also selected to Sports Illustrated’s NCAA All-Century Team that year, has never been one to shy away from the road less traveled.
Following his junior year at the University of Georgia where he had set the NCAA freshman rushing record en route to an undefeated season and Sugar Bowl championship victory over Notre Dame,
Walker, a born-again Christian, astonished the sports world by withdrawing from school to play professional ball in the newly formed United States Football League (USFL) rather than wait to enter the NFL draft after the graduation of his collegiate class, a rule maintained by the world’s largest professional football league at the time.
While the vast majority of football players typically follow an intensive weight room regimen, Walker relied on bodyweight exercise, conditioning, and calisthenics while maintaining very little body fat.
Walker was eventually drafted in 1985 by The Dallas Cowboys and established himself as a premiere running back in the league. In 1986, he was the driving force behind a historic trade
that sent in to The Minnesota Vikings in exchange for five players and six draft picks.
In 12 NFL seasons with four different teams, he became the only player to gain 4,000 yards three different ways – rushing, receiving, and kickoff returns. He is one of six players to exceed 60 touchdowns rushing and 20 touchdowns receiving and is the only player in NFL history to register a 90 plus yard reception, a 90 plus yard run, and a 90 plus yard kickoff return, all in one season (1994).
Off the gridiron, Walker has achieved a handful of feats, including a seventh place finish in the 1992 Winter Olympics two-man bobsled competition. Now 47 years of age, the native of Wrightsville, Georgia will look to conquer a whole new world.
Diaz will make his first start since he submitted hard-hitting Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith with a rear naked choke in the third round (1:41) of their STRIKEFORCE: Lawler vs. Shields matchup at St. Louis, Missouri’s Scottrade Center on June 6, 2009. The 26 year old Diaz, a native of Stockton, California, will put a five fight win streak on the line.
Cyborg made history on August 15, 2009 when the 24-year-old native of Brazil stopped superstar Gina Carano with a punishing barrage of strikes in the first round (4:59) of their meeting to become the first-ever STRIKEFORCE women’s champion. The long-awaited showdown between Carano and Cyborg also marked the first women’s main event in the history of any major MMA promotion.
Doors at BankAtlantic Center open at 7 p.m. The first non-televised, preliminary card fight will begin at 8 p.m.
STRIKEFORCE in March 2009 signed a multi-year agreement to stage live MMA events on the premium cable television network. The promotion made its live, primetime debut on CBS with the “Fedor vs. Rogers” mega-fight that it co-promoted with M-1 Global on Saturday, November 7 and generated 5.46 million viewers for the main event between the world’s number one heavyweight, Fedor Emelianenko, and superstar Brett “The Grim” Rogers.
About STRIKEFORCE
STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com <http://www.strikeforce.com/> ) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.” In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose.
Diaz Absent From Press Conference Amidst Rumors of Weight Issues
By: Dallas Winston (TheGarv.com)
MMAWeekly’s Twitter page from the UFC’s press conference call yesterday revealed some interesting tidbits about Nate Diaz pre-UFN. He did not make an appearance at the conference call as was expected, and his coach Cesar Gracie indicated that not only was Diaz “cranky” from the cut, but that his future may not lie in the 155 pound division.
“Just talked to Cesar Gracie. He said Nate’s not doing a conference call with a guy he’s fighting. Nate ‘just doesn’t do that.’”
“Cesar Gracie says 155 ‘might not be good’ for Nate in the future. Says Diaz is in the middle of weight cutting and very cranky.”
Considering Nate’s “normal” personality, which may be described as just a tad bit abrasive, I cannot fathom what a bubbly joy and warm source of positive energy he must be when he’s officially “cranky”. This is actually rather significant news as one starts to ponder Nate Diaz and his chances at welterweight in the UFC, and whether or not he may enjoy the same success his big brother Nick did when venturing into heavier territory.
The standard reaction is incredulity towards a jump in weight being a succesful maneuver considering how Nate was somewhat bullied around the cage at 155 in his last two losses, and even Pellegrino and Neer manhandled him fairly well despite Nate emerging victorious.
I don’t think either Diaz fights with a concerned sense of power, as neither are powerful wrestlers, but more subscribed to the “water” philosophy of martial arts taught by the great Bruce Lee. “Be formless… shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle; it becomes the bottle. You put it into a teapot; it becomes the teapot. Water can flow, and it can crash. Be water, my friend…”
Unfortunately for that analogy, Bruce Lee never had to win over 3 judges making checks on a ten-point score card in 3 short rounds. Let’s hope this news doesn’t affect Nate’s conditioning or performance come fight-time tomorrow.
To view the complete fight go to: TheGarv.com
Scott Coker: Nick Diaz vs Jay Hieron Strikeforce title fight ‘before the end of the year’
By: Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com)
“We had a conversation with Cesar Gracie about the Nick Diaz situation, so I feel very comfortable Nick will be back shortly. I think he’s going to meet with the athletic commission, get that all worked out, and hopefully we’ll see Nick back here before the end of the year. Jay Hieron came here to fight Nick Diaz, so we will put that fight together.”
Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker hasn’t let the drug testing fiasco deter him for moving forward with a championship bout between Nick Diaz and Jay Hieron, indicating during last night’s “Carano vs. Cyborg” post-fight press conference that he will green light the welterweight title fight just as soon as Diaz obtains his license to fight from the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC). Diaz failed to report for his mandatory pre-fight drug test the week before the Aug. 15 event and was not cleared to compete; however, his camp is currently working with the CSAC to get the controversial star a license in time to fight by year’s end. Fortunately Jay Hieron held up his end of the bargain by defeating Diaz’ replacement, Jesse “JT Money” Taylor at Saturday’s Showtime event.
To view the original article go to: MMAmania.com
DON “WAR-A-WEEK” CHARGIN SIGNS MMA SUPERSTAR NICK DIAZ TO BOXING CONTRACT
MAMMA Online News- What Does Alvarez vs Huerta in Philly Mean to Philly? (Part 2) September 1, 2010Yesterday I talked about why this October’s Bellator is different from other shows going on down here in Philly. Today I’m going to talk about the challenge in promoting this show. As we mentioned yesterday, Eddie Alvarez will fight in Philly for the first time in October against Roger Huerta. This fight could mark the [...] No related posts. […]Paul Miles
- What Does Alvarez vs Huerta in Philly Mean to Philly? August 31, 2010I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about the quality of fight cards in the Philly/Atlantic City game recently and for some reason I’ve had an impossible time expressing in words my thoughts. Some of that is because the path of least resistance in that sort of post would stomp on toes of promoters [...] No related posts. […]Paul Miles
- Its Official: Alvarez vs Huerta Goes Down in Philly August 30, 2010After weeks of speculation, MMA Junkie has confirmed that Bellator 33 will happen in Philadelphia. The hot mustard on that awesome sandwich is the main event: Philadelphia’s own Eddie Alvarez faces internet sensation, and notorious football hater Roger Huerta in a three round non-title fight. Expect some familiar faces on the undercard. Bellator has traditio […]Paul Miles
- “Rematch” is the Word of the Day for December Locked in the Cage August 28, 2010I spoke with Fran Evans of Locked in the Cage, and he confirmed for me that Bo Coleman and Brian Jackson will get a do-over from their aborted main event from August 21st. This time the dance is at the National Guard Armory in Philadelphia on December 3rd for Locked in the Cage 6. Fran [...] Related posts:Unusual End to Good Night of Fights for Locked in t […]Paul Miles
- Brendan Barrett & Randy Smith Cold War About to Go Nuclear August 28, 2010For months the war of words between IFL and ROC veteran Brendan Barrett and Randy Smith finally has a venue to be turned physical. Lou Neglia and Brendan both confirmed yesterday that Barrett/Smith will finally go down at Ring of Combat 32 at the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. The first volley of this battle [...] Related posts:Another Interview with Brendan […]Paul Miles
- What Does Alvarez vs Huerta in Philly Mean to Philly? (Part 2) September 1, 2010
- ESPN News
- Search for Bob Arum's son continues September 1, 2010Nearly two dozen mountaineers and park rangers are searching for the son of Hall of Fame boxing promoter Bob Arum, who's been missing since a weekend camping trip in the Cascade Mountains of Washington state. […]Associated Press
- Manny Pacquiao on a Floyd Mayweather Jr. bout: 'He needs me' September 1, 2010Manny Pacquiao and his trainer Freddie Roach said Wednesday that they agreed to every demand put forward by Floyd Mayweather for what could have been the richest fight in boxing history. […]Associated Press
- Juan Manuel Marquez has deal to fight Michael Katsidis September 1, 2010Lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez has agreed to fight Michael Katsidis at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas on Nov. 27. […]Associated Press
- Fana regains IBF junior lightweight title September 1, 2010Mzonke Fana has earned an impressive unanimous decision over Cassius Baloyi to win the vacant IBF junior lightweight title in a matchup of South Africans. […]Associated Press
- Bernard Hopkins to fight light heavyweight champ Jean Pascal on Dec. 18 September 1, 2010Bernard Hopkins is slated to meet newly crowned light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal Dec. 18 in Quebec City, both sides told ESPN.com on Tuesday. […]Dan Rafael
- Manny Pacquiao: Antonio Margarito knew what was in hand wraps August 31, 2010Manny Pacquiao says he wants a representative observing Antonio Margarito's hand wraps before their meeting in Texas. […]Associated Press
- Antonio Tarver ready for heavyweight debut against Nagy Aguilera August 30, 2010Antonio Tarver will make his heavyweight debut Oct. 15 against Nagy Aguilera in a scheduled 10-rounder either in Memphis or Southern California. […]Dan Rafael
- Fight between Juan Manuel Lopez and Rafael Marquez rescheduled for Nov. 6 August 30, 2010The postponed fight between featherweight titlist Juan Manuel Lopez and former two-division champion Rafael Marquez has been rescheduled. […]Dan Rafael
- Vyacheslav Senchenko beats Charlie Jose Navarro to retain WBA belt August 30, 2010Vyacheslav Senchenko retained his welterweight title with a unanimous decision over Charlie Jose Navarro on Monday night, though the unbeaten Ukrainian needed to work a bit harder than most people expected. […]Associated Press
- Shannon Briggs says he'll knock out Vitali Klitschko in first round August 30, 2010Former heavyweight champion Shannon Briggs said Monday he would make current WBC titleholder Vitali Klitschko his "30-second, first-round victim" when they meet later this fall. […]Associated Press
- Search for Bob Arum's son continues September 1, 2010
