It was announced yesterday that Joe "Diesel" Riggs was granted a release from his WEC contract and has signed with the San Jose-based Strikeforce promotion. Riggs felt as if he wasn't getting enough respect from the WEC when he was skipped over for a title shot by Joe Doerksen. Riggs had beaten Doerksen by a first round KO back in 2004.
Riggs will make his Strikeforce debut on Sept. 29 on a PPV that will take place at the Playboy Mansion. He will be taking on UFC vet and current Strikeforce middleweight champion Eugene Jackson. This will be Jackson's first title defense since he beat Ronal Jhun for the title back at Strikeforce "Triple Threat" in December of last year. This one looks to be a war between two heavy handed fighters.
Also on the card for the evening will be Josh Thomson facing Adam Lynn. Other fighters who have been announced but have no opponents yet are Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez, lightheavyweight champion Bobby Southworth, and Daniel Puder. I'll have more on the fight card later.
