Scott Coker had wanted to book a match between Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Josh Thomson and former EliteXC Lightweight Champion KJ Noons for their Showtime event on April 11, but apparently it’s not going to work out.
According to Coker, Noons claims he wants to continue with his boxing career instead.
“Josh Thomson will fight. We offered it to K.J. Noons, (but) it looks like that fight will not happen. K.J. is focusing on his boxing career, so he will not be available,” Coker stated.
“I think we’ll always extend the invitation,” Coker said about bringing Noons into the Strikeforce fold. “It’s really going to be up to K.J. If he really has had success in boxing, cause I understand he has, and he’s trying to become a boxer, then he’s not going to be able to be an MMA fighter at this point in his career.”
If you remember from last year, Noons was involved in a major contract dispute with EliteXC management. He relinquished/was stripped of (depending on who you ask) his title and subsequently labeled himself as a “free agent.” Noons had a long list of gripes with EliteXC, but the main reason for the dispute was because Nick Diaz was being promoted more heavily and making three times more money than him.
Now, several months later, Noons is being asked to fight on a card that Diaz is headlining, and more than likely still getting paid more than KJ would. So, while I suppose we should take Coker’s word for it, I can’t help but wonder if Noon’s decision to box is more about Nick Diaz and less about his boxing career.
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I would really hope that the decision is about his boxing career and, if it is, I say good for him. Noons has the right to make his own career path and if he wants to keep testing the waters in boxing, he should do so.
We all know of his problems with Elite XC and Nick Diaz, and he has made his point. It is now time for him to move on and make decisions that he can live with and stop trying to prove a point.
It is too bad that we might not get to see KJ Noons in an mma fight anytime soon, but if this is what he feels is right for him, i wish him luck.
Noons is dumb and I could care less about him. He really irritates me. Stop bitching about not making enough money and start putting on exciting fights against whoever they put in front of you and you will be worth as much money as Diaz.