K.J. Noons's Blogs
-
Uncaged: K.J. Noons Part 4
Read more -
Noons vs. Masvidal: Expect a Barnburner
Read more -
Uncaged: K.J. Noons Part 3
Read more -
Strikeforce Postmortem: Diaz’s Hit Sequel, Coenen
By: Jake Rossen
Nick Diaz (red gloves) vs. K.J. Noons: Dave Mandel | Sherdog.com
Sometimes, ugly is enough to get the job done.
Saturday, Nick Diaz needed five rounds and another blood-crusted face to best K.J. Noons nearly three years after a doctor stoppage gave Noons a win over him. Neither man was particularly graceful: Diaz could never quite slide into his volume punching that feels worse than it looks, and Noons was sometimes channeling Leonard Garcia in KO blows that he threw his entire body into.
It’s not that it was bad striking: it’s that MMA presents too many variables for that striking to ever be as tightly constructed as we see in higher-level boxing matches. Some are going to confuse that for inability, but you do what you have to when takedowns and kicks are part of the equation.
What else did the fight prove? Noons is probably one of MMA’s most skilled boxers, but he’s also undersized for the welterweight division: there’s a world of difference between his frame hitting you and a 185-pound man cutting down. But what he lacks in size he makes up for in speed and technique; Diaz posted one of his better career wins Saturday. The bad news? It might be one of the few remaining significant victories available to him currently in Strikeforce. Read more -
Primer: Strikeforce ‘Diaz vs. Noons II’
By: Jake Rossen
K.J. Noons (right) vs. Nick Diaz: Dave Mandel | Sherdog.com
Nick Diaz may dismiss his first fight with K.J. Noons as the result of a trigger-happy doctor -- a physician stopped the fight when Diaz was spurting blood from his brow -- but the scene had a far more dramatic impact on his fight career than he might let on. Or even realize.
It was after Noons carved up his face that Diaz consulted with Frank Stile, MD, a Las Vegas-based plastic surgeon prepared to take Diaz on as a kind of guinea pig for an experimental surgery that might reduce a fighter’s chances of being cut open from too much excess scar tissue. (That’s the usual result of getting bad stitch work on site instead of heading for the hospital.) Stile dug out the hamburger tissue, sewed in collagen, and figured the new skin would protect Diaz from another anticlimactic ending.
Coincidence or not, Diaz is 7-0 since the Noons fight and the surgery and his boxing has improved by leaps since the bout. After a win over Yves Edwards, Noons took nearly two years off MMA to pursue a pro boxing career and looked sharp against Jorge Gurgel. Far from being an overcooked rematch against two fading athletes, Diaz and Noons are likely going to see the best of one another Saturday.
What: Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Noons II, a 13-bout card from the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. Read more -
Strikeforce Fighters Visit VA Medical Center
By: Loretta Hunt
Tim Kennedy, Bobby Lashley, Muhammed Lawal and K.J. Noons: Esther Lin | Strikeforce
Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal, as well as Bobby Lashley, K.J. Noons, Tim Kennedy, and Jason “Mayhem” Miller paid a visit to military veterans and their loved ones at the Fisher House at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center on Tuesday in Houston.
Fisher House provides free lodging and other support for the families of hospitalized veterans receiving treatment for long-term illnesses or injuries.
Lawal, Lashley, Noons, and Kennedy will all compete during Strikeforce’s live telecast on Showtime on Saturday, which begins at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Lawal defends his title against Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante. Read more -
Audio: Kennedy-'Jacare' Conference Call
Strikeforce held a conference call for the media on Thursday to promote its Aug. 21 Houston, Texas, event.
Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza, Tim Kennedy, K.J. Noons, Jorge Gurgel and CEO Scott Coker participated in the call. Audio from the teleconference is available in the player below.
Read more -
Stock Report: Strikeforce Los Angeles
By: Mike Fridley
Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos celebrates his win: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com
Stock Up
Renato “Babalu” Sobral: Fought his smartest fight to date against a dangerous slugger en route to a unanimous decision nod. It wasn’t pretty at times, but a solid game plan of kicking at the legs and body of the defensively challenged Robbie Lawler proved to be a fruitful and effective tactic. His only bad move was challenging Dan Henderson in his post-fight in-cage interview. Following his embarrassing blowout loss to Jake Shields, you can be sure that you’ll see a different Hendo that “Babalu” wants no part of.
Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos: Counterpunched his way to a big fight at 170 pounds. Has the Brazilian found a home at welterweight?
Tim Kennedy: Wow. The military sniper showed he is as proficient on the floor as he is with an issued Remington 700. Kennedy’s name is currently an afterthought when thinking of Jake Shields’ (highly likely) successor as Strikeforce middleweight champion, but that could change with another performance like he had on Wednesday.
K.J. Noons: Is there a cleaner puncher in MMA? I think not. Nobody in this sport throws a three-piece and a biscuit like the former Pride talent search winner. Noons has looked a little soft around the middle in his two bouts since returning to the sport, and his cardio has suffered. Still, this is the same man that carved up and simply outclassed Nick Diaz in 2007. If Noons can get his conditioning back to his pre-boxing career level, the San Diego resident can make a case for being one of the best lightweights outside of the UFC. Read more
Sponsored by
