Strikeforce
STRIKEFORCE NEWS: Gilbert Melendez vs. Shinya Aoki reportedly signed for April 17th event on CBS
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Mar 1, 2010 - 10:52:24 PM

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

The one big lightweight super fight that Strikeforce was looking to put together with their talent swapping arrangement with DREAM was between Gilbert Melendez and Shinya Aoki, and now that bout has been signed, according to a report from Loretta Hunt at Sherdog.com.

Per the report, a bout has been signed for Melendez, Strikeforce Lightweight Champion, to face off with Aoki, DREAM Lightweight Champion, on Strikeforce's April 17th event on CBS from the Sommet Center in Nashville, TN. The bout will be only for Melendez's Strikeforce Title, and Aoki's DREAM Title will not be contested.

Melendez unified his Interim Lightweight Title with Josh Thomson's Lightweight Title in a Fight of the Year candidate in December, winning a unanimous decision in the event on Showtime. Aoki, meanwhile, is coming off a vicious arm-breaking hammerlock against Mizuto Hirota at the K-1 "Dynamite" event on New Year's Eve in Saitama, Japan. Aoki is considered the top lightweight outside of the UFC, and will provide a major international boost to Strikeforce and the interest of MMA fans everywhere.

Strikeforce's second event on CBS now features three Title bouts with this addition. The main event features a Middleweight Title bout between Jake Shields and Dan Henderson, and the Light Heavyweight Title will be on the line when Gegard Mousasi defends his belt against Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal.

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Penick's Analysis: This is really big for Strikeforce. This has the potential to be one of the best lightweight fights that can be put together this year, and definitely the best not featuring B.J. Penn, and getting it on CBS means the most possible eyes get to see it. They might be running a dangerous game with three Title fights on the card, as it will be the first time three Title fights have been placed on one major MMA card since the UFC's first trip to Las Vegas. That event went off the air before the main event was finished. Strikeforce ran into timing issues with their first event on CBS, so unless they're getting a three hour broadcast they may only be able to air these three bouts. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as the three fights are very good bouts, but it could definitely be an issue come April 17th. For now, however, this is a great lightweight fight that every MMA fan should tune in to see, regardless of the others on the card.

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