Strikeforce
STRIKEFORCE NEWS: Nick Diaz vs. Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos on January 29 for Strikeforce Welterweight Championship
Dec 22, 2010 - 9:03:46 AM STRIKEFORCE NEWS: Nick Diaz vs. Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos on January 29 for Strikeforce Welterweight Championship

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Nick Diaz may not be fighting Jason "Mayhem" Miller on January 29, but he will be defending his Strikeforce Welterweight Championship.

According to a report from MMAFighting.com, Diaz has agreed to meet Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos for the title on the card from the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.

It will be Diaz's second title defense since winning the belt in January of this year over DREAM Welterweight Champion Marius Zaromskis. He most recently defeated K.J. Noons in a five round decision in October.

Santos is getting a title shot in only his second fight at welterweight. The former middleweight and husband of Strikeforce Women's 145 lb. Champ Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos moved down in June, where he finished Zaromskis in the first round himself. His only other appearance in Strikeforce was a split decision loss to Joey Villasenor in a middleweight bout in June of 2009.

The January 29 event will air live on Showtime, and will also feature a Championship bout in the middleweight division between Robbie Lawler and Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza.

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Penick's Analysis: It just goes to show the state of this division when Santos, who is only 1-1 in Strikeforce and 18-13 overall in his career, is getting a title shot after just one fight in the weight class. Still, Santos was very impressive in his bout against Zaromskis, and should provide a tough challenge for Diaz. Santos is a large welterweight who hits very hard, and it should make for an exciting fight. This card is stacked for Strikeforce, and it's going to be a big event for the fans in San Jose.