"Strikeforce: Miami now has a main event.
MMAWeekly.com has learned that Nick Diaz and Marius Zaromskis have verbally agreed to a welterweight battle in the Jan. 30 event’s top slot, set for the BankAtlantic Arena in Sunrise, Fla. The two will fight for the promotion’s vacant welterweight belt.
An announcement of the match-up is expected for the Showtime telecast of Strikeforce: Evolution on Saturday evening in San Jose, Calif., according to sources close to the situation.
Diaz (20-7) has not fought for Strikeforce since June when he choked out Scott Smith at Lawler vs. Shields in June at a 180-pound catchweight. He was scheduled to fight Jay Hieron for the welterweight title at Carano vs. Cyborg, but was scratched when he failed to appear for a pre-fight drug test mandated by the California State Athletic Commission.
Zaromskis (16-3) signed a multi-fight contract with Strikeforce in October after turning heads at Dream’s Welterweight Grand Prix, where he won the Japanese promotion’s lightweight belt with two straight head kick knockouts. Days before signing, the 29-year-old took but 12 seconds to notch another head kick knockout at Dream 12.
Diaz, 26, has long been an outspoken advocate of marijuana and apathetic about a recent CSAC memo that said fighters with medical permission to use weren’t exempted from commission standards on illicit drugs.
In an interview with MMAWeekly.com last month, Diaz’s manager, Cesar Gracie, said he hoped Diaz wouldn’t test the commission’s boundary, but shrugged at ordering him to stop.
“Obviously, I’d love to have Nick fight in California,” said Gracie. “It’s right here in my home state. It’s not Virginia or something where Nathan (Diaz) is fighting. It’d be great if Nick could quit smoking all together, if he could do that, but if he doesn’t, he doesn’t.”
The Florida State Boxing Commission, which oversees mixed martial arts in the Sunshine State, prohibits performance enhancer and narcotic use, but does not have any bylaws addressing “compassionate use,” nor does it require a pre-fight test for “drugs of abuse,” a label which marijuana often falls under with athletic commissions."
-MMA WEEKLY
WOO CANT WAIT FOR THIS!
http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=10299&zoneid=2
This will be a weird fight.
Fucking AWESOME fight. Great matchmaking by Strikeforce.
Zaromski's relentless style and vicious high kicks against Diaz's superior ground game and punches-in-bunches.
Can't wait for this one. Hopefully Diaz lays off the weed and passes the f'n drug test so we can all see it.
i love it
thank you Strikeforce
TTT for Chase Chevrolet!
NotTheNoobURLooking4 - TTT for Chase Chevrolet!
Damn what a great fight! How's FL's stance on drug testing haha?
DIAZ BY TOTAL DOMINATION
hell yeah! Great fight.
I think I may officially be in love with StrikeForce.
ttt
I didn't see this one coming. Good matchmaking.
This will be an exciting fight!
this will be crazy. i have no idea how the standup will go.... will be weird to see nick really pressured
marius is 5'9... nick is close to 6'2 ... i see nick prolly testing marius stand-up for a round or so then going the takedown and submission.
joe bruce - Im nervous for Nick on this one. I think he will show up with too much attitude, not even substance.
he'll definitely have some substance going on
Awesome, great to see Nick back in the mix.
joe bruce -that dude is 5'9 at most... diaz is 6'2 .. i not gonna say for sure but i don't think diaz will be that poorly trained and coached to NOT be aware of marius headkicks.gatotwopointoh -joe bruce - Im nervous for Nick on this one. I think he will show up with too much attitude, not even substance.
he'll definitely have some substance going on
Nicks lazy standup will catchup to him in this fight. He keeps his hands low and throws those lil punches, this guy couldnt ask for a better opponent to land one of this head kicks on
inf0 - HOLY FUCK!!!
This fight is better than anything the UFC has served up in the last 3...
the main event has me sold alone!
Ahhh.... Hieron?