EliteXC: Return of the King Thoughts & Commentary
K.J. Noons could be the real deal.
I’m not 100% sold on Noons being the real deal just yet but he is certainly making a case for himself with some high-profile victories. This win over Edwards was really jaw dropping and Noons showed the ability to take a hard shot, recover with power, and go for the kill when he smelled blood. There are things that we haven’t yet seen from Noons, though, and that’s his ability to deal with adversity in a fight as well as his ground game. Those are two big question marks that are still out there but overall he is coming along quite nicely. It was quite an impressive showing from the EliteXC lightweight champion and it seems that a rematch with Nick Diaz is the next thing in store for him as champion and I think it may be likely that we’ll see that fight on the July 26 CBS card considering the heat these two drew tonight.
Poor Yves Edwards.
He just can’t get over the hump. Whenever Edwards is poised to make that leap in his career, the one that will put him exactly where he wants to be and in a great position, he always seems to get knocked down. I really do feel for the guy. He trained his ass off for this fight and just got a little too aggressive when he thought he had Noons hurt. He certainly paid the price for it. I know there were a lot of people out there that wanted to see the Yves Edwards that knocked Josh Thomson flat on his ass but that was not meant to be. By no means do I think we’ve seen the last of Yves, but you can’t help but feel for the guy. MMA is a tough business and Yves is living proof of that.
Nick Diaz, at this point in his career, is mediocre.
Nick Diaz has settled for mediocrity, ladies and gentlemen. It’s never been more evident. He’s been mailing it in ever since he won the fight against Gomi. He outweighed Corbbrey tonight by probably twenty pounds or so and should have been able to put him away rather easily but took almost three full rounds to do so. He almost lost a decision to Mike Aina in his EliteXC debut. He was getting pounded by K.J. Noons before the fight was stopped due to cuts. The Nick Diaz of old, the aggressive, fearless Nick Diaz, is nowhere to be found. He looked poor tonight against an opponent that he is much better than, standing up or on the ground. Sure, he got the victory but it was one that he had to grind out. The Nick Diaz of old would have stopped Corbbrey in round one or two. Such is not the case anymore. If the same Nick Diaz that showed up tonight shows up against Mach Sakurai or in the rematch with Noons then I don’t give him a chance. It’s time for Nick Diaz to re-evaluate his strategies, his technique, and his overall game if he wants to take it to a championship level.
The Diaz brothers need to give it a rest.
The stunt that these two pulled after the Noons fight in the cage was completely out of line and uncalled for. I try so hard to like the Diaz brothers, I really do. But they prove to me on a regular basis that they’re classless assholes. Noons was trying to keep it respectful and Nick had to call him scared while Nate was flipping the bird to Noons’ father of all people and talking trash to him. Why not just have some respect, especially considering what Noons just did to one of the best lightweights in the world? The mini riot inside the cage, the trash talking, the bird flipping on the way to the back, it’s all tired. Act like a professional, make weight, and fight to the best of your ability. A little trash talking here and there is fine, but these two go way overboard and the scuffle inside the cage afterward was proof of that.
Dave Herman is a beast.
We profiled Dave Herman in our feature in Extreme Fighter Magazine as one of the better heavyweight prospects in the sport today and we feature him in our Prospects section of the website. I think this fight showed why we think so highly of him. He put the work on Ron Waterman tonight and showed a good ability to get up off his back with a strong wrestler with great top control on top of him. Not only that, he’s not afraid to mix things up with his strikes. He’s knowns as a wrestler but is proving to be much more diverse than just wrestling with the surprising high kick and striking arsenal. Ron Waterman has never been dominated like that before, not that quickly. Herman is on a path for great success in EliteXC as long as he continues to develop.
Tony Bonello got what he deserved.
If you talk that much trash during the staredown, you deserve the beatdown that’s coming. Murilo Rua hopefully taught Bonello a lesson this evening. I don’t even know what to call what Ninja ended up doing to Bonello. It was more than domination. There’s not even a word for it. He so thoroughly ripped through Bonello that it was actually quite humorous. You don’t give a world class fighter extra incentive to put a hurting on you during the staredown. That being said, Ninja looked on his game tonight. He should be about one fight away from getting another crack at the EliteXC middleweight title.
Rafael Feijao is the future of EliteXC’s light heavyweight division.
I think this was sort of the notion coming into the fight but he sealed the deal with an extremely decisive victory over Wayne Cole tonight. He looked to be in better shape than his last time out in EliteXC and the tutelage of the Nogueiras and Anderson Silva have certainly helped mold him into the prospect that he is today. I’m ready to see Feijao step up the ladder a bit and take on some of the better light heavyweights in EliteXC at this point. I know that division isn’t their strong suit, but a fight against someone like Po’ai Suganuma would be a good barometer for how far Feijao has come.
Adam Morgan is
| All posts by Adam Morgan
we will have to wait a little while for the Noons-Diaz rematch, as Nick is set to face Hayato Sakurai for the Dream Welterweight title on July 21 in Japan…unless he drops out of that bout, there is no possible way that he would be ready for a fight just 5 days later…it looks like we’ll have to wait until at least September or October for that rematch on a future CBS card…it might be too early to tell but Noons is building his resume and appears to be the real deal. Can’t wait for the rematch!
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Why have Diaz enter the cage in the first place? It was all a set-up just like Tito/Shamrock.
Of course with the Diaz brothers they like to cause shit..
It was Noon’s corner that attacked Diaz, if that happened in a bar Noon’s people would have been charged not Diaz. You can’t attack someone cause they flip you the bird.
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Nah, I understand having Diaz in the cage to hype the rematch but these two took it overboard as they always do.
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i don’t know about the take on the Diaz brothers. it just seems strange that CBS asked EliteXC to pull a card together for July 26th without an obvious main event, and that this whole thing happened after the fight. EliteXC wanted to promote the potential bout for the CBS show, and i can’t help but think the Shaw’s told the Diaz brothers to go out there and create some drama. sell the fight a bit to create a buzz to carry into the CBS show. everybody is jumping all over the Diaz brothers, but i am sure Gary Shaw is not upset with them for what happened. i hate seeing them take this heat for this. EliteXC doesn’t have a clean record exactly with the whole brett Rogers post conference hype and everything.
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I agree that the Diaz bro’s act too “thug” or “ghetto” or whatever for the sport sometimes. I hate it though, because I love to see them fight!
They shouldn’t have let them in the cage in the first place. They could’ve just made it 2-for-2 in post-fight press conference “incidents”…
I don’t know if I agree about Diaz being mediocre. I think he does need to get his priorities straight though. Work on them takedowns!! His jiu-jitsu is world-class.
At this point, I think Nate might be surpassing him in the over-all MMA “well-roundedness”.
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Whether the Diaz brothers behavior was hype or not…Noons is a douche bag. Myself and many I know, feel the same…AND unlike many of you out there, we actually know him! He’s a fake, cocky punk! At least the Diaz brothers act like themselves all of the time instead of trying to be a respectful/ humble saint to fool everyone. He has good skills…but, I know LOTS of guys who do and act real!
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While I agree that Diaz is talented, most of his career has been plagued with mediocrity.
Look at his losses to Riggs and Sherk. in each case, he could have certainly won but a lack of agression cost him those bouts.
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Exactly! In all of those last bouts in the UFC, it was almost like he forgot he only has 3 rounds to get it done. Another journalist said it right, “he’ll fight on his opponents level” or just allow it to go wherever they want to take it. He needs to get it to the ground and do what he does best…
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Not to have a go at you Adam, but is anyone else tired of reading the description that ‘fighter X is a beast’ after a decisive victory? It’s just become so cliched and lazy…
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Nick Diaz..
that’s a trick situation..
it’s like..
ever since the Gomi fight..
it’s like.. he only fights good in Japan.. maybe he knows he’ll get brutalized if he doesn’t give a good showing over there..
i mean, great fight w/ Gomi.. and then.. the Aina fight.. the noons fight.. then great fight Inoue.. and then last night.. maybe he should keep fighting in DREAM or something.. idk.. Japan’s where he seems to do his best..
and as for Yves.. ya.. its pretty sad..
i mean, i’ve ALWAYS thought that Yves is one of the top LW’s in the world.. honestly.. but ever single time he gets a shot.. something happens.. like.. in the UFC.. he was just dominating.. taking out all the competition.. and in a fight that would’ve gotten him a title fight, he lost to joe stevenson.. and then he went through all those hard times.. and gets back on track, and KO’s Berto, and gets his shot.. and this happens.. i mean, come on.. 48 sec.. that just LETS YOU KNOW its bad luck.. nothing else.. a guy of Yves calibur losing in 48 sec?
i SERIOUSLY would’ve put a million dollars on Yves winning.. i mean, i was so confident.. i wasn’t even going to check the results.. that’s why i was so astonished and saddened when i did..
Yves is a great fighter.. just amazing really.. he mixes the unorthodox/technical yet powerful striking w/ the thug-jitsu [lol].. he’s great.. he’s just unlucky.. that’s how it is.. but.. at this stage in his career.. i would love to just see Yves drop to 145.. i mean, he’s got nothing to lose at this point.. it couldn’t hurt..
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Classless assholes about sums it up for the Diaz morons, I mean brothers. Sure hyping a fight is great, but to bring yourself and your little brother in the cage to talk shit on someone’s Dad is just utterly pothetic. Noons did it professionally and Diaz, well pulled his typical asshole, I am the best……BUT(enter excuse) stunt.
Real nice. talking shit on a fighters father, and allegedly I heard Nate threw a punch at him. Flipping of Noons and calling him a scared homey just after a big title defense.
What a tool! I could go on and on and on and on……… He really needs to grow up. him and his brother remind of these 2 brothers I went to highschool with. Both were decent fighters, DEFINITELY FAR FROM TEH BEST, but they acted like they were untouchable even when they got their ass kicked. Then talked shit on them even though they kicked their ass.
Again, classless, ignorant, pothetic, immature little punks that are at best a little above average fighters. I would bet that Nate would kick Nick’s ass.
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If Noons would have said “sure, let’s have a rematch” Nick and Nate wouldn’t have been so aggravated. Say what you will about the Diaz brothers, but it’s just the way they are, it’s not an act. You can tell that while they are always trying to get respect the wrong way, they were never the bullies growing up, rather the bullied.
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I totally agree that Shaw sent the Diaz brothers in the cage but they still act like thugs regardless, there is no place for the bird-flipping crap in MMA. Gary Shaw is quickly becoming the Vince McMahon of MMA and that is a very bad thing. It would be a huge mistake to put Diaz on CBS especially after the last debacle they put on. Diaz looks like he is just going through the motions when he is out there, he is allowing guys who have 1/10th the talent that he has to hang with him, this a guy, marijuana test not withstanding beat Gomi!
How does Ceasar Gracie put up with this? Aren’t the Gracies all about respect and honor? You’d think that Gracie would put the kibosh on this behavior. Anyway Noons is an animal, I’d actually like to see Edwards get another shot down the road, everyone gets caught and we really need to see these guys go at it again. Dave Herman needs to get some serious training and a car! I read that he doesn’t own a car and trains out of his house with weights and a speed bag he bought on-line.
Interesting note: The only fight that made it out of the 1st round on the televised card was Nick Diaz.
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I don’t know if anyone re-watched the little “brawl” after the fight, but KJ Noons ridiculous father started the whole deal. He was giving the little chin-flick sign with his hands cursing up a storm at Nick Diaz. It would’ve been sweet to see Nick Diaz rip Papa Noons arm off, then flick him off again. That’s all promotional garbage and everyone knew that would happen. Overall, Dad needs to quit living vicariously through KJ and thinking he’s thuggish ruggish. You have to expect it from the Diaz bros, not “cool” slicked-back hair, harley-riding old guy.
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I agree with #12. Noons could of been respectful to Diaz first but he had to act like a pompous ass. Did anyone really expect Diaz to take the high road?
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What part of “Noons camp started this” do most of you not understand? Yea, the Diaz boys instigated this with their fingers, but it was Noons camp that charged them, and had to be restrained. Just because someone calls you names, does not give you the right to charge after them. Ever hear the saying, “sticks and stones will break my bones, but names will never hurt me”? Noons camp obviously has not. Noons now holds two belts….”The Elite XC Light Weight Belt” and “The Elite XC Classless Belt”. During the replay, you can see the Diaz brothers do everything they can to make sure this ruckus does not advance any further. Did you see how fast the exited the cage? If Nick were truly classless, he would have knocked out father Noons, which would have enabled him to really get into Noons Jr.’s head.
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Rich,
Nick’s bout with Gomi took place in Vegas.
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#13 “I totally agree that Shaw sent the Diaz brothers in the cage but they still act like thugs regardless, there is no place for the bird-flipping crap in MMA. Gary Shaw is quickly becoming the Vince McMahon of MMA and that is a very bad thing.”
I felt the exact same way after watching that last night. But……
#14 “I don’t know if anyone re-watched the little “brawl” after the fight, but KJ Noons ridiculous father started the whole deal. ”
Yep, on the replay it is clear as day that the Noons team were the aggressors. They all went for Diaz, with Dad in the mix. Maybe some fans like the drama, but I personally wish that EliteXC would stop with it. Every EliteXC card I have seen has some over the top hype going on. All authorized or required by Gary Shaw I am sure. He probably opened the cage and pushed Nick and Nate in the cage. On a high note, I did not see any go-go dancers last night.
As for the fights, Feijao looked really strong.
I loved Herman, during his victory interview he showed he has a sense of humor and he even laughed at himself referring to his “just made it up” kick. Whether it’s “PeeWee” or “Blueberry Muffin” I am a fan. I hope behind his jokester facade he has the steel resolve required to continue hard training and facing better opponents. I also hope he spends more than a few weeks learning BJJ. (so funny).
Ninja was superb last night. He brought his game last night. I kind of felt sorry for Bonello, not really. The tears post fight were endearing.
The Diaz fight was the only fight to go past the first round, but I couldn’t understand why Nick didn’t do more. He was stalking Corbbery around the cage, but only throwing some jabs. His take down attempts were slow and sloppy. Granted Corbbery was doing well to squash them. Once he got it to the ground the crowd instantly started booing. What? Diaz looked very smooth and in control once it got to that point. As mentioned in earlier posts, Nick just looked mediocre, and even somewhat lazy.
Noons got a good right and that was it, he went wild on Edwards. Over. Quick.
One last thing I would like to mention. In the post fight interview Bill Goldberg said he would not ask Feijao to talk him through the film clip because his English was not that good. How unprofessional is that? I was disgusted when I heard that. Why even go there? Feijao did not have an interpreter standing there, so he must not have thought he needed one, but for Goldberg to even say that is a bit degrading, and props to Feijao for going ahead and talking us through the action. I understood him just fine. Maybe Mr. Goldberg should take the time to work on his interviewing skills, or EliteXC should get a new “ring interviewer” because that left a bad taste in my mouth.
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I wish to echo the sentiments of Paul Balsom wholeheartedly. I for one would support an open-weight, open-age MMA match between Karl Noons Sr. and Nate Diaz.
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# 18 JollyDV, I thought the same thing about Goldberg also.
That was very insulting. The guy probably worked very hard to learn another language, just to have “Bill Goldberg” tell him he’s no good at it…..
I’ve never really been a big fan of Goldberg’s announcing/interviewing in the first place. And having him there definitely adds to the whole “WWE” feel of the event…
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There is no doubt that the Diaz’s brothers were told to go out there (thats obvious). They could’ve just jawed back and forth like it was supposed to, but old man Noons had to start talking sh-t like he just fought or something. Then when either Nick or Nate told the old man to check himself before he breaks a hip, Queen Karl went after him along with half of City Boxing, (that one cornermen needs to take a course one how to throw a punch) the fat security smash Nick against the fence and push Nate outta the cage. Nick and Nate walking up the ramp flipping the birds to everyone and the crowd was the best part of the show!!!! Let Nick do his job and hype the fight, just don’t cry if someone talks sh-t to your dad if he is talking sh-t too. Then Mauro’s dumbass has to act like Nick started it all. Side note: Mauro’s commentating has been awful since teh first EliteXC show. those retarted metaphors he comes up with reminds me of when i was 5 and watched pro wrestling… WAR DIAZ
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Shaw wasn’t there and this wasn’t programed… It was unfortunate. It shouldn’t have happened. Period. Yet, there’s no need to continue a childish thought of “it was planned by Shaw” – if you really look well: Shaw wasn’t around at all. And Lie Caplan says, why wold DeLuca be trying to stop the fight?
And yes, regardless of how many fingers you are given: if you are cool and you are professional.. you simply don’t respond with a fight. The truth is that no family should have been there.
Now, to promote Diaz Vs Noon for CBS? That’s stretching it already! That has never been a thought or the July card… However two pieces of a puzzle could seem to fit: turn them around and look well, the images don’t.
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that was in response to #4
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#17,
haha, thanks, i didn’t know that..
and #11,
i like how you think Noons calling Diaz a “big crybaby” is doing it “professionally”.
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So, its OK for me to throw down at any kid that gives me the bird now?
So if Sean Sherk punched BJ in the face after BJ said he was ‘dead’, that would have been fine?
Face it, Noons and his dad were the classless morons who escalated things out of control. They could have just flipped the bird back or talk some more smack, but chose to brawl it out.
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Bill Goldberg once again embarasses himself by completely disrespecting Rafael Feijao in the post interview. english is not the man’s first language, but he was EASILY understood and should not have been dismissed by a guy who provides horrible commentary and makes references that make absolutely no sense. in one broadcast he attempted to make a basketball analogy by refering to one fighter’s trainer as the “7th man”.
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#4, actually it isn’t possible for Nick Diaz vs KJ Noons to be on that CBS card on July 26 because Diaz is fighting in DREAM on July 21st.
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