Jay Hieron Ready for Affliction after Missed Opportunity to Face Nick Diaz

Published on: 18th May, 2009

Jay Hieron Ready for Affliction after Missed Opportunity to Face Nick Diaz  | read this item

For Affliction Welterweight Jay Hieron he has been out of action since his 64 second knockout victory over Jason High at Affliction “Day of Reckoning” this past January giving ‘The Thoroughbred’ his fifth straight for the wins column, but Hieron had some opportunities to keep busy with a proposed June 6 fight against Nick Diaz for StrikeForce followed up by another offer from DREAM. However, Hieron was unable to cash in on either fight, but is confident that he will be apart of Affliction’s next event sometime in the month of August.

While speaking with MMAjunkie.com Radio Hieron says he had agreed to take the Diaz bout for the June StrikeForce card, but is also feeling positive that he will participate at Affliction’s next event.

“I’m pretty positive I’m on the next (Affliction) card, whether it’s the [Aug. 1] or [Aug. 15],” Hieron said. “I haven’t got a name yet, but I was supposed to be on that June 6 Strikeforce card and fight Nick Diaz.”

Hieron states that he verbally agreed to face Nick Diaz, but StrikeForce chose Scott Smith. Still Hieron is still hopeful that such a bout can still happen further down the line.

“I agreed to it,” Hieron said. “[Strikeforce] asked me, and right away I said, ‘Yes.’

“I think that’s a great opponent for me. I could get in the gym and get up for that. I get up for everybody, but that’s definitely a fight I think I match up well with.”

To go along with the offer to face Diaz, Hieron was also offered an opportunity to be apart of the DREAM Welterweight grand prix, but unfortunately could not take the offer.

“Before [the Diaz offer], I had DREAM on the table,” Hieron said. “But they came with like two weeks’ notice. I was already cornering guys out of town. I wasn’t in fight shape.

“It was a great offer. I just wish I had more time. I couldn’t do that, and then the Strikeforce fight fell through. Not only is it pain on your body, it’s a pain mentally in this game. They call it ‘the hurt business’ for a reason.”

However, Hieron is now ready to take a step up in competition and if the offer comes up to face a Nick Diaz once again, he will accept once again especially, after Diaz got past Frank Shamrock this past April 11th at StrikeForce’s first event of 2009.

“Definitely after [Diaz's] last victory, he’s on the map,” Hieron said. “I think that fight would have been juicy, me and him. I’m coming off a big win in Affliction, and I think it would have been a great, exciting fight.

“He likes to come out and bang and leave everything out there in the cage. I feel I like to do the same. I think it would have been great for the fans to see that. Hopefully we can still set that fight up next Strikeforce.”

Fan Question: Is Jay Hieron capable of being a top ten Welterweight?

 Nelson Rodriguez AKA: Nelo2.0 is the Co - Owner of URDirt.com who is also an Editor and Author on the site. Read more from this author

Readers Comments