Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Noons II Preview

Strikeforce is constantly under fire from the MMA world, and sometimes, it's deserved, but Saturday night, the biggest competitor to the UFC is giving us quality fights on Showtime, and it's worth talking about.  Bad boy Nick Diaz looks to defeat the man who gave him his last loss, Karl James Noons, for the welterweight title.  Also on the card, Josh Thomson is taking on Gesias Cavalcante in what could turn out to be an incredibly exciting match.  Sarah Kaufman will also defend the women's welterweight title against Marloes Coenen and Tyrone Woodley faces Andre Galvao in the first bout of the evening.  

Tyrone Woodley vs. Andre Galvao:

This match up screams "wrestling vs. BJJ", Woodley being a two time NCAA All-American, and Galvao being a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt.  Woodley is undefeated, and Galvao only has one loss on his record, but is undefeated since coming to Strikeforce.  Galvao did not impress me in his last match against Jorge Patino, and one has to wonder if Woodley will be too much for the Brazilian here.  Don't sleep on Galvao though, his skills on the mat are nothing to scoff at, one slip by Woodley and the fight could be over.  With both men keeping their eyes on the main event, the winner will be climbing closer to a title shot, and moving from prospect, to contender.

After the jump, we break down the rest of the card, and the rematch between Nick Diaz and KJ Noons.

Sarah Kaufman vs. Marloes Coenen:

The current women's welterweight champion, Sarah Kaufman, is coming off a devastating slam KO victory over Roxanne Modafferi in July.  Marloes Coenen was seen in the cage earlier this year, surviving nearly three full rounds against women's middleweight champion, Chrstiane "Cyborg" Santos.  Kaufman isn't a particularly exciting fighter, but her style can frustrate nearly any opponent, and she's got a good head on her shoulders.  Coenen's strength is her grappling, but can she get Kaufman to the mat, and if she can, will she be able to keep her there?  Kaufman may be able to win a methodical, five round decision, but anything can happen in this sport.  We'll see how it plays out Saturday night.

Josh Thomson vs. Gesias Cavalcante:

Thomson clashes with "JZ" in a lightweight showdown in another "Strikeforce vs. Dream" match up.  Thomson had gone undefeated since June of 2006 until he lost the rematch against current lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez, and has since rebounded off that loss, defeating Pat Healy by rear naked choke at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum.  Cavalcante is a former top 10 lightweight, who also had a winning streak going in 2006 and 2007, same as Thomson.  "JZ" has undeniable power, especially for a lightweight.  Thomson may look to fight smart, and wrestle with the Brazilian, but he's also no stranger to finding himself in a gunfight in the center of the ring.  If Thomson gets too comfortable, things could turn ugly real quick for the former champion.  I'm expecting this to be an incredible fight, and the winner will be taking their step back to relevancy in the lightweight division.

Nick Diaz vs. KJ Noons:

In the main event of the evening, Nick Diaz will defend his welterweight title against KJ Noons, both men looking to settle the grudge that began when Noons defeated Diaz back in 2007.  This isn't the fight many fans were expecting, as Jason "Mayhem" Miller and Diaz have been going back and forth ever since Strikeforce: Nashville, but that will have to wait.  Noons most recently defeated Jorge Gurgel at Strikeforce: Houston, where his counter punching scored him a nasty KO (or two, actually) and Noons will be well served to put that boxing to good use against Diaz.  Diaz will likely be comfortable standing, but don't be shocked if he secures a take down and tries to expose weaknesses in KJ's ground game.  Noons may hop on his bicycle and make Diaz come at him, avoiding extended exchanges to be safe from any take down attempts.  This will also play to Noons' counter punching, that may lead him to victory yet again against the Stockton bad boy.  Keep your eyes peeled after the fight, because the fighting may not actually be over when the final bell sounds.  In Diaz's favor, KJ is fighting above his weight class, and even higher than their first fight, which took place at 160lbs, Diaz has been fighting even heavier than welterweight, and has filled out even more since 2007, but KJ's agility may be a bigger strength than Diaz's size.  

Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Noons II begins at 10pm ET, tomorrow night, live on Showtime.

SBN coverage of Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Noons 2

Photo via Dave Mandel, Sherdog