On her return to Amsterdam, Coenen disembarked at Schipol Airport to the adulation of  her friends, family and some Golden Glory teammates – a cast which included Alistair Overeem. The group showered her with flowers and champagne, provided a  limousine for the ride home, and lined up a marching band to welcome her back.

Coenen went into the fight an underdog and came out a hero. That’s what makes people fight, and Coenen was clearly moved by the gesture.

Kaufman, after some initial peevishness about the way the fight ended, was somewhat gracious in defeat:

“I wanted to say congratulations to Marloes for taking the Strikeforce title from me. I haven’t had a chance to watch the fight – but I’m obviously not happy with my performance. For the most part I fought the opposite of how my coach, Adam Zugec, has me train,” Kaufman said. “I don’t really know what I was thinking. After the fight, I was distressed that I tapped and vocally said tap yet when the ref stepped in the armbar was still being applied; however, the best option for that would be to not get stuck in an armbar – or at least defend it properly.”

Kaufman was less than pleased when Coenen held on to the armbar that cost her the title after Kaufman said she tapped.

The weight cut to 135? It did make Coenen look less powerful and she was on the ragged edge of losing the fight when she locked in a rock solid submission to finish the bout.

“I didn’t feel anything ’cause she’s got really strong arms. Then I didn’t feel her tapping and the referee didn’t step in,” Coenen said. “After he separated us, I was like, ‘What’s happening,’ and I heard her complaining. It’s all about sportsmanship and it’s not in my character to go on after the referee stops you…”

Nick Diaz defeated KJ Noons by Unanimous Decision (48-47, 49-47, 49-46) to retain the Welterweight title

When Nick Diaz vs. KJ Noons 2 was announced, everyone waited in anticipation not only for the fight, but for the build up as well. After all, these two hated each other a few years ago and things were never settled following their first fight. While the build up was lacking thanks to Diaz’ seemingly lack of interest in fighting Noons, the fight delivered.

This wasn’t one of the greatest five round title fights ever as claimed by Mauro Ranallo at the end of the night but it was a very good fight. It may have come off like a low-level boxing contest to some, and maybe it was, but their activity level was enough to keep interest at a high level. Diaz did what he always does on the feet, pepper away with the jab, follow with the straight right, mix things up to the body, rinse and repeat. He ended up rocking Noons in the first round and managed to wrestle him down into side control, where he proceeded to do nothing before Noons was able to get up. Noons landed his fair share of punches on the feet as well, particularly the jab and the left hook. He looked to be swinging a bit too wildly with his strikes though, which allowed Diaz to move away before getting hit. By the end of the fight both men were bleeding but neither looked all that tired despite throwing over 1,000 combined strikes. Diaz was awarded the decision, which was the right call, and they hugged it out when things were all said and done. It was a very touching moment. Unless of course you’re Scott Coker and you were hoping to promote a rubber match.

There aren’t many options right now for Diaz at welterweight. Tyron Woodley needs one big win before getting a title shot and then you’re left with Paul Daley, who still needs to beat Scott Smith before we talk about him challenging Diaz. Obviously the fight everyone wants in Diaz vs. Jason Miller but getting them to agree to a comfortable weight will be harder than Diaz’ head. Come on homies, don’t be scared. Credit Noons for moving up to 170 but his home is at 155. Hopefully he takes some time off after fighting 4 times in 8 months, cuts his hair, and comes back at lightweight.

Predicted Next Fights: Diaz vs. Miller – Noons vs. Jorge Masvidal

Josh Thomson defeated JZ Cavalcante by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

Strikeforce once again brought in talent from DREAM in hopes of giving them some American exposure and a paycheck. It also presented fans with another interesting match up between not only two top lightweights but according to Josh Thomson, two of the top three lightweights in the world.

This was an excellent back and forth fight. JZ came out strong in the first round, dropping Thomson with a right hand and almost finishing him with an arm in guillotine choke but Thomson was able to survive and get his head out. Thomson ended the round with an attempted arm triangle but JZ held on until the buzzer sounded. The second round was all Thomson. He managed to get an early takedown where he controlled the entire round and battered JZ with punches and elbows to the body. The third round was all JZ. This time he managed to get an early takedown and proceeded to control and batter Thomson with strikes. Thomson tried a few submission attempts and even mugged for the camera while holding rubber guard but nothing looked to come close. Both men raised their hands as the fight ended and it could of gone either way depending on how you scored the first round. Of course anyone with eyes knows that a knockdown and a close submission is greater than just a close submission so they rightfully scored the fight 29-28 in favor of JZ. But when it comes to MMA judging, you’re better off hiring the three blind mice instead of three commissioned judges. The three judges scored things in favor of Thomson including one judge giving Thomson all three rounds, a score so absurd that not even Thomson agreed. Thanks to more incompetent judging, my enjoyment of a great fight was taken down a notch. Thanks guys.

Knock knock? Who’s there? Thomson. Thomson who? Thom-son for you to fix your broken hand so we can do this rubber match. My terrible joke aside, it’s obvious that Thomson will meet Gilbert Melendez for the third time and I can’t wait for it. Their first two fights were great and this time we’ll be getting a more healthy Thomson instead of one that was just coming off knee surgery and a long layoff. I hope JZ will be back in Strikeforce but I have a feeling that he’ll be heading back to Japan for his next contest.

Predicted Next Fights: Thomson vs. Melendez 3 – JZ vs. Kawajiri 2

Marloes Coenen defeated Sarah Kaufman by Submission (Armbar) at 1:59 in Round Three to win the Women’s 135 lb Title

After retaining her title against Roxanne Modafferi, Sarah Kaufman complained about not being on the “big show.” Well she finally got her chance against “big show” veteran Marloes Coenen. Unfortunately for Kaufman, because of the way Strikeforce works, she’ll likely be headed back to the small show.

There wasn’t much to this fight for the first two rounds. Coenen did a great job at using her long reach and leg kicks to stay out of Kaufman’s range and avoid her great boxing. Kaufman did a lot of clinching to try and wear down Coenen, who was dropping to 135 for the first time in her career. Then in the third round the fight hit the ground with Kaufman on top and in the guard of Coenen. From there she landed out of control punches and hammerfists that didn’t seem to faze Coenen, who was just biding her time until locking up an armbar. Kaufman tapped out but but the ref was a little late in jumping in, which may have caused Kaufman to dislocate her arm. Coenen was extremely classy in victory though. Instead of celebrating like she just won a world title, she immediately apologized and hugged Kaufman and had a genuine look of concern on her face for her opponent.

Next up for Coenen is top contender Miesha Tate in a fight not only for the 135 lb title but also my heart. That’s right, I’m putting my heart on the line for these two. If that doesn’t make them train and fight harder, I don’t know what will. Back to the drawing board for Kaufman. Her boxing is still outstanding but she either needs to be more controlled on the ground or work on her submission defense. Better yet, just stay off the ground.

Predicted Next Fights: Coenen vs. Tate – Kaufman vs. Carina Damm

Tyron Woodley defeated Andre Galvao by TKO (Strikes) at 1:48 in Round One

Tyron Woodley is the first fighter to work his way up through the Challengers Series and make it to the “big show” in Strikeforce. After a good amount of hype, he certainly delivered.

From the moment he was hit with the first right hand, Andre Galvao didn’t want to fight. He spent the rest of the fight going for desperation takedowns that had no chance at working and being punished with punches on his attempts. At one point he got up off the ground wobbly and it just seemed like a matter of time before things would be over. The ref quickly stopped the fight after Galvao failed on another takedown and took two punches on the ground. Maybe the stoppage was early but Galvao clearly didn’t want to fight past the 10 seconds so I had no problem with it.

Hopefully Woodley continues to be nurtured a bit by Strikeforce rather than fast tracking him to the top. He’s an outstanding wrestler, his striking looks improved with each fight, and he has power to go along with everything. Galvao may have fought himself out a job with this performance. At the very least I’m sure Strikeforce wouldn’t mind loaning him to DREAM for his next fight.

Predicted Next Fights: Woodley vs. Joe Riggs – Galvao vs. Hayato Sakurai

Nick Diaz Wins Hard Fought Decision

The official scorecards read 48-47, 49-47, 49-46 all for Nick Diaz who retained his Strikeforce welterweight championship.

Josh Thomson Takes Decision Over Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante

The judges scorecards read 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27 all for Thomson.

Marloes Coenen Upsets Women’s Welterweight Champ Sarah Kaufman For Title With Armbar

For two rounds it looked like Strikeforce women’s welterweight champion Sarah Kaufman would retain the belt with her grappling for a decision win over Marloes Coenen. Kaufman appeared quicker in the striking department and Coenen was unsuccessful with her counterpunchs.

In the third round Coenen took Kaufman down but was quickly swept. As Kaufman attempted to open up with strikes Coenen very quickly transitioned to an armbar that forced the champion to tap and it was over just that quick.

Tyron Woodley Rolls Over Andre Galvao

In just two minutes, Tyron Woodley finished Andre Galvao at Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Noons 2. Galvao ate a right hand early in the fight before defending a shot from Woodley and landing a big punch of his own. As Galvao got up it was clear that he’d been rocked. Woodley landed a few more punches and Galvao was so far gone that the referee stepped in to call an end to the bout.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMS_K81S0dE[/youtube]

Strikeforce Welterweight Title Fight: KJ Noons vs. Nick Diaz

In November 2007, KJ Noons defeated Nick Diaz at the end of the first round when the doctor stopped the fight due to cuts. With the victory, Noons captured the EliteXC lightweight title. Following Noons’ successful title defense against Yves Edwards in June 2008 in his home state of Hawaii, Diaz crashed the celebration and ended up, with his brother Nate Diaz by his side, getting into a brawl with Noons and his father A few months later Noons was stripped of the title when he decided to return to professional boxing instead of defending the belt against Diaz. Almost three years later they meet again. Different organization, different title on the line, different circumstances, same hatred.

Not much has changed in the nearly three years since their first fight. They’re essentially just better versions of what they were in November 2007. Noons is still an excellent boxer and a great counter puncher with plenty of power. Diaz still throws 100 punches per round without much power or defense and has an excellent ground game. If Diaz thinks he can stand with Noons, he’ll likely suffer the same fate that he suffered the first time around. While he may not cut as easily and he has a durable chin, he has no head movement and leaves himself open for plenty of counter strikes given all the punches he throws. Diaz’ best strategy would be to get the fight to the ground where he’s a black belt under Cesar Gracie and Noons is a white belt (although he claims to be the best white belt on the planet). The biggest difference in this fight is the size of both men. Noons is a natural lightweight moving up while Diaz is fairly big for welterweight. Diaz would be smart to fight a lot in the clinch, use his size to bully Noons around, and work him to the ground via trip takedowns. The longer this fight goes, the more it favors Diaz. He has excellent cardio as evident by the fact that he throws 100 strikes per round without gassing and he does triathlons just for fun. Noons’ has decent cardio but he’s also fought four times in eight months so there is concern that he’s over-trained for this fight.

“Don’t be scared homie.” That’s what Diaz said to Noons in Hawaii and it’s a motto he lives by. Diaz isn’t scared to stand, even if it’s the wrong move. He’s going to stand with Noons , at least until he gets dropped or hit with a hard enough punch that knocks some sense into him. After that he’ll be smart enough to get things to the ground where he’ll likely have his way with Noons, lock on a submission, force Noons to tap, but keep the submission locked on because he wouldn’t be who he is if he didn’t do something controversial.

Predition: Nick Diaz by Submission in Round Three

Sarah Kaufman vs Takayo Hashi

Strikeforce Women’s 135lb Title Fight: Marloes Coenen vs. Sarah Kaufman ©

Sarah Kaufman is the undefeated champion who is considered one of the best female fighters in all of MMA. Marloes Coenen is dropping to 135 pounds after losing to 145lb champion Cristiane ‘Cyborg’ Santos this past January.

Before her third round powerbomb victory over Roxanne Modafferi, Kaufman was criticized for be boring. Whatever you called it, you can certainly call it effective. Kaufman has some of the best technical boxing not only among the female in MMA but also among the males as well. Coenen is a very good striker in her own right and she is the more diverse of the two but it wouldn’t be in her best interest to trade strikes with Kaufman. Coenen is better on the ground and very slick on her back but getting things to the mat will be easier said than done. Look for Coenen to do a lot of clinching, where she’ll look to use her size and possibly pull guard in order to get the fight to the ground. Kaufman just needs to keep the fight on the feet, use her excellent boxing, and pick apart Coenen.

This is the most interesting women’s fight in recent memory because the talent level between these two is almost equal. At the end of the day, I’m going with Kaufman because I feel she’s good enough to keep things on the feet, where she’ll batter Coenen with strikes for most of the fight. Coenen is very tough to finish so even if Kaufman stays aggressive, she may not be able to finish things.

Prediction: Sarah Kaufman by Decision

Lightweight Fight: Josh Thomson vs. Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante

Both of these men are considered two of the top lightweight’s in the world. Josh Thomson is a former Strikeforce lightweight champion trying to get a rubber match against Gilbert Melendez while Gesias Cavalcante is making his Strikeforce debut after making a name for himself in Japan.

This is a very interesting fight and another one of those “chess match” fights where one man will need to be a step ahead in order to win. JZ hasn’t looked overly impressive in his recent outings but he’s faced tough competition and I’ve always felt that his style is more suited for the US and in the cage. Thomson gutted through two broken ribs and defeated veteran Pat Healy. Both fighters are relatively well rounded with JZ having the more diverse striking and Thomson having the better wrestling. Thomson has a tendency to get into a brawl instead of staying discipline, which won’t do him any favors against JZ given the difference in their respective power and chins. If Thomson avoids the wild brawl, works his kicks, and mixes in takedowns, he should win this fight. JZ will need to sprawl and brawl and if he is taken down, he can’t allow himself to get controlled on the ground for a long period of time like he did against Shinya Aoki and Tatsuya Kawajiri. The x-factor in this fight is the cage. I’m sure JZ trains in a cage given that he trains at American Top Team but training in one and fighting in one are two different things. Thomson knows how to use the cage to his advantage while it may take JZ a couple of rounds to adjust and those couple of rounds could be the fight.

While I think JZ has a bright future in Strikeforce, this is a tough first fight. The fight will likely be fairly even on the feet but timely takedowns will swing the fight in Thomson’s favor.

Prediction: Josh Thomson by Decision

Welterweight Fight: Tyron Woodley vs. Andre Galvao

Tyron Woodley is a highly touted wrestler who has worked his way up through the Strikeforce Challengers Series to finally make it on the main card. Andre Galvao is a highly touted grappler who has already fought the likes to Jason High, John Alessio, and Jorge Patino.

Anytime you have a great grappler against a great wrestler, the way the fight plays out depends on the wrestler. If he trusts his ground and pound and submission defense, he’ll takedown his opponent and grind things out. If he doesn’t trust his submission defense, he’ll keep the fight standing. Galvao is the better technical striker but Woodley does have power in his hands. Despite that power, I expect Woodley to go for takedowns early and often in this fight. Woodley had trouble in the clinch against Nathan Coy so look for Galvao, who has trained with Team Black House and Wand Fight Team, to fight on the inside and throw a lot of knees. Being a jiu-jitsu black belt, Galvao is good off his back and will look to stay active with submission and sweep threats. If Galvao can end up on top, it’s going to be a very short night for Woodley, who has never looked comfortable off his back.

I like Galvao in this fight. He’s better on the feet and good enough on the ground to either get up or sweep Woodley. Look for Galvao to throw a lot of leg kicks to take the spring out of Woodley’s step, not be afraid to go to the ground, and submit a tired and frustrated Woodley late in the fight.

Prediction: Andre Galvao by Submission in Round 2

Prelim Predictions

*James Terry to defeat David Marshall by Decision
*Josh McDonald to defeat Ron Keslar by Decision
*Luis Mendoza to defeat Jess Bouscal by TKO in Round One

Diaz recently wrote a check after Strikeforce: Nashville for his part in the televised brouhaha that took place between Gilbert Melendez, Jake Shields and Jason “Mayhem” Miller in the cage after the Shields contest with Dan Henderson.

“I’ll tell you what – if we leave those two guys in a room alone, I think you know what’s going to happen,” Coker told Helwani. “We’re going to have a wall of security there. We’ve brought extra police to handle the weigh-ins, the press conference and pretty much a wall of people will be there for the night of the fight. We have to take precautionary measures because these guys have this big feud – and it’s not just them, it’s their camps.”

The two meet again at Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Noons II on Saturday at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., and the main card will air live on Showtime.

The last time the pair met,  at EliteXC: Renegade back in 2007, Noons managed to pick Diaz apart and the fight ended as a bloodied Diaz was unable to continue – at least according to the doctor on hand.

Since then, Diaz has had surgery to shave the orbital bones above his eyes, worked on his standup game with elite boxer Andre Ward and received his black belt in jiu-jitsu from trainer and manager, Cesar Gracie. He’s won seven straight and looked dangerous during the course of that streak.

For his part, Noons has put together a six-fight win streak of his own. His last outing, a dominant performance against Jorge Gurgel for Strikeforce, set up the rematch with Diaz.

KJ Noons HEIGHT: 5’11 WEIGHT: 170 lbs RECORD: 10-2
10-2	Jorge Gurgel	KO (Punches)
9-2	Conor Heun	Decision (Split)
8–2	Andre Amade	Decision (Unanimous)
7–2	Yves Edwards	TKO (Punches and Elbows)
6–2	Nick Diaz	TKO (Cuts)
5–2	James Edson Berto	KO (Knee)
4–2	Charles Bennett	KO (Punch)
4–1	Harris Sarmiento	TKO (Strikes)
3–1	Bryson Kamaka	KO (Head Kick)
2–1	Malik Williams	TKO (Punches)
1–1	Buddy Clinton	Submission (Heel Hook)
1–0	Raul Guerra	TKO (Corner Stoppage)

Nick Diaz’ MMA Record HEIGHT: 6’1″ WEIGHT: 170 lbs RECORD: 22-7-1
22–7–0	Hayato Sakurai	Submission (Armbar)
21–7–0	Marius Žaromskis	TKO (Punches)
20–7–0	Scott Smith	Submission (Rear Naked Choke)
19–7–0	Frank Shamrock	TKO (Punches)
18–7–0	Thomas Denny	TKO (Punches)
17–7–0	Muhsin Corbbrey	TKO (Punches)
16–7–0	Katsuya Inoue	TKO (Corner Stoppage)
15–7–0	K.J. Noons	TKO (Cuts)
15–6–0	Mike Aina	Decision (Split)
14–6–0	Takanori Gomi	No Contest
14–6	Gleison Tibau	TKO (strikes)
13–6	Josh Neer	Submission (Kimura)
12–6	Ray Steinbeiss	Decision (Split)
11–6	Sean Sherk	Decision (Unanimous)
11–5	Joe Riggs	Decision (Unanimous)
11–4	Diego Sanchez	Decision (Unanimous)
11–3	Koji Oishi	TKO (Punches)
10–3	Drew Fickett	TKO (Punches)
9–3	Karo Parisyan	Decision (Split)
9–2	Robbie Lawler	KO (Punch)
8–2	Jeremy Jackson	Submission (Arm bar)
7–2	Jeremy Jackson	TKO (Punches)
6–2	Joe Hurley	Submission (kimura)
5–2	Kuniyoshi Hironaka	Decision (Split)
5–1	Harris Sarmiento	TKO (Towel)
4–1	Jeremy Jackson	KO (Punches)
4–0	Adam Lynn	Submission (Armbar)
3–0	Blaine Tyler	TKO (Punches)
2–0	Chris Lytle	Decision
1–0	Mike Wick	Submission (Triangle Choke)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9ORO-5phf0[/youtube]

Diaz had his manager and apologist, the great Cesar Gracie, handle the heavy lifting of answering insipid media questions during what turned out to be a really, really dull interview, and I can’t say I blame him.

I’m a Diaz fan. I like his style and heart and he has the best game-face in MMA, so I think his decision to avoid answering silly questions from the assembled media is forgiveable.

Besides, Nick is more of a New Media guy who goes in for digital video over analog telebusiness.

Nick, we salute you:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTmlZZh8tyA[/youtube]

OCTOBER 9, 2010
SHOWTIME 10 PM ET/PT

Strikeforce returns to San Jose with the grudge match you’ve been waiting for.

In a rematch three years in the making, Nick Diaz puts his World Welterweight title on the line when he seeks to avenge his last loss against one of the most prolific strikers in the business and the last man to defeat him, K.J. Noons.

Also on the card, Sarah Kaufman defends her Strikeforce Women’s World Welterweight title against submission fighter Marloes Coenen and former lightweight Champion and local favorite Josh Thomson (17-3) meets world-ranked Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante (15-3-1) of Brazil.

- Knute Rockne

While watching Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone and Jamie Varner attempt to work out their bad blood in the cage during WEC 51, I couldn’t help but think Cerrone’s actions before, throughout and after the fight were aimed at helping him secure notoriety and future consideration for fights.

So my question is; was Cerrone displaying bad sportsmanship or is he simply doing what many before him have done and that’s selling a fight and securing fans (and for that matter promoters interest) in his future bouts?

As the fight came to a close and it seemed the two fighters would agree to disagree and give a respectful touch of the gloves,  there was a final forearm shove from Cerrone. Moments later Cerrone calls out to Varner offering him a rematch in Varner’s hometown of Arizona. Despite it being a standard”rubber match” that might very well have came about on it’s own, I’m sure if Cerrone didn’t keep the bad blood boiling this rematch up would have been on the back burner for a while due to the fact that out side of an explosive first round it was easily Cerrone’s fight to win.

The next two rounds didn’t exactly live up to the ‘fight of the year’  pre-fight hype.

So, this got me to thinking what kind of other “Bad Sportsmanship” can be viewed as possibly productive for the sport and what is constitutes just plain poor personal conduct?

In the last few years alone we’ve seen fighters hold submissions after the stoppage, strike opponents after the bell or after a stoppage, we have seen fighters accuse one another of using PED’s or other illegal methods of gaining an advantage ( i.e. Grease Gate), fighters actually testing positive for banned substances, intentional illegal blows, post fight brawls, post fight rants against promotion sponsors, post fight excuses for a loss, death threats, illegal activities in fighters personal lives, controversial sponsors and or tattoos… and the list goes on and on.

Some of this conduct is  just par for the course and some incidents are very serious offenses and reflect poorly on the sport and the business of MMA. The question then becomes, how much is too much?

The Staff speak their piece and we encourage everyone to join the fray:

What is an acceptable level of edgy personal conduct?

Ray Mercado: For me the answer is pretty basic; be responsible, be honest, have some integrity and respect for the sport and yourself, have some degree of respect for the promotion you represent while still putting your interests, goals and career first.  Being contract employees, fighters have to look out for themselves.

Brendhan Conlan: Talking trash about an opponent is an age-old practice. I wouldn’t doubt if long ago some caveman grunted, “In your face!” to one of his clan after spearing a mammoth in a particularly timely or accurate manner. Life itself is a competition so we’re inherently programmed to treat most things we do in a similar manner. However, there are definitely certain lines that can be crossed when it comes to something as trivial as spewing a little smack. Expressing hope for the mortal demise of an individual is one of those subjects that shouldn’t be breached, especially in reference to a sport like MMA where there are literally life-and-death circumstances at play and individuals have in fact expired as a result of damage sustained in the ring. Other topics that should be left out of pre/post-fight posturing are those related to an opponent’s family and other sensitive issues like rape, race, and sexual preference. Mixed Martial Arts needs to move away from the widespread belief many of its athletes are punks/thugs and being mindful of how its practitioners present themselves publicly is an important part of that process.

Other than that, clearly cheating isn’t acceptable nor is physically attacking an opponent before/after the bell.

TE Halterman: I think Chael Sonnen currently holds the patent on what is and isn’t acceptable smack talk. Sonnen, though he has his problems to deal with at the moment, really knows how to hype a fight and I find his level of smack interesting  in the way the more “manufactured” stuff from promotions just plain isn’t. Of course, talking smack and denigrating someone’s wife or mother is a whole ‘nother ballgame. Not cool.

How to you feel about the level of accountability for the fighters and promotions?

Mercado: For me I look at it like any other job, there is a chain of command and when things go wrong somebody’s taking the blame so not unlike a desk job there is a paper trail or some sort of evidence leading to the guilty party and if permissible he/ she may have to pay the piper.

Conlan: I think fighters are obviously accountable for the words that come out of their mouths but also hold the promotion responsible for how they respond to controversial statements. If you allow one of your employees to continually make racial slurs or break rules then you are not only setting an example of acceptable behavior for his/her coworkers, but you are also showing the public at large you have no problem with said actions. As they say, perception is reality, and as such fighters/promotions should understand not only why it’s important to portray yourself in an intelligent way but the damaging effects of behaving in an ignorant fashion.

Halterman: Money talks and suckers walk would be my rule of thumb. Fighters who leave the promotion of their fights to businessmen are likely to miss out on some economic opportunities, and that’s a shame in my book. Doing the requisite amount of work outside the cage also gives a fighter a chance to control his or her own image, and you can’t overlook the importance of that as a modern athlete and businessman. The hope that a fighter is always going to operate as an effective spin doctor and not cross the line is naive, but that being said, fining fighters for exercising their right of free speech rubs me the wrong way.

Do you think promotions should have a personal conduct policy to protect themselves and their business if they don’t already have one in place?

Mercado: I’m sure the bigger promotions have some clauses and some mention of fighter conduct in the contracts but i imagine it’s hard to enforce a detailed policy being that the fighters are contractors and not full time unionized employees with various benefits and pensions, as long as they complete the services they were contracted to, how can the promotion judge or take action against conduct that may be legal but viewed as tasteless or bad sportsmanship. Bottom line I’m sure a big company like Zuffa have enough fine print to keep them out of any hot water.

Conlan: The UFC already has a clause in their contracts allowing them to sever ties with an athlete based on a loss so it seems reasonable a “personal conduct” policy would also be part of the contractual agreement (as it is in most major sporting organizations). Like any business, MMA-related companies need to protect their image

Halterman: I think most of them do, but it’s buried in legalese inside contracts that fighters probably don’t read. I do think expecting fighters to live like upstanding citizens is probably a bit of a reach. I want to see fighters do the work in the cage, not hand out platitudes, so punishing them too severely for stepping on a few metaphorical toes seems harsh in the extreme. To expect a fighter to do a whole bunch of unpaid work for a skimpy paycheck, then fine him if you don’t like the result, is surely cynical. The fight game is made up of people, and not all of them are Boy Scouts – promoters included. Fighters need to protect themselves in a legal sense, and their managers (if they have them) should be tasked with that as well. It’s a sad thing, but athletes are now expected to be “role models,” and I’m not sure I want them to have to bear that burden.

Do you think fighters are just marketing themselves in certain “roles” that help them sell and package the fight? Do they understand the parameters of what’s good and bad for themselves and the sport?

Mercado: I do think some fighters consciously use these personas or roles the fans or media categorize them in to their advantage. MMA is a sport and like most sports some one has to be the underdog, the bad guy, the fan favorite, the peoples champ, the heroes and the guys you love to hate. In my opinion sports are a form of entertainment and at the end of the day sometimes it takes a bit more than your abilities and skills to truly hook and invest fans to take interest in your product. But I will admit there’s plenty of fighters out there that truly do not have to say much and can speak pretty loudly with there skills.

Conlan: In some instances, yes, and understandably so given marketability’s role in a fighter’s overall opportunities. Kimbo Slice is a good example of a Mixed Martial Artist who as a man is totally different than the image he portrays to the masses. Underneath the thick beard, gold teeth, and street-fighter’s reputation is a soft-spoken, insightful individual. However, his “look” and backstory register on some subconscious level with the public and as a result he’s made more in his short career than some of MMA’s forefathers have in a decade. Even UFC heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar professed to playing up the “heel” role after his win over Frank Mir. Jason “Mayhem” Miller is another example of someone who admittedly acts different in front of a camera than he does in a personal conversation. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson howls and wears a chain; Josh Koschek has said he likes playing the “bad guy”. On the other hand, there are individuals like Nick Diaz and Chris Leben who simply are who they are regardless of what people think. However, both sets are at equal risk for making tasteless comments. After all, everyone’s mental/verbal filter works a bit differently.

Halterman: I hope they do, but they’re bound to crash and burn on occasion and stuff foot in mouth. When they do, a little public slap on the wrist  should suffice. They get paid to fight, not flack, and you have to expect an explosion now and then. Some people are just plain bent on self-destructing, personally and professionally, and as horrible as that can be to watch, it also gives the stew some spice. Being a heavy brings some baggage with it, and if a fighter can handle that heat and it makes them some coin, I say they’re adults, and it’s up to them to deal with the consequences of their actions. What’s “good for the sport” is inevitably going to be of secondary concern to what’s good for the pocketbook.

What are some of the moments that stick out in your mind that poor sportsmanship impacted MMA in either a negative or positive way?

Mercado: Positive – I think Brock playing up the heel role after his rematch with Frank Mir made the fans love to hate him and gave a reason to take a liking to his more humble persona upon returning from illness in his comeback win against Shane Carwin.

Negative – This instance wasn’t stateside (thankfully) but when Shinya Aoki flipped off his opponent and carried on with in ring antics after breaking his opponents arm when the opponent failed to tap to a submission. I don’t blame Aoki for not releasing the hold, that’s on his opponent but I do find Shinya guilty of being a douche bag after the fact. If that happen in the US we would have witnessed an act that set MMA back ten years, Japan…ehh not so much.

Conlan: It’s an interesting question – poor sportsmanship resulting in a positive response. Tito Ortiz’s standard post-fight grave-digging has made me smile on more than one occasion. In truth, there are a number of celebrations I’ve enjoyed over the years that could be construed as poor sportsmanship like GSP’s breakdancing or, for more recent examples, look at WEC 51 and George Roop’s “sleepytime” hand-gesturing after flattening Chan Sung Jung or Jose Aldo’s back-flip off the cage while Manny Gamburyan was still motionless on the canvas. In terms of negative, obviously Paul Daley’s suckerpunch of Josh Koscheck was classless. Mark Coleman celebrating as Mauricio “Shogun” Rua lay there injured in 2006 also stands out.

Halterman: Shinya Aoki was riding the ragged edge with his comments following the Kawajiri fight. “When I grabbed him, I felt that I could finish it. When I caught him and tried to submit him, I heard a loud crackle sound. He did not tap so I thought ‘Ok, this match just became a death-fight,’ and I was going to [have to] destroy his leg. I knew Kawajiri never taps so I could not win without breaking his bone. I was hoping for an open-fracture.” That’s a tad harsh and probably meant to generate a little buzz. It did. Death threats? Nah, not so good either. All in all, I think hype is generally good for the game until is drifts over the line into straight up hate speech. I thought Brock Lesnar’s displays, after the Mir fight and following the Carwin fight, masterfully managed. Hated after the Mir fight, Lesnar managed to generate some sympathy after coming back to win against Carwin, and that’s just nice work in managing his image.

Below is video of Tan interviewing Frank Shamrock regarding his game plan for Nick Diaz, thoughts on his adoptive brother Ken Shamrock’s suspension for steroids, how his contract status was affected by Strikeforce’s acquisition of select ProElite assets, and more.

After the press conference, Tan was able to catch up for Nick Diaz for an exclusive interview. During the interview Diaz responded to statements made by Frank Shamrock claiming that Diaz is bad for the sport.

“I am really looking forward to possibly fighting Joachim Hansen,” said Thomson.

Thomson went on to say that his next fight will definitely take place in 2008.

“November 21st is my next fight. I do know that I will be fighting at the HP Pavilion. I believe it will be a title defense.”

Once again, Thomson made it clear who he wants the title defense to be against.

“We are hoping for Joachim Hansen.”

A fight between Thomson and Hansen would certainly be an excellent match-up. Hansen is coming off a very impressive showing in the recent Dream lightweight tournament that included a win over Shinya Aoki and a loss to Eddie Alvarez in a potential fight of the year candidate. On the other hand, Thomson is on an eight fight winning streak dating back to March 2006.