Props: Strikeforce

Quoteworthy:

“I’m super excited about the opportunity, and I think it’s a great thing for me. To be in the Strikeforce main event on Showtime, to be in line to be a two-time, two-division world champion, and getting to beat Nick again in the process… I couldn’t ask for a better fight. 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… Nick’s good for entertainment, but I come from a family of fighters. 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 9, 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. It’s motivation for sure [to be fighting near Diaz's hometown]. I love being the underdog. Even when I’m not, I still try to picture myself as the underdog so I train harder and push myself. Nick says he’s bringing his guys, but so am I. They’re going to need to beef up security. 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 [to beat me]. It’s very personal.”

With the grudge match three years in the making between K.J. Noons and Nick Diaz set for October 9 in San Jose, California, it leaves us just over a month to enjoy the pre-fight verbal assaults that are sure to be fired between the two combatants. First shot comes courtesy of Mr. Noons, who holds nothing back calling Diaz a “pot-smoking chump” who is gonna “get lit up like a Christmas tree.” K.J also asserts that Nick will have to kill him to defeat him. I’m sure Diaz would have no problem obliging him there. Thoughts on the match up? Does Noons make it 2-0 against the current Strikeforce welterweight champ? Or, will Diaz get the revenge he so desperately craves?

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