In a follow-up to the story about UFC President Dana White nixing a proposed fight between current UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva and boxing legend Roy Jones Jr. (picture), despite both fighters wanting the bout, GracieFighter.com is reporting that Strikeforce founder Scott Coker would like to match Jones against Nick Diaz. Diaz had challenged Jones to a boxing-rules fight after his victory over Frank Shamrock last month. "We would absolutely set this fight up," Coker reportedly said. "Of course we would have to run it by Showtime for final approval, but I don't see why we wouldn't have this fight."
According to some source, Coker denied making that quote during yesterday's Strikeforce media call, saying "I've had several calls from different people saying, 'Roy Jones vs. Nick Diaz, Roy Jones vs. Cung Le, Roy Jones vs. this guy or that guy, but it's something that we haven't really talked about. I really don't even know how serious it is. But the question is, 'Does he want to fight in MMA? Does he want to fight in just boxing?' These are all things that haven't been fleshed out."
"I did get a call from Nick's manager asking me if I'd be interested in looking at a fight between Roy Jones and Nick. I said, 'Are you talking about boxing? Are you talking about MMA?' He says, 'In MMA.' I said, 'Well, that's something we can definitely have a conversation about. That just happened this morning. That's the extent of it."
Showtime Senior Vice President Ken Hershman was even more poignant, saying that the fight "would be a very long shot of ever happening".
"It has nothing to do with money," Hershman noted. "I think it's an insult to the integrity of mixed martial arts to think Roy Jones, or any professional boxer, could just come in and fight Nick Diaz in a mixed martial arts context. In a boxing context, it's completely different."
"But beyond that, it's not the strategy we're employing. We're looking to build the best mixed martial arts brand. I believe we have the best professional boxing brand on television, and I think our fights month in and month out prove that. I don't see the need to combine the two at the moment."
For the longest time boxing legend Roy Jones Jr. would only agree to fight current UFC Midleweight Champion Anderson Silva under boxing rules. Silva had also said that he'd be willing to box against Jones. But, Jones now is willing to step into the Octagon to make the megafight happen.
CBSSports.com reported on Tuesday that Jones was approached by his manager a few weeks ago and agreed to consider fighting Silva under mixed martial arts rules for the UFC.
But even under those new terms, UFC President Dana White remains against the matchup.
"You won't see a Silva versus Jones fight while Silva is under contract with me," White said to CBSSports.com regarding the fight.
White also proceeded to take jabs at Jones as well saying, "I don't want to say anything bad about Roy Jones, I like Roy Jones and was a fan of his, but he mattered like fifteen years ago. He's not anywhere near the best boxer in the world. He must've spent all his money."
Silva last year confirmed his interest in fighting Jones, and both parties seem intent on making the fight happen in the next few years. Jones was quoted by the LA Times last month saying that he "can't wait for Anderson to get done with his [UFC] contract" so that the two can "get it on".
White acknowledged the fight would be a guaranteed one-shot blockbuster but wants to stay away from any sideshow fights for a developing sport.
"I could do it, make it huge, make money, but I could have done a fight like this when we were bleeding money," White continued. "The fight would make some money, but it hurts MMA in the long term. We don't do that because we love the sport. That's a PRIDE or K-1 matchup. It's not what we do."
If both Silva and Jones want to make this fight happen, Silva is going to have to leave the UFC. With challenges in the light heavyweight division looming, many doubt that Silva would ever leave before his contract is up. By then, Jones may be too old to make the fight happen.
Jones, former boxing's Undisputed Light Heavyweight Champion, is one of the bigger boxing names to embrace MMA rather than view it as a threat. Jones in March promoted a hybrid boxing-mixed martial arts card in Pensacola, Florida and he's planning another one in July.
Taped on May 1, the official video below features highlights from the Toby Imada vs. Jorge Masvidal fight at Bellator V. The fight ended with a never before seen inverted triangle choke applied by Toby Imada that placed Jorge Masvidal unconscious on his feet.
The undefeated Sarah Kaufman (picture) will step in for Kim Couture in a 135-pound bout against Miesa Tate at Strikeforce Challengers on May 15 in Fresno, California.
The women's fight will air on the televised portion of the card beginning at 11 PM ET on Showtime.
Kim Couture, the wife of UFC heavyweight Randy Couture, withdrew last week from the fight due to personal reasons.
Kaufman (8-0) picks up this fight in great fight condition. She last competed on April 23 and scored a second round stoppage over Sara Schneider at a PFC event. Kaufman has finished all eight of her fights.
Tate (6-1) has won her last four. Her sole loss was a head kick KO to EliteXC veteran Kaitlin Young.
A lightweight bout between undefeated Billy Evangelista (9-0) and BJ Penn-trained Mike Aina (11-6-1) will headline this SHO MMA card at the Save Mart Center.
Knockout artist Houston Alexander is going to have to wait even longer for what could be his last fight in the UFC. After shocking knockouts in his first two UFC bouts with losses in his last three fights, the UFC could release him if he loses a fourth in a row.
Scheduled to face Andre Gusmao at UFC 98, a broken hand has forced Alexander off the card.
His opponent Gusmao will remain on the card but the UFC has yet to sign a replacement for Alexander.
Former American League MVP Jose Canseco, who has authored two controversial books and starred in a reality television show since his 17-year big league career came to an end in 2001, will next try his hand at mixed martial arts.
According to an Associated Press report, the 44-year-old Canseco will make his MMA debut on May 26 in Japan against South Korean Hong Man Choi as part of the Dream 9 card at Yokohama Arena. The 7-foot-2, 330-pound Hoi has a 1-2 career professional record.
"I have no idea if I can do it," Canseco told the AP. "It's a tough sport."
Canseco has fought in two celebrity boxing matches. He was knocked out in the first round by former NFL player Vai Sikahema on July 12th, 2008, and he fought to a majority draw earlier this year in a bout against former "Partridge Family" star Danny Bonaduce.
A six-time All-Star, Canseco won the 1988 AL MVP after becoming the first player in big league history to have at least 40 home runs and 40 steals in the same season. He currently ranks 32nd all-time with 462 career home runs.
In his 2005 book, "Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits & How Baseball Got Big," Canseco attributed much of his success on the diamond to his use of performance enhancing drugs.
In a follow-up to the story about UFC President Dana White nixing a proposed fight between current UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva and boxing legend Roy Jones Jr. (picture), 
despite both fighters wanting the bout, GracieFighter.com is reporting that Strikeforce founder Scott Coker would like to match Jones against Nick Diaz. Diaz had challenged Jones to a boxing-rules fight after his victory over Frank Shamrock last month. "We would absolutely set this fight up," Coker reportedly said. "Of course we would have to run it by Showtime for final approval, but I don't see why we wouldn't have this fight."
