Thomson (18-4) has been on the sidelines for over a year due to an injury but won his last two fights inside the Strikeforce cage against Gesias Cavalcante and Pat Healy. He also is 1-1 with Melendez, meaning a rubber match could be store, while holding on overall record of 9-2 inside the organization.

Noons is coming off a victory over Billy Evangelista that ended a two-fight losing skid with decision defeats to Nick Diaz and recent lightweight contender Jorge Masvidal. He holds an overall record of 11-4 with eight TKOs.

News of the potential pairing was first reported by MMAJunkie.

The finals of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix are also slated for the event, along with title-fight between bantamweight champ Miesha Tate and Olympic judoka Ronda Rousey and a battle between Paul Daley-Kazuo Misaki.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

However, if the 10-3 striker is able to get by Masvidal on June 18 at “Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum” it appears he will likely cross paths once again with Diaz, only this time with the outspoken welterweight title-holder cornering 155-pound champion Gilbert Melendez rather than personally playing the role of in-ring adversary.

Noons laid out the contendership plan in an interview on MMAWeekly Radio where he also revealed he was originally set for a crack at divisional gold last year before getting an opportunity to settle the score with Diaz.

Though victory over a fighter of Masvidal’s caliber is anything but guaranteed, the decision to set up a bout between Melendez and Noons would make sense given the history between camps, as well as his success at lightweight including four consecutive wins and TKOs of Yves Edwards and Jorge Gurgel.

Masvidal is 21-6 in his career and was most recently seen outpointing Billy Evangelista in March at “Strikeforce: Feijao vs. Henderson”. In addition to the then-undefeated Evangelista the 26-year old holds wins over the aforementioned Edwards, Ryan Healy, Satoru Kitaoka, and Joe Lauzon.

PHOTO CREDIT – ELITEXC/STRIKEFORCE

The lightweight showdown was confirmed earlier today by Zuffa officials.

Noons (10-3) is returning to the lightweight division after a one fight stay at welterweight. Noons moved up in weight last October to settle a grudge with current Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz. Despite fighting a bigger opponent, Noons put up a valiant effort in losing to Diaz by unanimous decision in a five round war. Before the loss to Diaz, Noons had been on a six fight win streak with victories over the likes of Jorge Gurgel, Yves Edwards, and the aforementioned Diaz. He was the first and last EliteXC Lightweight Champion and in his ten career victories, eight have come by way of (T)KO. Along with his MMA credentials, Noons also has pro boxing experience, posting a 11-2 decision in the squared circle.

Even though Noons might be a former professional boxer, don’t expect that to scare away Masvidal (21-6) from trading leather with him. The MMA veteran has been inconsistent in his last seven fights, posting a 4-3 record, but he is coming off a decision victory over the previously undefeated Billy Evangelista back in March. Masvidal has fought top competition throughout his MMA career, challenging top fighters such as Paul Daley, Joe Lauzon, and Toby Imada. He may not be known as a finisher, with a matching ten (T)KO career victories and 10 decision victories, but he’s a fighter who will no doubt challenge Noons in the striking department.

Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum is scheduled for June 18 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. The event will be headlined by Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum and Brett Rogers vs. Josh Barnett, both of which are part of Strikeforce’s Heavyweight Grand Prix.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

Opening up the event on Showtime, BJJ ace Andre Galvao and talented grappler Tyron Woodley both acknowledged the opportunity at hand when they lock horns. “Tyron is a tough fighter, a top wrestling guy who has fought three times on Strikeforce,” said Galvao of his undefeated opponent. “I am excited and have a good game plan. I’m ready to go.”

Woodley, on the other hand, stated he wasn’t as concerned with Galvao’s strategy against him so much as the chance to work his way towards a shot at welterweight gold. “I can’t concern myself on what an opponent my do. It’s up to me to turn my weaknesses into strengths,” he began. “This fight means a ton to me. I fought through the Strikeforce Challengers series. Fans got to learn my story as a fighter, they got to see me develop and get better each fight. They got to submit guys fast. They got to see me go through wars. This is definitely a step forward towards my dream to be a champion. We’ll get those fireworks going on Saturday.”

While both 170-pounders were well-behaved, Josh Thomson took time to talk trash in relation to his bout against Strikeforce newcomer JZ Cavalcante, though the smack was curiously directed at a lightweight peer rather than his Brazilian opponent and actually used in a complimentary fashion rather than a derogatory one.

“JZ is a savage and a beast and I think it’s a joke that you guys have a guy like Ben Henderson ranked above a guy like him,” said Thomson of Cavalcante and WEC’s lightweight champ. “I could go out there and fight the fight of my life and still lose. I have to beat him everywhere; there is no way I am going to win this fight doing one thing. JZ has fought some good ones all over the world. He is probably bigger and hits harder so I know I have to lay it on the line and see what happens.”

However, American Top Team’s Cavalcante avoided posturing of any sort, opting instead to address his recent injury problems and excitement about fighting the former 155-pound champ in front of an American crowd. “I was off a long time because of my injuries but I’ve seen a lot by working with teammates and other guys that have helped me stay involved in the game…but there is nothing like a real fight,” said the 27-year old. “This will be an excellent fight and I’m really looking forward to it and fighting for Strikeforce. I like being part of a fight fans want to see and are talking about. This is my chance to make a name for myself in America.”

All four participants slated for the evening’s title-bouts also had a chance to address their opponents and offer a take on the event as a whole. Female welterweight champ Sarah Kaufman expressed her appreciation for defending her belt on a major card, saying, “This is definitely a big deal for the 135-pound division and a big push forward for it. The more attention and exposure we get, the more the fan base will grow. There’s already a good fan base for the Strikeforce women at 145 pounds, so this is a great opportunity for us and the division.”

Her adversary on Saturday, Marloes Coenen, stated dropping down a division to face Kaufman hadn’t hurt her power, and said the chance to hoist Strikeforce gold above her head meant a tremendous amount to her. “This fight means the world to me. I won a world tournament in Japan ten years ago and here I am again, ten years later, with another opportunity to win another potentially life-changing event. A victory means I can stay and have a career in America. I would love that to happen very much,” said the Dutch submission specialist.

Closing the press conference out, headlining rivals Diaz and Noons maintained civility while discussing their long-awaited rematch rather than resorting to behavior similar to that bringing about a post-fight melee in their EliteXC days.

“I have respect for Nick as a fighter. His style works for him and I like to watch him fight,” said Noons of the welterweight champion. “The first fight I worked on going forward against Nick because Nick never fights going backward, but I’ve been working on all aspects of the game. I’m sure at some point he’s going to try and take me down but I am ready for anything.”

Diaz keep things professional as well. “I feel good and weight-wise I am almost perfect. I was angry for a long time (about the first fight). I was real upset that it ended the way it did because it wasn’t like I was hurt. Then I kind of dropped the idea of ever fighting a rematch because he got out of MMA. I never considered the first fight as a loss. I just always looked at it as a fight that was stopped (too soon),” replied Diaz when asked about his initial scrap with part-time pro boxer Noons and the bout’s stoppage for cuts.

However, the Stockton native closed things out by making sure fans understood he won’t be entering the ring on Saturday with personal feelings getting in the way of his ultimate goal of retaining his strap.

“I don’t feel that this fight is about revenge…but I’m happy now that he took the fight.”

“Strikeforce – Diaz vs. Noons II” takes place in Strikeforce’s home-base of San Jose and will be available for viewing this Saturday night on Showtime beginning at 9:00 PM ET (delayed on the West Coast).

PHOTO CREDIT – Esther Lin / STRIKEFORCE

As such, it stood to reason a war of words between Diaz and Noons might develop during the build towards their October 9th Strikeforce title bout once old feelings began to surface again. However, those who might have presumed the outspoken Diaz would fire the first significant shot would have been wrong, as Noons made it very clear in a recent conversation with Strikeforce his respect for the Stockton native is limited to purely the skills he offers in the ring.

“Nick’s good for entertainment, but I come from a family of fighters,” said Noons. “I started early, and I have respect for martial arts. It teaches you discipline, how to become a good person, and I feel that I am. On October 9th, I’m fighting a guy that, if I had a kid, I wouldn’t want him looking up to. He’s a trash-talking, pot-smoking chump.”

“I already got one up on Nick. I beat the crap out of the guy. He’s had a good run, and there’s a lot of build-up for this rematch. We’ve both improved, this is a different weight class now, he’s gotten better, I’ve gotten better…it’s a different situation. But at the end of the day, I’m a true mixed martial artist, I have respect for the sport, and I am a good role model,” the 27-year old striker continued.

The former EliteXC champ also didn’t shy away from letting fans know his intent or motivation when the action begins in San Jose come that not-too-distant Saturday night. Explained Noons, “This is beyond a grudge match. I’m going to light him up like a Christmas tree. He’s going to have to kill me to lose. It’s very personal.”

Noons is 10-2 in his career and most recently beat Jorge Gurgel via second round TKO at “Strikeforce – Houston” this past August. He is currently on a six fight win streak.

PRESS RELEASE / 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 9th, when KJ Noons (9-1), fresh off a knockout victory last Saturday, challenges Strikeforce 170-pound champ 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 title-holder 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.

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 January 30th, 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”.

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 January.

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 February 26th 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, Jeremy Horn, former UFC welterweight champion Carlos Newton and remains one of only two men to submit BJJ blackbelt Travis Lutter.

In his most recent fight, the six-foot-tall Lindland scored a third-round TKO over “King” Kevin Casey on May 21st during a “Strikeforce Challengers” event in Portland, Oregon.

In a tactical co-feature, world-class submission specialist Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza captured the vacant Strikeforce Middleweight Championship with a unanimous decision over American military hero Tim Kennedy.

In an all-action fight, Mo (7-1) was the aggressor in the first, scoring a body slam in the opening minute of the round. But, Feijao (10-2) was unfazed by the take down and got to his feet without suffering any significant damage.

After trading punches in the second, Feijao came out swinging in the third. He landed a few strong combinations and caught Mo with a powerful knee. Clearly wounded, Mo tried to take his opponent to the ground to minimize the damage but, while locked up standing, Feijao battered Mo with a series of brutal slashing elbows to Mo’s head, knocking him out at 1:14.

“I hit him hard with the right hand and the knee,” Feijao said. “I saw he was hurt, but I was just going to continue to hit him. I felt his grip loosening and knew that he was done.

“I have a new coach in boxing and Muay Thai that made the difference. “I just made my dream. I saw in his last fight he wanted to get inside. My strategy worked perfectly.”

A wounded Mo was disappointed but not dejected in his performance.

“I just got to make a few adjustments,” Mo said. “He fought a hell of a fight, but I’m not worried. I’ll come back stronger.”

Jacare (13-2-1) wasn’t able to get Kennedy to the ground, but his effective and relentless counterpunching was the difference maker in the fight.

A deep gash opened up over Kennedy’s left eye early in the third round. Kennedy (12-3) tried taking the fight to the mat, but it was ineffective against Jacare, who was the superior striker landing the harder, crisper punches.

Kennedy continued to attack Jacare throughout the fight, never giving up, but was unable to land anything that hurt his opponent.

“I felt through the fight that he felt my hand,” Jacare said. “I was landing some big punches and I thought I was winning the fight. I was ready to fight everywhere in the cage, but I was surprised how strong he was. He was strong, but I was the one connecting and landing the damaging punches.”

Kennedy, who landed more punches with a higher percentage, was a bit surprised in the unanimous decision loss.

“I was really frustrated with the end result,” Kennedy said. “Jacare is an amazing contender and now a champion. I was humbled that I was able to go five rounds with him, but I think it goes without saying that I’d like another five rounds with that guy. It’s going to be different.

“We’re talking about the most decorated grappler in the planet. I expected him to want to grapple. He countered with me the whole time and I was surprised. I should have put more pressure on him. The only time anyone got dropped in the fight was when I dropped him, but he’s got the belt.”

In a featured lightweight bout, KJ Noons scored a second round KO (:19) over fearless brawler and BJJ blackbelt Jorge Gurgel in a short, but spectacular match.

The two exchanged powerful punches in the first, but a powerful and controversial blow from Noons a split second after the sound of the closing bell for the first round proved to be the difference. Noons (10-2) came out swinging in the second, landing an overhand right followed by a left hook that sent Gurgel (13-7) flying to the canvas. He followed it up with punches on the ground, but the fight was clearly over as Gurgel could not recover.

“By any means am I a dirty fighter, no,” Noons said. “I was just going in there to try to engage and get the round. I was in the heat of the moment and I couldn’t stop my hands as they were going. It wasn’t cheap and I’m not trying to be dirty – I’m just trying to finish the fight. I didn’t’ intentionally do it, it’s just the rush.

“I thought it was a great fight. He had a really good game plan. He was moving around the ring and was trying to get me to engage more. I just knew I had to not over commit on my punches and my kicks and I’d be able to keep standing. I’m not surprised he didn’t take me down.”

Gurgel didn’t make any excuses or complaints in losing.

“I apparently got hit a couple of times when the round was up, but it’s not KJ’s fault,” Gurgel said. The referee is responsible for separating the fighters. I’m not taking anything away from (KJ) He landed a good right hand and a left hook. I have no excuses whatsoever. I came up short in my performance and I’m really upset. I thought I had his number. I’ve never been rocked before. I’ve had 20 professional fights and I’ve never felt that. KJ is a world class fighter.”

In the opening fight of the Showtime telecast, Chad Griggs won an upset, TKO victory over previously unbeaten Bobby Lashley at the end of the second round.

An experienced and talented wrestler, Lashley immediately took the fight to the ground in the first round. He expended a lot of energy trying to hit Griggs (9-1) while on the ground, but Griggs was able to counter and opened up a gushing cut over Lashley’s left eye.

Once again, Lashley (5-1) took the fight to the ground in the second, but his punches didn’t do enough damage to the more experienced Griggs. The cut worsened with Lashley apparently gassed in the closing moments of the second round and the referee called the bout immediately following the conclusion of the round.

“This is a dream come true fighting for Strikeforce. I got offered a big fight right off the bat and I’m super pumped I got the win,” Griggs said. “I know he was bleeding all over me. I think he was tired and he was hurt already. I think it was a good call to end it.

“I felt him starting to fade a little bit at the end of the first round. I could hear him breathing really hard and could feel him using a lot of muscle to land punches. I was comfortable because he wasn’t really catching me and he was using a lot of energy. I don’t think that he’s really been hit before or been tested. I could see it in his eyes that the fight was changing. He was still hustling, but I think he was losing some heart in there.”

A full list of results from “Strikeforce – Houston” can be found below:

Artenas Young def. Chad Cook via Unanimous Decision
Chad “Robo” Robichaux def. Humberto DeLeon via Split Decision
Reynaldo “The Truth” Trujillo def. Jose Santibanez via TKO Round 1
Adam Schindler def. Kier Gooch via Submission Round 1 (Rear Naked Choke)
Vinicius “Draculino” Magalhaes def. Rocky Long via Unanimous Decision
Andre Galvao def. Jorge Patino via TKO Round 3
Daniel Cormier def. Jason Riley via Submission Round 1 (Strikes)
Chad Griggs def. Bobby Lashley via TKO Round 2
KJ Noons def. Jorge Gurgel via KO Round 2
Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza def. Tim Kennedy via Unanimous Decision
Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante def. “King Mo” Lawal via TKO Round 3

PHOTO CREDIT: Esther Lin / Strikeforce

In attendance were Strikeforce fighters “King Mo” Lawal, Bobby Lashley,KJ Noons, and Tim Kennedy (a former Army Special Forces sniper and Green Beret). Also attending and talking to patients was MMA fighter Jason “Mayhem” Miller, who is in town this week with Lawal’s camp.

Saturday’s fights will take place from the Toyota Center in Houston LIVE on Showtime at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

In the main event of a World Championship Doubleheader, undefeated Strikeforce World Light Heavyweight Champion “King Mo’’ (7-0) will make the first defense of his crown against highly touted Brazilian Rafael “Feijao’’ Cavalcante (9-2). In the co-feature, Kennedy (12-2) and world-class submission specialist Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (12-2-1) will battle for the vacant Strikeforce Middleweight (185 pounds) title. Kennedy has served six tours of duty in the Middle East and is one of MMA’s fastest rising stars.

Unbeaten heavyweight Lashley will take on MMA veteran and Tucson , Ariz. , firefighter Chad Griggs in a featured bout. In another televised fight on Showtime, Noons (9-2) will face BJJ blackbelt Jorge Gurgel (13-6) in a lightweight (155 pounds) match.

Photo Credit – Esther Lin / Strikeforce

The 27-year old striker recently sat down with media during a conference call and opened up on not only his approach to facing opponent Jorge Gurgel at this weekend’s “Strikeforce – Houston” event, but also his feelings on fighting in the town he grew up in, an eventual rematch with Nick Diaz, and UFC President Dana White’s lack of respect for boxing.

Noons began by reflecting on how his experience as a boxer might translate into the fight against Gurgel, saying, “There are two different disciplines; you have to be committed to whatever discipline you are working at. But I definitely take a lot of skills and the things I have learned from boxing into my MMA game. The past two fights, I haven’t been a full all-around fighter so I am really looking forward to coming out and being an all-around fighter for this next fight. I am especially really excited about my opponent and when you put our two styles in the ring you are really going to have a lot of fireworks. In my eyes, Jorge is the No. 1 contender so this a top fight for me. By no means am I acting like I have this one in the bag. I am training as hard as I can. This is probably one of the most dangerous opponents I have had.”

“Jorge comes out and puts on great shows, but if you want to watch jiuitsu, go to a tournament. This is fighting. If you want to see some lame fighting go watch the UFC, go watch something boring as hell. If you want to see something exciting, come August 21st and see a guy who’s been boxing his whole life and someone who has a black belt in jiujitsu. This is what people want to see,” continued Noons when asked about how he saw his bout unfolding. “Houston is a great town, I am really glad Strikeforce is coming here. It is a great event. I think once the fighters get here, they’ll see how excited the town is going to be. I am really excited to be on the card with all these people. This is a great fight town. And home field advantage? It doesn’t matter. I am ready to bring my best. I have a lot of respect for Jorge. It’s going to be a great fight. I’m bringing my best. That’s it.”

His remark about the UFC wasn’t the last time “King Karl” targeted the promotion in a comment. The 9-2 Noons, who has won his last five consecutive fights, also brought up the home of the Octagon when asked about a potential rematch with Strikeforce welterweight champ Nick Diaz. The two previously threw down in November 2007 with Noons emerging victor based on the amount of damage he dished out to Diaz’s face. They were later slated to face off a second time in the now-defunct EliteXC promotion with the situation boiling over at one point in the form an in-ring scuffle between both fighters’ camps.

“Most definitely, even though I’m not looking past Jorge,” said Noons on the possibility of fighting Diaz. “I’m not looking at (lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez). I’m not going to wait for anybody and I still want to box. I’m probably one of the only ones with fourteen pro boxing fights. (Strikeforce CEO) Scott Coker has allowed me to box outside of Strikeforce and I think that is going to be really interesting in the future with people like Dana White making a real mockery out of boxing and having James Toney fight Randy Couture. So I have no problem as long as it is okay with Scott to fight a pro boxer. This is all in the future but right now Jorge is on my mind.”

“Dana is trying to make a mockery out of boxing, but if Randy gets caught he is going to sleep,” he added.

However, Noons made it clear his focus was still on Mixed Martial Arts regardless of his interest in pursuing a boxing title. “I am totally committed to MMA right now. This is just an option that is open in my contract. I want to get back on the MMA scene, stay busy fighting, show my loyalty to Strikeforce and Scott (Coker), and when the opportunity comes up I will be back in boxing.”

“It’s going to be a great show next week in Houston. I am very excited about my opponent. I don’t have to say it very much but look at his track record: he has the fight of the night, and look at my track record (and I) always (have) fight of the night. Put us in the cage and you are going to get fireworks. I have respect for the main event but we are probably going to steal the show. I am ready man – this is what it’s all about. This is fighting. On August 21st you are going to get your money’s worth!”

On top of Noons’ energetic scrap with Gurgel taking place on Showtime, “Strikeforce – Houston” also features a pair of championship bouts as light heavyweight “King Mo” Lawal defends his belt against Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante and Tim Kennedy battles Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza for Strikeforce’s vacant middleweight strap. Former professional wrestler Bobby Lashley also looks to maintain his perfect record (5-0) against Chad Griggs on the card.

Stay tuned to Five Ounces of Pain for live coverage from Houston this weekend!

While official terms of the agreement have not been released it is believed Noons will compete multiple times under the Strikeforce banner. The signing was first reported by Sherdog’s Loretta Hunt.

The young Hawaiian has a 7-2 professional record with notable wins over Yves Edwards and Nick Diaz. Though he has not fought as a Mixed Martial Artist since June 2008, the 26-year old has been an active boxer and compiled a winning record since last stepping into the EliteXC cage.

If Noons does indeed make his Strikeforce debut on December 19th he will join an already stacked card featuring the revealing of fellow new-signees Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and Mo Lawal, as well as the long awaited rematch between Gilbert Melendez and Josh Thomson and Cung Le’s return to action against Scott Smith.

Speaking on MMA Weekly Radio, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said that Noons would instead focus on his boxing career for the time being rather than accepting a fight with Thomson. The April 11 card will be broadcast live on Showtime from the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California.

Noons defeated Nick Diaz for the title in November of 2007 in a bout that was stopped due to cuts. He subsequently defeated Yves Edwards in his only title defense. Soon after EliteXC officials wanted to have a rematch between Noons and Diaz which did not sit well with Noons who outright refused to fight Diaz again. Noons and manager Mark Dion stated that Diaz was not the number one contender and also was unhappy that a man he had already defeated was making significantly more money than he was.

Coker went on to mention that Noons will have an open invitation to fight for the organization if and when he decides to resume his mixed martial arts career. He reassured everyone that Thomson will still be fighting on the card.

The veteran promoter is excited and realizes just how valuable Thomson is to Strikeforce and considers him a world class fighter who could take on the top three or four lightweights in the world and certainly hold his own.

Coker also promised that sometime over the next few days the card for the inaugural Showtime card will have more fights added to it.

K.J. Noons

Due to the promotion taking his title away, Noons now believes he’s a free agent. “I’m a free agent,” Noons told Sherdog.

Noons was stripped of the title after allowing a 24 hour period which he was given to accept the fight against Diaz expire. EliteXC then publicly announced that they were stripping Noons of the title. But Noons claims that’s not how it went down.

“We weren’t coming to agreements on the fight, so I gave them written notice that I’d give them the belt back five days prior before they stripped me. I didn’t make it public, and I guess to prove a point, or maybe out of ego or whatever they want, they stripped me,” said Noons.

Due to the stripping of the title, Noons believes the two final fights on his contract are null and void, claiming that the fights he owed them were as a champion and now that he’s not a champion that those fights are no longer his obligation.

Jeremy Lappen, EliteXC’s Head of Fight Operations, claims that Noons still has two more fights on his contract no matter what and hopes that the two parties can come to some kind of agreement. Lappen also went on to say that EliteXC and Noons’ camp have been in negotiations and that progress has been good. No formal agreement has been made between the two parties but EliteXC did allow Noons to pursue a boxing match on November 13.

“We’re still on good terms. We’re gonna see if we can work a deal out, but as of right now, we are on the same page as I’m going to go box right now,” said Noons.

In the meantime, the vacated EliteXC lightweight title will soon have a home around someone’s waist. It has been announced that Eddie Alvarez and Nick Diaz will face off on November 8 in Reno, Nevada.

“We were given until Monday, and we’re figuring it all out today. I’ll make a statement tomorrow if we can’t get something worked out,” Noons told MMA Junkie.

The disagreement with EliteXC all stems from Noons not accepting a title defense against Nick Diaz on EliteXC’s next installment of Saturday Night Fights on October 4. Noons has responded to EliteXC by saying he’s not ducking Diaz but that he hasn’t been treated fairly by EliteXC and has been disrespected by them as an organization.

If Noons works something out with the organization it’s unclear whether or not he’ll be reinstated as champion or whether he’ll have to fight his way back into a title shot. Here at FiveOuncesOfPain.com we reported that EliteXC is considering a fight between Eddie Alvarez and Nick Diaz for the vacant title on a tentative November 8 card.

“We are stripping K.J. of his championship belt for refusing to defend against Diaz,’’ EliteXC Head of Fight Operations Jeremy Lappen said in a statement.

“It’s a very unfortunate situation but we cannot have belt-holders who refuse to fight the top contenders. We want champions who will fight anyone, anytime, anyplace. That’s the mentality all champions should have.

“I feel very bad for K.J. because I like him a lot on a personal level and have always thought he could be a big star. He’s charismatic, has a very exciting fighting style and is a top level fighter. So I’m obviously disappointed that he has chosen to take this stance.

“I don’t understand why he would turn down a chance to be a headliner on CBS on Oct. 4. K.J. then turned down the fight again when we offered him a headlining spot on our next SHOWTIME date against Nick. From my view, it is a fight against a top-named opponent in Diaz (someone who beat the No. 1 fighter in the world in his weight class), a fighter K.J. has bad blood with and most definitely a fight the fans really wanted to see. It seemed like a great opportunity for K.J. to me.

“Personally, I do not think it was a smart career move, but I’m sure he sees it differently. K.J. has two more fights remaining on his contract, so we are still looking forward to having him fight for us again soon, but not as our world champion.’’

Noons originally won the then-vacant title when he upset Diaz during the promotion’s “Renegade” event last November 10 in Corpus Christi, Texas. After dominating Diaz in the standup portion of the fight and causing three lacerations to Diaz’s face, a doctor called a stop to the fight following round 1, declaring Noons the winner.

Diaz, who had been heavily favored to win the fight, stormed out of the main arena in protest and disputed the decision. The outcome of the fight was a source of bad blood between the Diaz and Noons camp and verbal barbs were exchanged via the media.

The bad blood manifested during the promotion’s June 14 “Return of the King” event in Hawaii following Noons’ first successful defense of the title against Yves Edwards. At the invitation of EliteXC officials, Diaz entered the cage during Noons’ post-fight interview and began to verbally antagonize the then-champion. The verbal exchange escalated to the point that Noons’ father, Karl Noons, a former professional kickboxer, lunged at the Diaz camp. A a melee between the two parties then ensued.

After Diaz put together a three fight win streak following the loss to Noons, the promotion made several attempts to capitalize on the grudge feud but could never secure a bout agreement from Noons, as both he and his manager, Mark Dion, disputed EliteXC’s assertion that Diaz was the number one contender to the title.  The Noons camp stated it felt that Eddie Alvarez, based on his undefeated streak in DREAM’s lightweight Grand Prix deserved to be the rightful top contender. However, Alvarez was recently married and was unavailable for the Oct. 4 date.

Noons would also later reveal that he was unhappy with the company over salary issues and his belief that EliteXC officials had reneged on promises to promote his professional boxing career.

Friday’s announcement stated that a fight to determine the winner of the vacant title would be determined in the near future. Opponents and a date were not given, however, sources informed FiveOuncesOfPain.com earlier this week that one option on the table is a headlining match between Diaz and Alvarez for the lightweight title to be held on a tentative Nov. 8 show.

In a week of explosive statements, the tone of the response from Gracie’s camp to Noons is right there with everything else we’ve read this week.

In response to Noons’ comments about believing that EliteXC breached his contract after he was released from his boxing contract by Gary Shaw Promotions several weeks ago, the Gracie Camp said, “Earth to K.J.; you don’t have a boxing career. No one in the boxing world knows who you are.”

The Gracie Camp also believes Noons contradicted himself by saying he wouldn’t fight Diaz over contract concerns when his manager, Mark Dion, had said that they were willing to fight Eddie Alvarez on Oct. 4, the fighter they consider to be the number one contender for Noons’ lightweight title.

“If you will not fight Diaz due to a breach of contract by EliteXC,” the Gracie Camp began to ask. “Then why would you fight Alvarez for the same terms?”

Noons has also complained about his feeling that the company has not done enough to promote him. He specifically cited an example of how EliteXC brought in Diaz to do an autograph signing at one point. Gracie Fighter was able to shed some light on the situation.

“Nick Diaz, Jake Shields and Frank Shamrock were flown in to shoot an instructional trailer on grappling for the CBS show,” the site claims. “The signings were an afterthought. You weren’t flown in because you aren’t a grappler. We are sure they will fly you in if they need an instructional on whining.”

Oh, but Gracie Fighter was just getting warmed up. The site has even gone so far as to accuse Noons’ father of being an alcoholic while responding to Noons’ criticism of EliteXC allowing Diaz to enter the cage following his successful title defense against Yves Edwards on June 14 in Hawaii at “Return of the King.”

“Bringing a fighter into the ring to promote an upcoming fight is standard practice,” Gracie Fighter stated. “Your (I could of been a contender) drunk father, started a near riot and should be banned from further events and immediately placed in an Alcoholics Anonymous treatment center for his own self respect.”

The site also responded to Noons’ complaints about the lack of money he has made while competing for EliteXC and the fact that he has been threatened with a lawsuit over alleged claims by EliteXC that he has not honored his contract.

“Promoters will sue when you don’t fulfill the terms of your contract, just ask Randy Couture,” Gracie Fighter responded. “By the way, you are not Randy Couture and the fight world is not holding it’s breath waiting to see if you will fight again… $83,000? There are several fighters that are a lot better than you fighting for a lot less. Pay your dues and quit being a little bitch.”

Gracie Fighter also is piling on to the open criticism of Noons’ management, going so far as to claim that he is giving up too much of a percentage of his earnings to Dion.

“You are paying your management too high of a percentage and here’s some advice you should consider” they are completely incompetent,” Gracie Fighter stated.

There’s a lot more that you can check out by clicking here.

On his promotion (or lack thereof) by EliteXC:

In the Elite XC’s DVD where Diaz and I fought there are two (2) baseball cards of Diaz and Kimbo. Hello! I won the fight and Elite XC’s promoting Diaz after I beat him? Or how about the day Elite XC flew Diaz in to do a signing on the DVD where he lost. Wow, that must have been uncomfortable Nick? Signing a DVD, and it is a fight that you lost. Why wasn’t I flown in for the signing?

On EliteXC giving him a hard time about tickets to shows:

Elite XC gives me a hard time about comping me one extra ticket for my cousin that helped me train for my fight. I only get four tickets per show. I am the main event in Honolulu, my home town! I did not ask for any tickets for my family and friends and they gave me a hard time about one extra ticket!

On threats from EliteXC President Chuck Champion:

Chuck Champion (President Elite XC) threatens me, my family and my manager with lawsuits and how he’s going to sue me. HAHA. Pretty hard to sue a guy who does not make jack with your company. I’m glad $kala disclosed how much I make, which breached the confidentiality clause of the contract. I will break down the real numbers for you. I am the defending world champ, I have been the main event for Elite XC three out of four times on Showtime. In almost two years I have made approximately $83,000?

On being “bent over by EliteXC with no Vaseline”:

But the straw that broke the camel’s back is they want me to fight Diaz for the second time. Diaz is not the number one contender and they are paying Diaz three times more money than me. Diaz complained after the Stockton fight, he was not paid enough. How do you think that made me feel? Yes you can argue that Diaz gets more for the draw, therefore I do not deserve as much compensation. If that is the case, it is a result of Elite XC terrible job promoting me. Instead of promoting me as their champ and upcoming athlete, Elite XC has resented me for ruining their plans to make Diaz their champ. That is just total disrespect. So it comes down to money and what is fair. I am tired of being bent over by Elite XC with no Vaseline.

You can read the whole thing here. It’s a great read and it’s hard to disagree with Noons when he brings some of these things to light.

It was hoped that both sides would reach some sort of agreement but, according to EliteXC VP Jared Shaw, in the end both ProElite and Noons’ agent, Mark Dion, were unable to agree to the terms of the contract.

Interestingly enough, Shaw informed us that throughout this whole process no one from ProElite was able to speak to Noons directly as his management team refused any direct contact between the two sides.

Shaw mentioned that ProElite will not be stripping Noons of his 160 lbs title at this time but hopes that Noons will “wake up and smell the Hawaiian coffee” sooner rather than later.

The report goes on to say that Diaz will not be fighting on the card but will instead appear on the November 8 Showtime card and that his opponent has yet to be named. This whole situation just baffles me. How, as a fighter, do you let your management control 100% of what’s going on? Why does Noons not get a say in anything? More to the point, why isn’t Noons demanding that he be involved in the process?

Opportunities like this don’t come along very often. The opportunity to defend your title against a high profile opponent on national television is a rare one. Add that to the fact that people will actually be watching this EliteXC card because of Kimbo Slice and Gina Carano (unlike the last EliteXC show) and you have a perfect opportunity to get a ridiculous amount of exposure. All the money in the world can’t buy you the kind of exposure that Noons would receive from fighting on this card. To not seize that opportunity is just plain stupid, especially given EliteXC’s financial situation.

With all the information that has come out the past couple of days, I really don’t think this has anything to do with Noons ducking Diaz. Instead, I think it has to do with his management being some of the dumbest people on Earth. Mark Dion can talk about how long he’s been in the sport and how great of an agent he is but the reality is that he’s already completely burned his bridges with the UFC and is now doing the same with EliteXC. There’s only so many bridges to burn in this sport and those are two of the biggest. K.J. Noons needs to take the Brandon Vera route and get as far away from Dion as humanly possible. And quickly.

Five Ounces of Pain specifically asked Shaw whether EliteXC would consider stripping Noons of his title if he did not respond to the deadline and refused to fight Diaz. While Shaw didn’t say that was the direction the company was planning to go in, he was unwilling to take such an option off the table.

“I would never rule out that possibility,” Shaw responded when we asked him the question.

When asked what other options would be available to Noons if he chose not to fight the promotion’s number one contender for the lightweight title, Shaw hinted that it could be quite some time before fans get to see Noons fight again.

“I would say the only guarantee K.J. has is to pull up a chair and watch the event and get comfortable on that chair because he’ll be sitting for a little bit.”

First, the lack of communication from Noons just doesn’t sound like him. From a journalistic standpoint, my experience in covering Noons has always been extremely positive. In fact, he’s been one of the best fighters I have dealt with, which says a lot, because few fighters in this industry are tough to work with. But in the past, Noons has always been accessible, responsive, candid, and polite. For there to be a media silence at a time like this is just dumbfounding. That’s not to say that Noons’ camp hasn’t been responsive to the media in this instance, they just aren’t going on the record right now.

I didn’t want to write this opinion piece without getting Noons’ side because I know for a fact that there is more to the story.  Unfortunately, they aren’t ready to speak out right now. The problem is, EliteXC is getting its side of the story out and it is not favorable to Noons’ image. In fact, Noons is being portrayed as someone who is ducking Diaz.

I don’t for a second believe Noons is ducking Diaz but I can’t blame those who are reading the situation as such. And if that perception is correct, it only adds to my confusion. I saw the first fight between the two last November and the Diaz camp can spin the fight however they want, but Noons dominated him. It wasn’t even close. The fight didn’t end because of a cut — it ended because of three cuts! A fighter never likes to have someone else decide their fate, but the doctor in question should have lost his license to practice medicine had he not stopped the fight.

If there was a rematch, I see a similar outcome. Noons has worked hard to become a complete fighter but his skills on the ground are very unproven. In talking to those who have trained with him, his ground game has been described as solid but far from spectacular. But his ground game has yet to come into question because Noons has developed a solid sprawl that has allowed him to keep his fights standing. And when it comes to his standup, he has Gomi-like skills on his feet. I’m sure some people will dispute that last statement but the facts are that Noons is extremely underrated and is one of the heaviest hitters around at lightweight.

Diaz is a good combination puncher but Noons is a good combination puncher with power. His body shots really hurt Diaz in their first meeting and Noons’ hand speed and foot work allowed him to counter Diaz’s reach advantage to a point where Diaz took too much damage to be allowed to continue. If Diaz can’t get Noons off his feet, he can’t win. From a tactical perspective, Noons has no reason not to take the rematch against Diaz. If you disagree with that statement then you need to wake up and watch their first fight over again.

Noons has had a lot of trouble living down his devastating knockout loss against Charles “Krazy Horse” Bennett during EliteXC’s first-ever show in February of 2007. He was promoted heavily at the time by Gary Shaw and SHOWTIME and resentment from hardcore fans was created when he failed to deliver. But since that time he’s been dominant in wins over Diaz, Edson Berto, and Yves Edwards. While Noons may not be a top-ten lightweight, he has the talent to one day earn such a designation within one of the sport’s deepest divisions.

In addition to the loss to Bennet, I think a lot of resentment exists because of his looks and his demeanor. He’s a nice guy who doesn’t have a particularly rugged look. I think to judge him based on such trivial nonsense is ridiculous and I don’t for a second believe that Noons is scared of anyone. This is a guy who has trained in martial arts since he was a child and has fought tough opponents since turning to MMA. As a professional boxer, he’s 8-1. Noons is a true competitor and has a fighter’s heart. In fact, fighting is in his blood, as his father was a competitive kickboxer. However, action speaks louder than words and the decision by Noons’ camp not to address the situation publicly or even privately, speaks volumes.

Noons is squandering a tremendous opportunity. If this is a money play, then his camp is employing an ill-advised strategy. It’s hard for an employer to meet your demands if you’re not clearly laying those demands out for them. It’s also hard to increase your market value as a fighter if the UFC is not interested in you. A lot of people were surprised when they found out that EliteXC is paying Antonio Silva $200,000 per fight but that was the price that had to be paid in order to retain him. Silva re-signed with EliteXC soon after Joe Silva issued favorable comments regarding “Big Foot” during a public Q&A prior to the UFC’s event in the UK this past January. Once it was established that the UFC was a realistic option for Silva, EliteXC had to pay a premium to keep him.

I believe Noons is good enough to compete in the UFC at 155 lbs. but the UFC has a lot of depth at lightweight and the promotion would be unlikely to offer him a great deal of money if he were to suddenly become available. It’s hard to negotiate with the UFC if you don’t have leverage. That’s a statement that can apply to any situation, but it especially applies to the UFC. In many cases, their offers are issued in a take it or leave it manner. The fighters who have been able to come in with good deals were the ones who had multiple options.

Noons’ options would increase if he successfully defended his title against Diaz on national television. If he fights on SHOWTIME, anywhere between 150,000-350,000 people will see him fight. On CBS, that number could be anywhere between 2 million to 6 million people. Such exposure can only help his market value and if Noons wants to command more money, he needs to go on CBS and create more leverage for himself.

Rarely do I side with a company when it comes to a dispute with a fighter because I believe fighters make incredible sacrifices and only have so much time to make money. Fighters don’t get medical insurance and they don’t have a 401K. Their shelf-like is limited so they need to earn as much as they can while they can. However, EliteXC has invested a lot of promotional money and time behind Noons. And Noons vs. Diaz II is a feud that has gotten a lot of people excited. It’s a depserate time for EliteXC and they need the fight to happen on Oct. 4 when they go head-to-head against college football on ABC and the Major League Baseball playoffs on FOX. Unless something major happens soon regarding EliteXC’s financial fortunes, Oct. 4 could be Noons’ last chance to fight on primetime network television.

I consider the real number one contender to the EliteXC lightweight title to be Eddie Alvarez. Perhaps Noons’ camp feels the same way. The thing is, EliteXC has named Diaz its number one contender. Fighters and fans do not get a say when it comes to promotional rankings. As a champion, Noons needs to answer the call and defend his title against the number one contender as determined by the promotion. If he refuses to defend his title then EliteXC needs to give some serious consideration towards stripping him of the title and having Diaz fight another opponent for the vacant belt. If Noons doesn’t want to take the Diaz fight, maybe Alvarez will. Alvarez is getting married this month and wants to take time off. However, if there was a title on the line and it was worth his while to come back sooner than expected, perhaps he’d be willing to change his plans?

“I’m sitting here and I’m drinking from a carton of milk right now,” Shaw said. “And the EliteXC lightweight champion KJ Noons’ face is on the back of this milk carton because he’s missing in action. I can’t seem to find him.”

“When [Noons' camp] wants to track us down and tell us how Nick Diaz isn’t the right fight for them — or they want more money, or they want this out of their contract, or this and that — they’re easy to get a hold of,” Shaw said. “But to actually make the fight? Impossible.

“And then when he’s 1-1, get him right back into a main event situation for the world championship against Nick Diaz, the legend who beat Gomi, how are you going to say that we’re not trying to help your kid? What more opportunity could we give the kid?”

“There’s a spot for KJ Noons to face Nick Diaz on the Oct 4. card,” Shaw said. “If this fight doesn’t go off then this a textbook case in business law of harbor. It would be called the KJ Noons case. It will be the biggest mismanagement of an athlete’s career you will ever see. This is a chance to maximize his exposure right now.”

Wow. Them’s fightin’ words. But I, for once, have to agree with Shaw here. Noons at least owes EliteXC a phone call wouldn’t you think? He is, after all, their current champion and they do have a right to know why he’s not defending the title when they ask him to. I don’t know if this is all Noons or if this is all Mark Dion or if it’s half and half but it’s unprofessional of them not to let EliteXC know what’s going on with their current 160 lbs. champion. Expect plenty more of this from EliteXC and Shaw until they have some answers from Noons.

Update: EliteXC Vice President Jared Shaw has been quoted as saying that the promotion has delivered a contract to Noons to defend vs. Diaz on Oct. 4 and that he has until 8 p.m. ET on Thursday to respond to the offer.