There has been yet another replacement made to the SHOWTIME portion of Saturday's EliteXC/Strikeforce co-promotion in San Jose, Calif., which will be headlined by Frank Shamrock defending the Strikeforce middleweight title against Cung Le.

Nick Diaz has been scratched from the card due to undisclosed reasons. Drew Fickett has been tapped to take Diaz's place in a bout vs. Spirit MC fighter Jae Suk Lim.

ProElite.com (SamCaplan.ProElite.com) confirmed the reports with sources close to the event early Thursday morning.

Diaz has not fought since losing a TKO via doctor's stoppage to K.J. Noons during EliteXC: Renegade this past November. The bout was for the vacant EliteXC lightweight title, which Noons currently holds.

Soon after the fight, Diaz reportedly underwent plastic surgery to alter his facial bone structure in an attempt to help reduce cuts during fights.

Fickett had been originally slated to fight Jake Shields for the vacant EliteXC welterweight title but that match was postponed after Shields suffered a back injury while training last week. Fickett was never removed from the card but had been re-scheduled for a non-television bout prior to Diaz's removal from the show.

In addition to Shamrock vs. Le and Fickett vs. Lim, bouts between Ryan Jensen vs. Joey Villasenor, Mike Kyle vs. Wayne Cole, and Gilbert Melendez defending the Strikeforce lightweight title are also scheduled.

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Sam Caplan

Lead Writer/Editor - ProElite.com

SamCaplan.ProElite.com