News of Riggs’ signing was announced in an official press release.

“Joe is a battle-tested veteran who brings it in every fight. He is a great addition to our middleweight division, and I’m looking forward to seeing Joe in action during Season 4,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney.

Riggs also expressed excitement at the thought of mixing it up with the company’s ever-expanding group of 185-pounders, saying, “Bellator has a lot of well-rounded, talented guys in their middleweight division – guys like Bryan Baker, Eric Schambari, and of course the Middleweight Champion, Hector Lombard. There are some really good middleweights for me to test myself against, and it was one of the reasons I came to Bellator.”

“This is the healthiest and the happiest that I can ever remember being in my life,” he continued. “I’m in the prime of my life, I’m injury-free, and things have just really come together in my life. I just can’t wait to show everyone what I have.”

The UFC/Strikeforce veteran has emerged successful in six of his last seven fights including back-to-back bouts against Louis Taylor and Trent Thorne in his most recent appearances. Thirty-one of his thirty-four total wins have remarkably come by way of a finishing performance with almost a near-even split in method (15 submissions, 16 TKOs).

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

Five Ounces of Pain was able to confirm the professional separation with a reliable party close to the situation as well as Strikeforce officials. It is also believed Riggs is currently looking for an match-up in the immediate future.

Riggs, who is 34-11 overall with an incredible thirty-one wins coming by way of TKO/submission, is 6-1 in his last seven bouts with the only loss being a unanimous decision to Bellator welterweight Jay Hieron in January at “Strikeforce – Miami”. Among the group he’s found success against are notable names like Baroni, Kendall Grove, and Strikeforce welterweight champ Nick Diaz (which ultimately lead to their infamous hospital brawl in the aftermath of their match-up).

News of the salary was released by the Arizona State Boxing Commission and reported by MMAJunkie.

Tate’s opponent in the tournament championship, Hitomi Akano, earned $4,900 for her efforts at the show. Akano was paid $2,800 for submitting Carina Damm in her semi-final bout and an additional $2,100 for making it to the conclusive fight against Tate (which she ultimately lost via unanimous decision).

Meanwhile, event headliner Joe “Diesel” Riggs made $15,000 for his third-round submission-by-strikes win over opponent Louis Taylor. The victory was Riggs’ 33rd as a professional and the fifth in his last six bouts.

Here is a complete rundown of “Strikeforce Challengers 10” payment information made available including event-specific bonuses:

Liz Carmouche – $2,000 (includes $1,000 win bonus) def. Colleen Schneider – $1,000
Chris Gruetzemacher – $2,000 (includes $1,000 win bonus) def. Ryan Diaz – $500
Miesha Tate – $8,000 (includes $4,000 win bonus) def. Maiju Kujala – $1,750
Hitomi Akano – $2,800 (includes $1,400 win bonus) def. Carina Damm – $2,100
Ryan Couture – $3,000 def. Lucas Stark – $1,000
Miesha Tate – $18,000 (includes $5,000 final bonus, $5,000 win bonus, $8,000 semi-final salary) def. Hitomi Akano – $4,900 (includes $2,100 final bonus, $2,800 semi-final salary)
Joe Riggs – $15,000 def. Louis Taylor – $2,000

Miesha “Takedown” Tate won two fights on the night, both by unanimous decision, to hoist the inaugural Strikeforce Women’s Welterweight Tournament belt and became the No. 2 contender behind Marloes Coenen in the competitive 135-pound division. She also may have earned a possible future date with current Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Sarah Kaufman.

“Sarah Kaufman, you’re amazing,” Tate announced loudly to the near sold out Dodge Theatre crowd, seeking out Kaufman from the other side of the cage. “I can’t wait to fight you again.”

She later added, “It’s a dream come true. I came here on a mission and I accomplished my goal. And now it’s on to step two and getting that championship belt and getting another shot at Sarah Kaufman.”

Tate used her world-class grappling to control both fights. She beat Maiju Kujala in the first two-round semifinal, rested for a good 35 minutes and then went back at it, beating the scrappy Hitomi “Girlfight Monster” Akano in the final by controlling the ground position and simply out-muscling her Japanese opponent.

Akano submitted Carina “Beauty But the Beast” Damm at 1:48 of the second round to earn her final shot at Tate.

Female 145 pound champ Cris “Cyborg” Santos liked what she saw from Tate on a night that celebrated women’s MMA. “This was a great opportunity for women’s fighting and I’m looking forward to seeing Miesha fight Sarah in the future,” she said.

But Cyborg wasn’t the most visible of fighters watching cage side. That distinction would have to go to Couture’s famous father, MMA legend Randy Couture, who proudly took his spot in his son’s corner for his successful MMA pro debut. “I’m very proud of him and he has a great passion for the sport,” Couture told the nationally televised Showtime audience.

Strikeforce fans will undoubtedly be seeing more of Las Vegas ’ Couture in the near future. He used his signature triangle choke move at 1:15 in the first round to beat Lucas Stark in a 155-pound lightweight match.

“It’s kind of a load off to get the first win and I hope there won’t be a long wait for the next one and I can show some new things next time,” Couture told the media afterwards. “I thought once it hit the ground I would catch him but I didn’t expect it to be that quick. I just lucked out that way I guess.”

Couture said he couldn’t find his jab early against the shorter Stark. “I decided to get where I was comfortable and get it to the ground,” he said. “I’m a slow starter when it comes to the striking. I just locked it in and got the tap.”

The night was also kind to Arizona product Joe Riggs. Down on the judges’ scorecards early in his 182-pound catch weight fight, Riggs knew he would have to come up with something special in the third round, and did just that by pinning Taylor against the cage before the ref stopped the fight at 2:07. “Diesel” was awarded the win via submission by punches.

“I felt great fighting and winning in front of Phoenix ,” Riggs said. “I love my fans.”

He said Strikeforce fans haven’t seen the last of his tough opponent. “He’s a prospect. He’s a big guy. His stand-up was very athletic and he’ll be a dangerous guy for anyone.”

Photo Credit: Esther Lin / STRIKEFORCE

Also set to unfold from Phoenix’s Dodge Theatre on Showtime at 11:00 ET / 8:00 PT, Ryan Couture makes his professional MMA debut after notching a number of wins in his amateur career with opponent Lucas Stark looking to prevent the 27-year old from following in his famous father’s footsteps. Also, Joe “Diesel” Riggs will face 6-1 striker Louis Taylor in hopes of rebounding off a decision loss to Jay Hieron in his last bout.

Before I get into the actual “pick em” part of this article let me preclude the breakdown of bouts by saying one of the things about Mixed Martial Arts I’ve always loved is its unpredictable nature. I’ll do my best to steer you in the right direction with a little insight/opinion included in the deal, but readers would be wise to avoid laying down money on my attempts to glimpse into the future. Beyond that, please don’t hesitate to share your own thoughts on any or all of the scheduled fights in the “Comments” section below, and let’s get this show on the road…

Miesha Tate vs. Maiju Kujala (Tournament Semi-Final)

Kujala is a relative unknown, as are the four opponents she’s beaten in her career, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing where her success is concerned. If it’s difficult to find tape on her, then it’s difficult to know exactly what to expect then the cage door closes. However, I think Tate is experienced enough to handle anything her Finnish adversary offers and will at minimum use her wrestling ability to take Kujala down, then look for submissions while smothering her for the duration of the bout if necessary. I’m positive she’ll try to finish things as quickly as possible to both avoid damage and reserve energy rather than letting either affect her in the tournament final.

Winner – Miesha Tate via Submission Round 1

Carina Damm vs. Hitomi Akano (Tournament Semi-Final)

The result of this bout will depend on where the bulk of its action takes place. Damm has a definite advantage where striking is concerned while Akano is a solid grappler. That being said, the Brazilian is more apt on the ground than Akano is on her feet, and I believe her jiujitsu ability and takedown defense should be enough to make the overall difference in eventual outcome. I don’t expect her to finish Akano, as six of the Tokyo native’s seven losses have come by way of decision with the lone exception being a third-round TKO to Cris “Cyborg” Santos, but I do think Damm will do enough in all facets of the game to win a very close decision.

Winner – Carina Damm via Decision

Ryan Couture vs. Lucas Stark

Couture will clearly be the fan-favorite based on his last name and success as an amateur. However, Stark shouldn’t be dismissed simply because his father isn’t a Mixed Martial Arts legend. He may only be 2-4 in his career but six fights’ worth of experience still counts for something when considering Couture is only making his professional debut. I expect Couture to play it fairly safe in hopes of grinding out a decision win, though it’s possible he could attack with basic jiujitsu since Stark has shown a past vulnerability to ground-based submissions. Look for him to stay active with jabs while looking for takedowns to play off his wrestling pedigree without ever pressing the action to the point he’s at risk of catching a clean shot on the chin.

Winner – Ryan Couture via Decision

Miesha Tate vs. Carina Damm (Tournament Final)

Like most one-night tournaments, this bout will likely be influenced by which of the two fighters escapes the semi-final match less-scathed than the other. An earlier knockdown, cut, broken bone, or even cardio-testing battle could spell disaster for either talented lady. Based on how I predict their previous fights unfolding, I definitely think Tate will have an advantage where her general physical state is concerned. I expect “Takedown” Tate to focus on taking Damm down (surprise, eh?), working from the top, and trying to press the pace in order to soak up the last of Damm’s conditioning. It might even be enough to open up an opportunity for a well-timed, TKO-inducing combo in the third round or submission on the ground.

Winner – Miesha Tate via Decision

Joe Riggs vs. Louis Taylor

Taylor will be looking for his third consecutive win but has yet to face an opponent with Riggs’ familiarity of the ring or overall skill-set. Riggs is 4-1 in his last five bouts and beat a number of respectable opponents earlier in his career like Chris Lytle, Kendall Grove, Joe Doerksen, and Nick Diaz. Don’t surprised if Taylor tries to keep things upright as often as possible based on Riggs’ wrestling ability in addition to his previous success on the TKO-front. Taylor’s last three wins have come by way of knockout and if his head-kick of the ironically-named Ryan Sturdy at Bellator 14 last April was any indication of his overall ability it’s clear his best chance for beating Riggs is in the stand-up department. However, I think “Diesel” will be able to score enough takedowns to do damage from the top and either pound Taylor out or cover him for the bulk of the bout’s fifteen minute time limit.

Winner – Joe Riggs via TKO Round 2

Joe “Diesel” Riggs

Rage In The Cage 138 is scheduled for Friday, December 4 from Mesa, Arizona.

Riggs will be returning to action for the first time since his unanimous decision victory over Phil Baroni during June of this year during “Strikeforce: Lawer vs. Shields”. Just prior to that bout, Riggs stopped Luke Stewart via TKO during “Strikeforce: Destruction” in November of 2008. Joe is a five-time Strikeforce veteran and a seven-time UFC vet with wins over the likes of Nick Diaz, Chris Lytle and Kendall Grove to his credit.

Regan is a veteran of close to thirty fights and currently sports a record of 13-15 having tested himself against some very tough opposition in fighters like Efrain Escudero, Estevan Payan, Melvin Guillard and Alberto Crane.

A full list of the bouts scheduled for RITC 138 are listed below:

Joe “Diesel” Riggs ( 170 ) vs Eric Regan ( 170 )
Joe Cronin ( 155 ) vs Michael Bailey ( 155 ) vacant RITC LW Title
JoJo Thompson ( 270 ) vs Bryan Humes ( 270 )
Matt Dell ( 155 ) vs TBA
Estevan Payan ( 170 ) vs Shawn Fitzsimmons ( 170 )

Chad Menneke ( 205 ) vs Clifford Starks ( 205 )
Freddie Lux ( 135 ) vs John Moraga ( 135 )
Jed Jobe ( 235 ) vs Jeff Baldonaldo ( 235 )
Matt Betzold ( 140 ) vs Alan Decastro ( 135 )
Mario Montoya ( 150 ) vs Bill Burke ( 150 )
David Lopez ( 185 ) vs Clay Hardt ( 185 )
Nick Marus ( 165 ) vs Sean Scott ( 170 )

Andres Acuna ( 175 ) vs Jose Casillas ( 180 )
Jeff Fletcher ( 160 ) vs James Fabbri ( 160 )
Edwin Louis ( 160 ) vs Ruben Gonzales ( 160 )
Lowen Sniff ( 170 ) vs Andrew Perez ( 175 )
Justin Purcell ( 180 ) vs Peter Hust ( 180 )
Rick Nichols ( 165 ) vs Bobby Pompa ( 165 )
Jaron Padello ( 155 ) vs Jaymes Shulte ( 160 )

A previously announced rematch bout between Joe Riggs (30-10 MMA, 3-2 Strikeforce) and Nick Diaz (20-7 MMA, 2-0 Strikeforce) has now taken on a new meaning: it will be for the first ever Strikeforce welterweight title.

 The news of the recently created welterweight title came in a report on MMAWeekly.com and FiveOuncesofPain.com has recently confirmed the championship match-up with sources close to both fighters. An official announcement from the Strikeforce promotion is expected soon.

Riggs and Diaz first met back in 2006 at UFC 57 where Riggs pulled out the unanimous decision victory. In an infamous situation, both fighters were brought to the hospital in Las Vegas to be examined after the bout and continued their brawl. Needless to say, the bad blood between this two is real and can only have grown over the past three years.

Since his departure from the UFC, Riggs has gone 5-2 in fights outside of the organization. Riggs’s latest victory was a unanimous decision over Phil Baroni at a recent Strikeforce event. Since departing the UFC, “Diesel” has made the cut down to 170 pounds from 185.

Diaz, arguably the most controversial MMA fighter on the planet, has also seen a great deal of success and development outside of the UFC. He has most recently had two very dominant performances with victories over Scott Smith and MMA legend Frank Shamrock. Diaz boasts a 6-1 (with one No Decision) record in his past eight bouts.

The lone “no decision” came after the Nevada State Athletic Commission overturned an initial submission victory over Takanori Gomi. In the post fight drug tests, Diaz had tested positive for Marijuana at astonishing levels. So much so that the commission concluded that Diaz must have been under the influence of the drug during the fight.

Diaz vs. Riggs II takes place at “Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg” on August15. The event will be held at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.

The addition of Diaz/Riggs makes for four title fights on the card: Gina Carano vs. Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos (Women’s 145-pound title), Champion Josh Thomson vs. Gilbert Melendez (world lightweight title), Champion Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum (world heavyweight title).

Nick Diaz

The event is scheduled to take place at the HP Pavillion in San Jose, California.

Sources within Strikeforce recently confirmed the bout according to a recent report on Carson’s Corner.

This bout between the two will be the second professional mixed martial arts match-up but their third fight as the two traded blows in the hospital following their first encounter.

Riggs won the previous match-up between the two at UFC 57 as he edged out Diaz in a hard fought unanimous decision victory.

Diaz last saw action on May 6 where he submitted Scott Smith with a rear naked choke in the third round of “Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields”,the same card where Riggs bested Phil Baroni by unanimous decision in his last outing.

MMAWeekly.com was the first site to report the bout as being finalized and FiveOuncesOfPain.com has since confirmed the report with sources close to both fighters.

Baroni, 13-10, has also competed in PRIDE and EliteXC in addition to the UFC. The 31-year old is 3-0 since moving from middleweight to welterweight with wins over Scott Jansen, Ron Verdadero, and Olaf Alfonso to his credit.

Riggs, 29-10, last competed at Strikeforce’s “Destruction” event in November. Facing rising prospect Luke Stewart, Riggs TKO’d Stewart at 2:05 of round 2. The 26-year old veteran holds notable victories in his career over Nick Diaz, Kendall Grove, and Chris Lytle.

In addition to Riggs vs. Baroni, Strikeforce’s June event will be headlined by a middleweight matchup between former EliteXC 185 pound title holder Robbie Lawler facing ex-EliteXC welterweight champion Jake Shields.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com has confirmed through sources close to both fighters that the fight has been offered, but nothing has been finalized just yet.

A recently proposed bout between EliteXc welterweight champion, Jake Shields, and Riggs was nixed from the April Strikeforce card in order to promote a middleweight showdown between Shields and EliteXC middleweight champion, Robbie Lawler, that is now slated to take place on the April card.

Both men are known as bangers, and if the fight does end up being finalized, this one has fireworks written all over it.

Following his departure from the UFC, Riggs has found a new home with Strikeforce. He has gone 2-2 with the organization, most recently stopping Luke Stewart in the first round of their bout in November of 2008.

Baroni has been a road warrior over the last two years, fighting in five different organization in his last six bouts, compiling a record of 3-3 along the way. After dropping three straight bouts, Baroni has rebounded with three wins, with the most recent being a decision over Olaf Alfonso in September of 2008.

Strikeforce officials are mulling several options for the fifth fight and Strikeforce Founder and CEO Scott Coker is quoted as telling MMAjunkie.com that a fight involving Riggs vs. Phil Baroni was a potential option.

However, FiveOuncesOfPain.com has spoken with a source speaking on the condition of anonymity who indicated that a Riggs vs. Baroni fight will not be taking place on April 11.

As of now, a fight has not been finalized for the fifth and final television slot. Riggs is still a potential candidate to compete on the card if a suitable opponent can be secured and Coker also indicated to FiveOuncesOfPain.com’s Jay Tan on Thursday that Brett Rogers is under consideration for the slot as well.

According a published report, Shields has agreed to fight former UFC veteran Joe Riggs in a welterweight matchup to be contested during Strikeforce’s April 11 event in San Jose that is to be telecast on Showtime.

The news was first reported by AroundTheOctagon.com and since has been confirmed independently by FiveOuncesOfPain.com.

Soon after news spread of Strikeforce’s deal with ProElite earlier this month there had been published reports indicating that Shields was looking to contest any possible transfer of his existing EliteXC contract over to Strikeforce’s hands. It was believed that Shields was looking to get out of his deal so that he could pursue a new contract with the UFC.

However, those reports were never confirmed by Shields or Strikeforce Founding CEO Scott Coker, who expressed surprised when recently asked about reports that Shields wasn’t on board with Strikeforce.

“Jake’s dad and I are in dialogue and I feel that the dialogue is going very well, so I am surprised to hear that,” responded Coker during a recent interview with CBSSports.com in which he was asked to respond to the reports.

The move to Strikeforce also signals that Shields will no longer continue to be recognized as EliteXC’s welterweight champion. The EliteXC name and trademark was retained by ProElite during the sale of assets to Strikeforce and as such he will not be able to represent an EliteXC belt while under exclusive control to Strikeforce. However, Strikeforce currently does not have a welterweight title and Shields will most likely be given every opportunity to compete for a championship at 170 pounds.

Rated as a top ten welterweight by major rankings polls such as WAMMA, Sherdog, and MMA Weekly, Shields has not been defeated in his last 11 fights. Once slapped with a reputation for not being a finisher, the Cesar Gracie jiu-jitsu black belt has caused early stoppages due to TKO or submission in his last seven fights.

His formal Strikeforce debut will come against a formidable opponent in Riggs, who is 29-10 overall and 4-4 in eight career fights under the UFC banner. Known for being a top performer in the gym, his talents haven’t always translated to the ring or cage as he is just 2-2 in his last four fights. However, Riggs was victorious in his last fight, a second round TKO over Luke Stewart during a Strikeforce event that took place this past November. The 26-year old also holds notable victories in his career over Nick Diaz, Chris Lytle, Kendall Grove, and Joe Doerksen.

Strikeforce’s April 11 is set to emanate from the HP Pavilion and will be headlined by former Strikeforce middleweight champion Frank Shamrock taken on Diaz at a catchweight of 179 pounds. Also confirmed for the show is a middleweight matchup between Benji Radach and Scott Smith. Coker has also gone on the record to state that he is looking to find opponents on the show for both Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson and former Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez.

Riggs found himself at a crossroads after requesting and being granted his release from Zuffa almost two years ago. In that time he and his wife experienced the birth of their first child and Riggs found a new home with the San Jose-based Strikeforce promotion.

However, nothing is ever easy when it comes to the life of Joe Riggs. While competing for Strikeforce in June and matched up against a relative unknown in Cory Devela, Riggs’ troublesome back gave out and he was forced to submit just 1:22 into the first round. Then in June, he was slated to fight Luke Stewart on the Strikeforce show that was headlined by Josh Thomson winning the lightweight title from Gilbert Melendez.

However, the match with Stewart never happened because Riggs disclosed on his licensing form with the California State Athletic Commission that he had taken a non-narcotic pain-killer in order to cope with back soreness. After taking a tuneup fight in July for the Rage in the Cage promotion, Riggs is set to return to the spotlight on Sept. 20 during Strikeforce’s second-annual event at the Playboy Mansion, where he will meet top-ten middleweight Kazuo Misaki.

Riggs took time out of his training scheduled to speak exclusively with FiveOuncesOfPain.com to address reports he has his sights set on returning to the UFC; how his camp reacted to those reports; whether he still plans to drop to 170 if he’s able to beat Misaki; his thoughts on the California State Athletic Commission’s decision to deny him a license to fight Stewart in June; whether fighters should be allowed to use pain-killers prior to fights; and more.

Sam Caplan: You’re a guy that has experienced a lot of highs and lows in your career and in your life. How are things going for you these days?

Joe Riggs: They are going good. My family is wonderful. My son is one years old now and getting older. Things are going good. If my family life is good, then everything goes good with it.

Sam Caplan: The last time you were supposed to fight for Strikeforce was in June but you were denied a license by CSAC because you disclosed you took a painkiller for your back. I know you could get yourself in trouble if you speak out, but nothing is going to change if people keep quiet. What is your overall assessment of how CSAC operates?

Joe Riggs: They denied me because I took a medication called Tramadol; that’s a non-narcotic pain medication. I used to have problems with pain medicine so my doctor prescribed me Tramadol. And it doesn’t cloud your mind and it’s not addictive. When you’re cutting weight and you’re banged up for a fight, it’s the same thing as taking Ibprofien. So I took that instead of Ibprofien, because it’s a blood thinner. So I took that and it was actually four days before that I disclosed it and told them what the deal was and they cut the stream on my fight. It was bulls—. They like having that power and they use it.

Sam Caplan: I wanted to ask you about painkillers. In the NFL, guys are getting shot up in the locker room right before a game and nobody cares. It’s accepted because their sport is their livelihood. But it’s no different in fighting because a professional fighter doesn’t get paid if he doesn’t fight. If a guy trains for three months and gets injured the last week, do you feel he should be allowed to receive pain relief under a doctor’s supervision?

Joe Riggs: Some people can. The only problem with it is that it is highly addictive and some people ignore that and just go along for the ride. The fact of the matter is that is that it is highly addictive. If you can take it and have it doctor-prescribed then more power to you, but some people can’t handle that.

Sam Caplan: But do you feel the commission should be more lenient if a fighter is under doctor supervision?

Joe Riggs: You shouldn’t be allowed to take a bunch of Oxycontin and go out there and fight. That’s just not allowed. That’s for the fighters and everyone understands where they’re coming from with that. But when a person takes Tramadol, they’ve got to understand — like they said to me, “You’ve got to make a decision; you have to either be a professional fighter or take your pain pills.” That’s what [a commission official] said to me and I was like “Holy crap, I can’t believe you said that.” Because it goes hand-in-hand. You can’t abuse your body and not be in a lot of pain. It’s hard enough as it is because I don’t take narcotics when a lot of times I do need it. I’m the kind of person with an addictive personality and I don’t want to get addicted to it. It’s a hard thing.

Sam Caplan: This is the second consecutive year you’ll be fighting on the Playboy show. You beat Eugene Jackson, so obviously is wasn’t a bad experience. But was fighting in that environment a good or bad experience for you?

Joe Riggs: Ah, you know, it’s cool being somewhere not too many people get access to; that part is cool. But it’s not an ideal fighting environment. The people there are not knowledgeable fans. They’re just there to be at the Playboy Mansion to drink and see the girls. They’re not really watching the fights, to be honest with you. It’s just people talking and drinking alcohol. So it’s weird. They’re not really respectful of the beauty of the sport. There are some fans there like Joe Rogan but there are some people there that just don’t give a s— about the sport. They’re just there to be at the Mansion.

Sam Caplan: You recently said in an interview with TAGG Radio with George Garcia and Frank Trigg that your goal is to get back into the UFC. Are you unhappy with Strikeforce?

Joe Riggs: I was mis-quoted there. It’s not my goal. I was not fired from the UFC; I asked for my release and they gave it to me. I left on my own regard. And the whole point is that I am not unhappy with Strikeforce. They do very well and they’ve treat me good. The whole point is that the UFC is the big show and you do get the bigger sponsor dollars and that’s probably where I’ll end up. But you never know. If I’m coming off two big wins with one over Misaki and what not and I just want to make sure I am carrying as much weight as possible when it comes time to negotiate my next contract.

Sam Caplan: When that quote went public, did Strikeforce contact you about it?

Joe Riggs: Yeah, they did. My agent, Ken Pavia, contacted me and said “Dude, you’re killing me!? What’s wrong!? Why are you doing that!?” And I was mis-quoted and I am sure (Strikeforce President) Scott Coker got mad because that is a disrespectful thing to say but the fact of the matter is that I didn’t mean for it to come off like that. My goal is to be the best in world and fight to my utmost potential. And wherever that may be, I just want to fight on the biggest stage possible.

Sam Caplan: How many fights do you have left on your Strikeforce deal?

Joe Riggs: Two more. I have one with this fight (vs. Misaki) and one more after this.

Sam Caplan: Did they give you any idea who your opponent might be on the last fight of your contract?

Joe Riggs: They did mention Cung Le, but who knows?

Sam Caplan: I believe you mentioned in that same TAGG Radio interview that you are thinking of cutting back to 170 after this fight. Is that still the plan, and why the change in weight again?

Joe Riggs: This is definitely my last fight at 185. But you know, I just remembered that they were talking about Cung Le as a fight at 185 but that’s probably not going to happen. But I would like to fight Luke Stewart. We were going to fight and that kind of got cut short but I’d still like to fight Luke Stewart.

Sam Caplan: And you’d fight Stewart at 170 lbs.?

Joe Riggs: Yeah.

Sam Caplan: In talking about the UFC and your agent, Ken Pavia, has he gotten in touch with the UFC? Has he put any feelers out to see if the interest in a return is mutual in you possibly fighting for them in the future?

Joe Riggs: Yeah, sure. You know, every fight I had in the UFC was an exciting fight so I’m sure they’d want me back.

Sam Caplan: The UFC is where most fighters want to go. But doesn’t there need to be multiple viable fight companies in this sport as opposed to just one in order to make sure that fighters have leverage when it comes to negotiating contracts?

Joe Riggs: That’s a big thing. And that’s why I am hoping Affliction does well and Strikeforce does and EliteXC; it creates a bidding war for the fighters. The UFC can’t have a monopoly. It just can’t happen.

Sam Caplan: If an offer does come in from the UFC and it’s a decent offer but not a great offer, does it ever factor into a fighter’s mind that they might be better off fighting for another organization in order to bring some balance to the sport?

Joe Riggs: Yeah, you know it does. But you at the end of the day you have to support you and your family. That’s the whole reason why I am in this. And the thing with the UFC is that you can take a couple dollars less but they offer the bonuses. When I fought for them a couple of times I had submission of the night and the bonus was over $20,000 grand. And now they’re getting like $75,000. That’s a huge plus.

Sam Caplan: Styles wise, how do you feel you match up with Kazuo Misaki?

Joe Riggs: Good. He has a style where he likes to counter-fight and he likes to rely on his speed but he’s not faster than me. I think he’s a great fighter; he’s very athletic and a good counter-defense. It’s a good fight and I can’t wait.

Sam Caplan: You mentioned you’d like to go back to 170 and fight Luke Stewart. But Misaki is considered a top ten middleweight by a lot of people. If you beat him, why not try to parlay that at 185?

Joe Riggs: I think that beating Misaki and dropping down to 170 brings more weight with me. It used to be a hard cut for me to 170 when I first started doing it but over the years I stopped lifting weights and my body just naturally dropped down and it just makes the most sense for me to fight at 170. It’s actually not going to be that hard of a cut.

Sam Caplan: What do you think of Cung Le? Is he the real deal?

Joe Riggs: Yeah, he’s tough. Cung Le has got really good wrestling and his standup is really good. I’m not sure about his jiu-jitsu game but nobody has really been able to take him down so he’s been doing a great job. I think Cung Le is an amazing fighter. He beat Frank Shamrock and Frank is a tough guy so he’s a star.

Sam Caplan: If you you get past Misaki and they put a strong offer on the table for you to fight Cung Le on a big show would you do one more fight at 185 and fight Cung Le?

Joe Riggs: Yeah, if the money was right and it was a big show, I definitely would.

In a middleweight matchup, former UFC veteran Joe “Diesel” Riggs will be making his second-ever appearance on a Playboy show after defeating Eugene “The Wolf” Jackson on last year’s card.

His opponent will be PRIDE, K-1 HERO’s, and Sengoku veteran Kazuo Misaki.

This will be the 25-year old Riggs’ third-ever fight under the Strikeforce banner. After debuting at last year’s Playboy show, he competed against Cory Devela during “Strikeforce at the Dome” in Tacoma, Wash. on February 23. Riggs was forced to verbally submit soon after the fight commenced after his back went out.

Riggs returned to action last month on a regional show in Arizona, where he submitted Matt Dempsey in the second round. He has indicated that his back is 100 percent healed but that this will be his last fight competing at 185 pounds.

“I’m dropping to 170 pounds and gonna jump into the top 10 in that division,” Riggs is quoted as saying in a press release issued by Strikeforce late Sunday night to announce the fight.

Misaki is ranked as a top-ten middleweight by several major websites and has an overall MMA record of 20-8-2, according to Sherdog’s fight finder.

He has won two consecutive fights having submitted Siyar Bahadurzada during Sengoku’s first show this past March and then returning to the promotion in June and recording a unanimous decision over WEC veteran Logan Clark.

“I am looking forward to making my debut for Strikeforce at The Playboy Mansion, an incredible venue that is well-known throughout the world,” Misaki is quoted as saying in the press release. “Joe Riggs is a tremendous competitor. His style is aggressive like mine so I have no doubt that our fight will be an exciting and memorable one.”