In one of Strikeforce's more marketable matchups as of late, KJ Noons will meet Nick Diaz in a rematch of their November, 2007 bout on the upcoming - and creatively named - Diaz vs. Noons II card on October 9, 2010.

Betting fans remember the two fighters first met in Elite XC, with Noons upsetting Diaz via a TKO doctor stoppage. What followed was a heated rivalry between the two that was waged in interviews and in person. Just months later, Noons and Diaz had an unseemly confrontation after Noons' TKO win over Yves Edwards at Elite XC: Return of the King, in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The biggest difference in this fight is that Diaz had surgery to shave down bone and remove scar tissue that made the fighter so susceptible to cuts. Sports betting fans remember that Noons had a brief foray into boxing, which did not go as planned, before he made his return to MMA earlier this year. In 2010, he's been successful with three fights and three wins over Andre "Dida" Amado, Connor Huen, and Jorge Gurgel. Noons is currently riding a six fight win streak in mixed martial arts competition.

Nick Diaz can win this fight, but only if he employs a smart game plan and doesn't choose to stand and trade with Noons. Diaz is a serious threat on the ground, which happens to be Noons area of weakness. If Diaz can fight in a mature and level-headed manner, he can lock up virtually any submission he wants here. If he chooses to strike with the much more technical Noons, it is a much closer fight, and we could see a similar result to their last fight.