Strikeforce Bolsters Roster, Sign KJ Noons and Melvin Manhoef
Strikeforce has added two more names to their growing roster of fighters this week, signing both lightweight fighter KJ Noons, and middleweight combatant Melvin Manhoef.
According to a report from Sherdog former EliteXC 160 pound champion Noons has signed a multi-fight deal with Strikeforce and could debut with the promotion as early as December 19. However, it is more likely that he will make his Strikeforce lightweight debut at their January 30, 2010 event in Sunrise, Florida.
Strikeforce has also signed heavy handed middleweight Melvin Manhoef to a multi-fight deal according to a report by MMAFanhouse. Manhoef was in the running to step in as a replacement opponent for Robbie Lawler on December 19, but as previously reported is likely to not be selected. Otherwise, he is expected to debut with the promotion early in 2010.
Pictured: Melvin Manhoef
Tags: KJ Noons, Melvin Manhoef
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Boy, the UFC really missed the boat on this one…
Maybe Dana felt Manhoef’s style wouldn’t translate well into a cage?
And as for Noons I got nothing, other than maybe if Dana spent less time trying to convince us that TUF 10 was the “best season EVA”, and more time scoping out the MMA landscape beyond Las Vegas, it would be the UFC 155 division that would have an exciting new addition, instead of the Scott Coker/fr702 Traveling MMA Road Show…
;)
^Nice.
This is interesting cause I could have seen the UFC trying to grab either of these guys.
Manhoef/Wandy or Manhoef/Belfort would have been epic.
Plus a warm up fight with Mcfedries or Leben would have been entertaining.
And Noons as much as people love to hate this guy fact is he gave Diaz one of the biggest beatings out of any of his oponents, and it was to bad the fight was stopped due to a cut.
I guess we can settle for Lawlor/Manhoef and Noons/Thompson/Melendez;)
There were rumors that Manhoef and the UFC were in talks, I guess those didn’t pan out. It’s possible that Manhoef wanted to keep his Japanese options open, which a UFC contract would not allow. It’s also possible that the UFC didn’t want to take a chance on his unsportsmanship.
In regards to Noons, it could be the fact that he has been boxing since EliteXC stripped him of his madeupweight title, and therefore the UFC was paying him no mind, that and Strikeforce may have had a “dibs” option on his contract with their purchase of EliteXC assets/contracts.
Oops, those rumors were about UFC negotiation with Gilbert Yvel, not Manhoef, my bad…
Strikeforce has been getting things going with the talent pool … now it’s time for them to hire one of these fight gear companies to design some cool apparel . I think they would make more $$ if they designed a new logo …..
You think people decide whether or not to watch a promotion based on their logo?
People might buy fight gear because of a cool name, look, or logo, but they buy into an MMA promotion for the, y’know, MMA?
I just want Nick to put an azz whoopin on KJ in a rematch. KJ is such a freakin wimp. They better set this match up, i’m pretty sure Nick will go to any weight class to kick the crap out of KJ.
Except the real lightweight (155) cuz he can’t make the cut. Oh yeah, he still has to pass that pesky whiz quiz and get licensed, too.
At this point in his “colorful” career, the only way I see Nick Diaz getting into a UFC event is with a ticket…
yeah i know, but a catch-weight fight? in San Jose? on CBS? It would sell. And Nick always seems to have his ways of getting past those pesky quizzes lol.
Except when he’s bounced off his most recent card for skipping three of them. But who cares about facts?
It looks like strikeforce is getting most of the known fighters out there and ufc is gettin up and comers (not meaning guys who have already competed in the ufc before and are coming back).
With some exceptions.
I thought it would have been the other way round
I think I found my new avatar. A guy with a skirt is fantastic.
Melvin in Strikeforce, SWEEEEEET!!!!!!
Someone please tell Dana that there’s talent fighting in Japan that he may want to check out. You know, for the future of the UFC.
I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again: this is the begining of WCW vs WWF all over again. And while it may have ended in one company buying the other, it gave for 4 years of the best pro wrestling ever in terms of competition (imo of coruse). Bring on the Monday Night Wars!!!!!
Unfortunately Dana is too busy trying to find someone to teach Kimbo Slice MMA and trying his damnedest not to put a cash bounty on Roy Nelson’s annoying-as-fu<k head to peep Japan for talent…
;)
ID hardly consider manhoef and kj noons talent:)….opps did i just say that
Strikeforce is so hit-or-miss, I don’t know whether to take much of what they do seriously.
Sure, Fedor, Shields and Mousassi are fantastic and will be for quite some time.
And I do enjoy watching Chung Le – He’s a tough opponent and if it’s strictly stand-up, it’s a tough, tough task beating him. But something’s fishy when his opponents, especially Frank Shamrock, won’t take him to the ground and test his skills (which are probably as good as Kimbo’s).
I have to wonder when exactly Shamrock broke his arm during the Le match. At the end of the third round, Sham was landing some pretty decent blows so there was nothing wrong with his arms there and he did take some shots to the head (but not to the arm) at the very end of the round. Sure, Sham looked dazed at the end of round 3 but Le looked pretty battered in that round with the shots he was taking too!
Something tells me they’re pushing their international star a bit too hard here. I don’t think all’s legit.
I’m not tossing the towel in on Strikeforce because they do have potential. I just don’t think everything is quite on the up-and-up. (Hey, they bought Elite after all, it’s not too hard to believe)
And Hershel Walker? Really?
Will they be pairing him against Jose Canseco?