KJ Noons vs. Nick Diaz

Relatively unheralded Hawaiian boxing stylist KJ Noons shocked Nick Diaz by opening up severe cuts on Diaz's face en route to a first round doctor stoppage in a fight most expected Diaz to win easily. Diaz had his opportunities on the ground and appeared to be wearing Noons down stamina-wise as well as the first round drew to a close, but the clear story of the fight was the extraordinary and unexpected boxing ability of Noons, who hit Diaz cleanly, hard and often, planting Diaz on his rear end more than once in the course of the first round. Diaz, who bore extensive scar tissue above his eyes from his years of prior battles in the cage and ring, was furious at the doctor stoppage due to blood, and felt he would have won the fight had it continued. As matters turned out, it was not until 2010 that Diaz would be granted another chance at Noons. In that bout, Diaz got his revenge by outboxing the man who had so clearly outboxed him the first time they met.