Shamrock-Diaz Set for Strikeforce (http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/shamrock-diaz-set-for-strikeforce-16152)

Frank Shamrock will fight Nick Diaz at Strikeforce’s April 11 event on Showtime.

The bout, which Strikeforce and Showtime announced Tuesday, will be contested at a catch-weight of 179 pounds.

The outspoken Shamrock is coming off a loss to Cung Le in a March 2008 Strikeforce event. His arm was broken by Le’s kicks in the entertaining 15-minute match. Before that defeat, Shamrock choked out Phil Baroni in a June 2007 Strikeforce main event.

Diaz, who is perhaps even more outspoken than Shamrock, has won three straight. Most recently he stopped Thomas Denny in a July 2008 EliteXC bout.

Promoter Scott Coker also said Tuesday that Cung Le will not fight on the April 11 show due to an elbow injury. However, Coker expects Le to fight twice for Strikeforce in 2009, and he expects one of those fights to be a rematch with Shamrock.

A middleweight matchup between Benji Radach and Scott Smith has already been confirmed for April. Former Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez will be on the card as well, possibly against Mitsuhiro Ishida or Jorge Gurgel.

KJ Noons will be offered a matchup with Strikeforce lightweight titleholder Josh Thomson, Coker said, because the promoter considers Noons the EliteXC lightweight champion.

Keep checking back for updates on Strikeforce’s April 11 event.

I'm not too crazy about a Le-Shamrock rematch. I'd much rather see Le move forward with his MMA career, especially given his age and relative inactivity. That said, I think Le is just using the sport to promote his Hollywood career so I'm not sure if he's that serious about fighting top opposition as it is.

Plus they could do some good promotion for it. Shamrock's a good talker, Diaz is Diaz and they could work the angle of student trying to avenge his teacher's loss.

I'm actually looking forward to the Smith/Radach match. Both guys have good chins and seldom ever take fights to the ground. I'd expect a full scale slugfest.

wow, Shamrock-Diaz sounds like such a random fight .. considering Nick's mostly fought at the 160 to 170 range

and Frank has spent more of his career 170 and up

how do you see these 2 matching up?

wow, Shamrock-Diaz sounds like such a random fight .. considering Nick's mostly fought at the 160 to 170 range

and Frank has spent more of his career 170 and up

how do you see these 2 matching up?

Frank has the better stand up, and top game. While Diaz has a better guard.

Frank via UD, imo.

This sucks because im a fan of both.

Shamrock is going to destory Diaz. Only chance Diaz has is, if Frank is completely weight drained. Which he might be, I doubt he has fought this low in years and age might be catching up with him.