Looks like Jason Miller finally found a "homie" that isn't "scared."
After campaigning for a grudge match against hated rival Nick Diaz, "Mayhem" instead looks to be close to a rubber match against fellow Strikeforce middleweight contender Tim Kennedy when the promotion makes its March 5 debut in Columbus, Ohio.
Sources close to one of the fight camps alerted MMAmania.com to the pending match-up earlier today.
Miller came up short in his bid to dethrone then-champion Jake Shields in November 2009 but has since rebounded with back-to-back wins over Tim Stout (TKO) and Kazushi Sakuraba (submission).
The mouthy middleweight mischief-maker split a pair of bouts against Kennedy when they threw hands at Extreme Challenge 50 back in 2003 (L) and HDNet Fights "Reckless Abandon" nearly four years later (W).
A win in Columbus almost certainly puts him in line for yet another rubber match, this time against Ronaldo Souza, who twice battled Miller under the DREAM banner to inconclusive results.
After "Jacare" took a unanimous decision win from the Bully Beatdown host, their May 2009 rematch ended in a No Contest (NC) due to a cut received from an illegal upkick.
Like Miller, Kennedy also suffered a disappointing unanimous decision loss to the Brazilian when they tangled back at the "Houston" event in August 2010, one that saw Souza claim the vacant 185-pound strap and send the super-soldier to his first loss in over three years.
A win over "Mayhem" could make the argument that he deserves another crack at the title considering Kennedy's first dance with the grappling guru was hardly a blowout.
Time will tell.
Strikeforce is close to announcing its March 5 event at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, which is expected to feature a main event title fight between light heavyweight challenger Dan Henderson and champion Rafael Cavalcante.
Stay tuned to MMAMania.com for future "Columbus" updates as they become available.
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