Fourth Title Fight Added to Strikeforce

Loretta HuntJul 07, 2009

As if three championship bouts weren’t enough, Strikeforce will introduce another title tilt for its Aug. 15 card at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.

As reported by MMAWeekly.com on Monday, abrasive Stockton native Nick Diaz will face the equally quarrelsome Joe Riggs for promotion’s newly minted welterweight title. Sources have revealed to Sherdog.com that the promotion will unveil the bout later this week, but it is a done deal.

The rematch will undoubtedly pick right up from the hospital corridors where this oil-and-vinegar couple treated medical personnel to a gratis bonus round following their UFC 57 contest in February 2006 (Riggs persevered in the Octagon with a unanimous decision before going back for seconds).

A storyline this one doesn’t lack, but what worries me is mathematics. I hope Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker and crew aren’t counting on quick turnarounds and have discussed logistics with Showtime for what is becoming a particularly lengthy night. With four title bouts touting the possibility of 25-minute durations, can this championship quartet play out on the presumed two-hour telecast? Will the show get an extra hour? Or will someone be booted to the undercard, and if so, who?