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Welterweight Jay Hieron is no longer under contract with Strikeforce, according to the fighter himself on Twitter.
Hieron signed with Strikeforce last summer, expecting to face off against Nick Diaz for the Strikeforce Welterweight Championship at the August "Carano vs. Cyborg" event. However, Diaz did not show up to pre-fight drug tests mandated by the California State Athletic Commission and he was not licensed for the card.
Hieron instead took a fight with Jesse Taylor, defeating him by decision. The fight was not broadcast on Showtime, causing much frustration for Hieron and his camp. He was then scheduled this January against Joe Riggs in a bout that once again did not make the Showtime broadcast, and he's been idle since.
Hieron had completed the final fight on his deal with Strikeforce by defeating Riggs, but was still technically under contract to the organization. Friday that changed, as Hieron posted on Twitter that he had finally received his release. In addition, he hinted at a possible return to the UFC.
"I finally got my release from SF," Hieron posted. "Y'all know what I'm about to do!"
Hieron has not lost since June of 2007, winning seven straight fights in that time. It's been almost five years since he fought in the UFC. He was last seen in the organization losing to Jonathan Goulet back at Fight Night 2. His only other appearance in the organization was a TKO loss to current Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre at UFC 48.
Hieron gave one more statement regarding his plans moving forward in the division, stating "I have been threw [sic] a lot of [s***] this past year but I have trained the whole time. So all [welterweights] take notice I'm coming for [somebody's] head."
Penick's Analysis: That's good news for Hieron. He got screwed out of extra money making opportunities with Strikeforce offering him TV fights and then moving him later to the prelims. Add into that the fact that he didn't get the Diaz fight he was expecting when he signed for the organization and he needed to get out of there. There are a lot of highly intriguing fights for him in the UFC, and if he makes his way there he'll be a good addition to the roster.
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