UFC Lightweight Champion, Frankie Edgar, is deep into his training camp for the trilogy fight with Gray Maynard in May.  Part of that training includes tutelage from John Danaher, one of the best Jiu Jitsu coaches and strategists in the game based at Renzo Gracie‘s gym in New York City. Recently, Edgar took time to talk with Fighters.com about training with Danaher, fighting Gilbert Melendez in the future, his new T-shirt, Ricardo Almeida‘s retirement, and if he has decided the walk out music for his third consecutive title-fight defense.

Click through to watch the interview.

Nick Diaz and Gilbert Melendez, teammates under the infamous Cesar Gracie brand, were both successful in their respective title bouts, with Diaz laying claim as one of the best and most dangerous welterweight fighters in the world with his first-round TKO over UFC castout Paul Daley, and Gilbert with his highly anticipated rematch with Japanese sensation Tatusya Kawajiri, which resulted in a one-sided TKO win for “El Nino”.

While the two men were perhaps among the nights most impressive winners, they were also among the top-earners for the entire event.

Here are the full fighter payouts, which are courtesy of MMAJunkie.com by way of the California State Athletic Commission:

Nick Diaz: $175,000 (no win bonus)
def. Paul Daley: $65,000

Gilbert Melendez: $150,000 (no win bonus)
def. Tatsuya Kawajiri: $97,612.50

Gegard Mousasi: $150,000
drew Keith Jardine: $25,000

Shinya Aoki: $73,637.50 (no win bonus)
def. Lyle Beerbohm: $10,000

Robert Peralta: $4,000 (includes $2,000 win bonus)
def. Hiroyuki Takaya: $2,740

Virgil Zwicker: $3,000 ($1,000 win bonus)
def. Brett Albee: $1,000

Joe Duarte: $2,000 ($1,000 win bonus)
def. Saad Awad: $1,500

Herman Terrado: $1,500 ($500 win bonus)
def. A.J. Matthews: $1,000

Rolando Perez: $3,000 ($1,000 win bonus)
def. Tom Peterson: $1,000

Casey Ryan: $2,000 ($1,000 win bonus)
def. Paul Song: $750

So, MMA peeps, any surprises here? What stands out first for me is Mousasi’s payday. So, had he won, how much money would he have made? Should his pay scale be more than that of Nick Diaz? Sound off in the comment section below.

5. KJ Noons

Noons would have to have at least one fight at Lightweight in order to get a shot at Gilbert Melendez, but considering how short Strikeforce’s Lightweight division is on true star talent, that one fight could be against anyone. So long as Noons gets back in the winner’s circle, this fight is his for the taking. It would also be a tough test for Melendez, since Lightweight is KJ’s natural weight class and his hand speed and power have always been very strong.

4. Josh Thomson

It’s the rivalry that just won’t die, and it deserves a final chapter. Much like Noons, Thomson would have to win a few (probably only one) in Strikeforce before getting another shot at the championship. But I could definitely see Thomson getting another crack at Melendez within the year or shortly afterwards. These two always bring out the best in each other, and their previous encounters have all been Fight of the Year candidates. I definitely would like to see these two give it another go-round.

3. Shinya Aoki

Melendez handed Aoki one of the bigger losses of his career, but that was then and this is now. With his back against the figurative wall, Shinya Aoki breathed new life into his career with a brilliant first-round neck crank submission. Aoki is always phenomenal when attempting his latest comeback, and I’d love to see him go up against Melendez now that he knows what he’s up against and how Melendez likes to fight. It would also be very interesting to see this new, headhunting Melendez go after Aoki’s chin.

2. Eddie Alvarez

It’s the dream fight that we all keep hoping happens, but time and time again it just simply fails to materialize. But without a shadow of a doubt, this fight remains one of the biggest Strikeforce and Bellator could ever make for their champions. Outside of the UFC’s Lightweight Division, no one poses as big a threat to Melendez as Eddie Alvarez. The only reason he’s not ranked #1 is because the realist in me knows that it’s going to take a whole lot of dominoes falling into place before this fight ever materializes.

And with that said, my #1 opponent for Gilbert Melendez is…

1. Justin Wilcox

It’s time for a change: Justin Wilcox has been in the main event of a Strikeforce “Challengers” show the past two times he’s fought, and he’s given very convincing performances both times. It’s time for him to get the bump up to the main event of an “Arena Series” show. Wilcox is currently on a six-fight win-streak, and he’s only lost one time in Strikeforce. He’s a powerful, muscular, dominating wrestler, and it would be very interesting to see how Melendez’s wrestling stacks up against his. Not only is Justin Wilcox a worthy challenger, he’s the most likely candidate for the next shot at the title.

And what about you, fans and friends? Who would you like to see fight “El Nino”?

It’s a known fact that Gilbert Melendez is, at the very least, one of the top-3 best lightweight fighters in the world. Though if you asked “El Nino” he would try to convince you otherwise. With his time and dedication spent in the world of mixed martial arts, not too many people can rival the skill or experience that Melendez is acquired over the years.

And while his original meeting with “The Crusher” Tatsuya Kawajiri has in the past been panned as a bad decision resulting in the favor of the Cesar Gracie product, there is no denying now his place as one of the best, if not the best, lightweight fighter in the world after his own “crushing” of the battle tested Japanese fighter.

Right off the bat, Melendez set the tone of the fight when he immediately dropped Kawajiri with a blistering right hand to the dome, which was shades of their initial meeting when Kawajiri surprised the American with a flash knockdown of his own. Gilbert didn’t rush the finish, and instead had a cool demeanor about him, which was quickly adverted when he caught a high kick to the face, which he later admits was unexpected due to the shorter stature of Kawajiri.

Gilbert continued to stalk Tatsuya, showing no signs of ring rust with his almost one-year spent away from the cage. Again, Melendez connected on his right hand, which became money the whole night. Melendez finally followed Kawajiri to the ground once he dropped him for the second-time, peperring him with a few shots while seeking the rear-naked choke. Valiant, Tatsuya managed to work his way to his feet, though it was only a matter of time there again when Melendez would connect on a three-punch combination of right hands, which became courtesy of a feinting left jab. In desperation, Kawajiri shot in for a takedown which was immediately stuffed by Melendez.

Short punches to the head helped Gilbert unload an onslaught of devastating elbows from “hell” as commentator Mauro Ranallo would later iterate. The fight was stopped shortly thereafter, earning Melendez his first win in 2011, which came with just a little over 3-minutes of action spent inside the hexagon. The fight was ruled a TKO, though Kawajiri laid there conscious, though unable to get up, for several minutes after the bout’s conclusion.

Ultra-impressive was Melendez in his dismantling of one of the greatest Japanese lightweight fighters of all time, and with the win, he has now helped avenge the earlier controversy that surrounded his initial decision win over the former Shooto champion.

Is Melendez the number one lightweight fighter in the world? That remains to be seen, however he has certainly put himself on a short list of contenders for the UFC title and remains a real threat to the throne.

Sound off in the comment section below.

The Cecil Peoples Award For The Best Display Of Utter Blindness And Ineptitude: The judges who scored the bout between Gegard Mousasi and Keith Jardine a Draw. I keep having to hand this award out, and it keeps infuriating me each and every time. Even with Mousasi losing a point for an illegal upkick, there’s no way this fight was anything other than a commanding victory for Mousasi. Gegard got taken down a few times, but Jardine was a bloody, bruised mess by the end of this fight. It was another fight plagued by horrendous judging, and a further reminder of why I’m so very glad that most Strikeforce fights nowadays don’t go to the judges.

The Phoenix Award: Shinya Aoki, who breathed new life into his career with a thrilling first-round submission over Lyle Beerbohm. Aoki displayed that his ground game is still as flawless as ever, and that he could one day possibly be a major star in Strikeforce. Strikeforce is definitely in need of more stars in their Lightweight division, and so long as Aoki is used correctly and given opponents where his ground game is allowed to shine, Aoki could become Strikeforce’s Lightweight “submission magician”.

The Evil Mirror Universe Award: This is a reference to a classic Star Trek episode, and it goes to Gilbert Melendez because of how he rocked a goatee and showed up a very different fighter at “Diaz vs. Daley”. Melendez was always tough and loved to brawl, but he showed up to this event wanting to knock Tatsuya Kawajiri’s head off. It honestly startled me to see Gilbert Melendez go headhunting, and in fact, this was only the third first-round stoppage of his career. While his performance was radically different than what I’m accustomed to, it was also a fantastic performance, so it deserves to be highlighted as much as possible.

The “So Close And Yet So Far Away” Award: Paul Daley, for hurting and nearly finishing Nick Diaz several times throughout their epic first-round encounter. Daley had Diaz in a whole lot of trouble at several different points in this fight, but somehow he was unable to bring the fight to a close. He certainly came close, but whether it was Diaz’s ability to adapt when the fight went to the ground (even if the fight went to the ground because Diaz was floored) or Diaz’s near-impenetrable chin, the fight did not end with Daley as champion. But it certainly could have.

So that’s what I think, fans and friends. And remember, it’s all in good fun… mostly. What about you? Any thoughts/opinions ready to be shared?

1. Lyle Beerbohm – surprising he went down so easily, I thought he would give Aoki fits with his smothering style.  Japan’s finest executed quickly with the Rear Naked Choke.  Two losses in a row for LB.  His tremendous surge up the ranks has been stopped cold with two losses in a row.

2. I thought Jay Hieron lost to Weedman?  Am I alone?  Hieron won round 1 with his reversal on the ground and near choke out but then lost two close rounds to Weedman who controlled the pace and showed more aggression, moving forward in round 2 and 3.

3. Sorry for this Ben Askren. But, wearing my “commentary” hat today, and pure wrestling apparently is very effective for you … yet terribly hard to watch as a fan.  You are so dominating as a wrestler, which is to your credit, but the fun of watching MMA is for the surprise, waiting for the unknown to happen.  Your dominating take down/ground control style wins points and fights, but not fans.  It is what it is!

4. Gegard Mousasi is the Roger Federer of MMA.  Forget that he won his fight against Keith Jardine but it was called a draw due to a low kick.  But is there anyone who expends less energy fighting than Mousasi?  He keeps his system so calm, he breathes easier and just seems less stressed, internally, than his opponents.  He seems not to waste any movement. For any tennis fans out there – Roger Federer is known for almost never physically sweating.  Really, the man rarely perspires.

5. Gilbert Melendez. What can you say?  The most impressive take away for me is the pace he fought at.  Once he started to fight he gave his opponent very little time to regroup.   From a viewing standpoint that is fun.  Constant fury.  Not exchange, rest, exchange, rest … ETC.  Melendez should be a Dana White favorite going forward.

6. Nick Diaz.  Wow.  I have always loved this kid.  I love he talks trash in and out of the cage and it is real, not fabricated to sell fights.  I love that he loves body shots.  I love that he did not run from his opponent’s biggest strength and out punched a puncher.  George St. Pierre would have made this a boring ground fight as he did with Dan Hardy.

If Nick Diaz can play the media game and not piss off Dana White, a huge future lies ahead.  But, then again, that inner rage and loose cannon style is why we love him.  Don’t go changing Nick!

7. What in the world is Bellator Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez thinking today?  All the worlds’ best 155 pounders are in UFC/Strikeforce.  Until he leaves his safe haven of Bellator, he will not be in the top ten discussion.

8. Strikeforce, I think, took a huge step forward on Saturday as a product that is nearly the equal of the UFC re: the talent level of the belt holders.  Soon, all this will be irrelevant, maybe – unless they find value in keeping the two different labels for marketing purposes in squaring off the champions in a Strikeforce Vs. UFC type series before they formally become one.

Start chirping.  Am I on point here?

5. Shinya Aoki’s domination of Lyle Beerbohm.

Shinya Aoki is an interesting case of “what should have been”. Or at least, that’s generally how fans thought of him before this fight with Lyle Beerbohm. Now fans are thinking of Aoki as a case of “what still might be”. Shinya Aoki may never be a multi-dimensional threat, but last night he proved that no one save for the best in the world can hang with him on the ground. So long as Strikeforce utilizes him correctly, they can look forward to many more first-round submissions. Aoki’s heartfelt performance combined with an emotional post-fight celebration was a great way to start the night.

4. Gilbert Melendez’s “Hellbows”.

I’ve made it no secret that I loathe Mauro Ranallo. But I agreed with him on this matter: Gilbert Melendez’s vicious, vicious elbows, the ones that put an end to his fight with Tatsuya Kawajiri, deserve to be called “Hellbows”. I remember emphatically telling my friend “This is what you get when you allow elbows on the ground!” It was a very dramatic finish, and if it weren’t for the Zuffa brass doing away with the Strikeforce-only rule that prevented such a strike, it may never have happened. I for one am very, very glad that elbows to the head on the ground are now legal in Strikeforce.

3. Keith Jardine taking Gegard Mousasi to a three-round decision.

Let’s put aside our feelings of anger over this fight going to a Majority Draw. If you can do that, then answer me this: how tough is Keith Jardine? The man took the fight on ultra-short notice, and he still managed to take down Mousasi several times throughout the fight. He finished the fight a swollen, bloody, and tired mess… but he did not go down. He did not submit and he was not knocked out. Jardine has the heart of a warrior, and seeing him reaffirm that at “Diaz vs. Daley” was honestly a great moment even when taking into account the horrendous decision.

2. Gilbert Melendez’s call to unify the UFC and Strikeforce championships.

I want it, you want it, everyone wants it. But Gilbert Melendez voiced it. It’s one thing for fans and journalists to get together and call for action. It’s another thing entirely when one of your most high-profile champions, one of your biggest stars, takes the microphone in front of a live audience, in front of hundreds of thousands of fans watching live on Showtime, and asks for some unification bouts. Melendez’s performance will have everybody talking for weeks to come, but his post-fight call to arms for a “Strikeforce vs. UFC” war will likely have people talking for months.

And my personal pick for the best moment of Strikeforce: “Diaz vs. Daley” is…

1. Nick Diaz finishing Paul Daley.

In February 2006, Paul Daley lost by TKO due to a dislocated thumb. It was the first and only TKO on Daley’s record. That was the case… until last night. Last night, Nick Diaz fought Paul Daley’s game, survived Paul Daley’s best shots, and then served up his own unique form of brutal punishment. Whether it was the killer body blows or the hard shots right to the dome, Daley ended the fight staggered and defeated, needing help to even make it onto his corner’s stool. Nick Diaz dropping and stopping Paul Daley was by far the best moment of “Diaz vs. Daley”.

So there you have it, fans and friends: those are the moments I’ll be remembering from “Diaz vs. Daley”. But what about you? What do you think everyone will be talking about in the days/weeks to come?

Next for Lyle Beerbohm: I’ll make this short and sweet: Lyle Beerbohm is headed back to Strikeforce’s “Challengers” series of shows. I hate to say that about a man I’ve found so entertaining, but there’s really no other option for him after Shinya Aoki made such quick work of Beerbohm. I definitely think Beerbohm could one day be a major player in Strikeforce, but for now, he’s best served filling the co-main or main event slots of a “Challengers” show.

Next for Shinya Aoki: Aoki’s future is a bit uncertain. Aoki’s home is the Japanese-based DREAM promotion, but Japan is still dealing with its numerous tragedies, and DREAM has been plagued with rumors of its financial demise for the last several months. If not Japan, Aoki’s next fight will definitely take place in Strikeforce, since Aoki breathed new life into his career at “Diaz vs. Daley”. Aoki may not be ready for another shot at Gilbert Melendez, but he proved that he’s still very much the “Master of Flying Submissions”.

Next for Keith Jardine/Gegard Mousasi: Each other, which is why I’m grouping them together. Keith Jardine will likely postpone his move to Middleweight for one more fight, in order to give fans a firm winner. I know Gegard Mousasi can beat Keith Jardine, and I think we all know Mousasi should have won that fight. But at “Diaz vs. Daley”, Jardine showed that he’s still game, and that he can take on anyone at any time. I say: give Jardine a full camp to prepare, and let’s see who wins the rematch.

Next for Gilbert Melendez: What’s left in Strikeforce’s Lightweight division? “El Nino” has pretty much done it all, and his performance at “Diaz vs. Daley” was one of the most dominating of his career… and Melendez was coming off nearly a year-long layoff. Melendez needs to take on Bellator’s Eddie Alvarez, because there’s very few people left in Strikeforce that could conceivably pose a threat to him.

Next for Paul Daley: “Semtex” will likely take one or two fights in Britain before making his Strikeforce return in the late summer or early fall. Expect Daley to get some more (T)KO’s on his record and then show up ready to take on someone like KJ Noons or Evangelista Santos. So long as Daley makes weight and isn’t involved in any more post-fight shenanigans, Daley will have a home in Strikeforce so long as Strikeforce remains Strikeforce.

Next for Nick Diaz: Much like Gilbert Melendez, I’m struggling to find a worthy opponent for Nick Diaz in Strikeforce. Diaz is now the most dominant Strikeforce title holder in the history of the promotion. I supposed Tyron Woodley would be an interesting match-up. But I think it’s high time that Nick Diaz moves up to Middleweight or a 180-pound catchweight. Whoever he fights there is up to him.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. But what about you? What do you see happening in the near and not-so-near future of the big winners and losers of “Diaz vs. Daley”?

Virgil Zwicker defeats Brett Albee via TKO at 1:46 of Round 1. Joe Duarte defeats Saad Awad via armbar submission at 2:45 of Round 2. Herman Terrado defeats AJ Matthews via TKO at 4:16 of Round 1. Rolando Perez defeats Edgar Cardenas via Unanimous Decision. Casey Ryan defeats Paul Song via triangle at 1:39 of Round 1. Robert Peralta defeats Hiroyuki Takaya via Split Decision. Shinya Aoki defeats Lyle Beerbohm via submission at 1:33 of Round 1. Gegard Mousasi and Keith Jardine fight to a Majority Draw. Gilbert Melendez defeats Tatsuya Kawajiri by TKO at 3:14 of Round 1. Nick Diaz defeats Paul Daley via TKO 4:57 of Round 1.

I was very, very surprised that it only took Shinya Aoki a minute and a half to submit Lyle Beerbohm. But it was a pleasant surprise. For all his flaws, part of me still very much enjoys watching Shinya Aoki fight. This fight once again proved that Aoki’s ground game is without question one of the best in the sport. It was a dramatic performance for the Japanese fighter, and with the rumored downfall of the Japanese-based DREAM promotion, I can see Aoki finding a new home and new life in Strikeforce.

I thought Gegard Mousasi would win this fight. I knew Keith Jardine would make him work for it. What I didn’t know is that my respect for Jardine would grow higher while my hopes around Mousasi being a good opponent for current champion Dan Henderson crashed and burned. Mousasi displayed great striking, as always, but Mousasi also displayed an inability to deal with takedowns. I was very surprised that the fight ended in a Draw, and I think that was the final straw in killing Mousasi’s comeback hype.

Ring rust may be real… but Gilbert Melendez is much, much realer. Without a doubt, he deserves to be ranked near the top of the Lightweight division… not just in Strikeforce, but in all of MMA. I honestly don’t know what’s left for him in Strikeforce. I want Melendez to finally get the chance to fight Bellator’s Eddie Alvarez. But no matter what happens, Melendez proved tonight that he’s one of Strikeforce’s best fighters.

And in the main event, Nick Diaz and Paul Daley simply gave Strikeforce fans the best round of the year so far, one of the best rounds of the past several years in fact. I was biting my nails when Diaz decided to strike with Daley, and I was very, very worried about Paul Daley stopping Nick Diaz. He certainly came close. But then Nick Diaz did what he does best, he landed a crazy number of shots, remained focused, remained tough, and finished Paul Daley. It was an amazing performance, and there can be no doubt: Nick Diaz is the best fighter in Strikeforce.

Overall, this was a great night of fights for Strikeforce. Shinya Aoki grabbed a very dramatic finish, while Gegard Mousasi and Keith Jardine was a tough war that really displayed Jardine’s heart. And there’s one word that perfectly describes Gilbert Melendez’s performance: perfect. And as for Nick Diaz, what’s left to say? Love him or hate him, loathe him or revere him, Nick Diaz is for real. He’ll fight your fight and knock you out. Laugh at his interviews if you want, but no amount of money will ever convince me to step into a cage against Nick Diaz. Not even for a minute.

And what about you, fans and friends? What did you think of “Diaz vs. Daley”?

Is it wrong that I still like Shinya Aoki? I know he’s been faltering a lot lately, I know he’s done some stupid things, I know his stand-up is utterly atrocious. But I still love it when he gets a fight to the ground and is able to work his wizardry. This is the guy that gave us the Mounted Gogoplata, remember? Aoki may have taken a tumble down the rankings, but when he gets the fight in his comfort zone he’s a very entertaining and incredibly dynamic performer. So part of me does still honestly hold out hope for the “Tobikan Judan”.

I feel like some of my comments I’ve made towards Keith Jardine could be construed as disrespectful, so I apologize if it came off that way and I would like to once again state that I consider myself a fan of Keith Jardine. It is quite saddening that my opinion of him has become so deflated. At one point, I considered Jardine a very under-rated and under-appreciated fighter. But now? It’s going to be a long, hard road back to relevancy, and Gegard Mousasi is a former champion. Part of me really, really hopes Jardine pulls off the upset, but the other 99% of me knows that that’s almost impossible.

Am I a bit angry at Gilbert Melendez? Maybe I am. He did take almost a year off, and his fight with Eddie Alvarez never materialized. It may be unfair to blame Melendez considering how insanely difficult it must be to make a co-promotional champion vs. champion super-fight happen, but I just generally don’t like it when a fighter takes a prolonged absence that isn’t injury-related. I’ve made some exceptions, of course, but normally I don’t. However, I will say that a rusty Melendez should be more than capable of beating Tatsuya Kawajiri so long as he doesn’t get caught and puts Kawajiri on his back with regularity.

Nick Diaz isn’t knocking out Paul Daley. I’m sorry, but, it’s just not happening. I’m one of the biggest Diaz supporters out there, but Nick Diaz’s style prides itself on cumulative damage that takes a few rounds to really start hurting the opponent. That just isn’t going to work against a striker like Daley, who has demonstrated an iron chin for most (if not all) of his entire career while also demonstrating true one-hit knockout power. Diaz is far, far more likely to submit Daley than he is to (T)KO him. And no matter what, I’m still in Nick’s corner and I can’t wait to see him win again.

And that’s that, fans and friends: my final say on “Diaz vs. Daley”. But what about you? Any last thoughts on the card?

5. This will be the first “Arena Series” event under the Zuffa umbrella.

While “Challengers 15” holds the distinction of being the first-ever Strikeforce event now that Strikeforce exists as a subsidiary of Zuffa, the parent company of the UFC, this will be the first major show of Strikeforce’s “Zuffa Era”. “Challengers 15” didn’t feature a whole lot of changes, other than the obvious rule change about elbows to the head on the ground now being allowed, but that could be due to the fact that “Challengers” is and always will be the “B” show. There’s still a chance that we could see some pretty big changes to the way Strikeforce presents itself, and that’s a pretty alluring reason to give this show a watch.

4. What’s left of Shinya Aoki?

A few years ago, Shinya Aoki’s ground game was approaching “legendary” status. It didn’t matter that he had terrible stand-up because he always found a way to get the fight to the ground and work his magic. Then several things all happened to cause Aoki’s star to come crashing back down to earth: he got KO’d by Hayato Sakurai and then had an atrocious match with Vitor Ribeiro, he became a “bad boy” only to get dominated by Gilbert Melendez, and on New Year’s Eve 2010, he embarrassed himself before getting KO’d once again. Now Aoki is set to face Lyle Beerbohm, a rising star that is hungrier than ever considering he just lost for the first time ever. It’ll certainly be interesting to see if Aoki has anything left to give, because if he doesn’t, this fight should prove once and for all that Aoki’s one-dimensionality has finally caught up to him.

3. How on earth does Keith Jardine survive against Gegard Mousasi?

I like Keith Jardine, I really do. But Jardine just barely put two wins together after losing five, count ‘em, five straight fights. It’s great that Jardine is on a two-fight win-streak, but when you put it into context, those wins are the beginning of a long, hard climb out of “rock bottom”. This fight against Mousasi just isn’t one that Jardine needs if he wants to keep the win-streak going. Jardine is tougher than almost anybody and will also fight everybody, so he definitely gets my respect for taking this fight. I can’t see him winning, but part of me hopes he proves me wrong, and all of me knows that he’s going to make it a fun fight no matter what happens.

2. Will Gilbert Melendez dominate even though he’s been gone for almost a year?

With the skill and technique he’s demonstrated in Strikeforce so far, Gilbert Melendez could stay a champion for a long, long time. But it’s been almost a year since he last fought, and as I keep saying, ring rust is very real. Tatsuya Kawajiri is still a good fighter, and he can still be a threat to Melendez if Melendez shows up rusty. And getting to see which Gilbert Melendez shows up at “Diaz vs. Daley” is one of the biggest reasons to check out this show.

And the number one reason to watch Strikeforce: “Diaz vs. Daley” is…

1. Diaz. Daley. ‘Nuff said.

Now this is a main event. In one corner, you’ve got the powerful champion that’s absolutely wrecked everyone he’s ever been paired up against in Strikeforce. In the other, you’ve got a man with over twenty KO’s on his record and a very high-profile mean streak. If Diaz takes this fight to the ground, this could be one of the most dominating performances of the year. If it turns into a brawl, it could be one of the best brawls of the year. There’s only one way to find out, and that’s definitely the main reason to tune in and watch “Diaz vs. Daley”.

So there you have it, fans and friends: five great reasons to tune in and see “Diaz vs. Daley”. What about you? As the date draws ever-closer, what are you most looking forward to for this event?

Nick Diaz vs. Paul Daley: This one’s the million-dollar question of the night. Here’s how I think it will go: I think Diaz will put the ego away and focus on his counter-striking. Daley will land, but he’ll never land with the kind of power to one-hit KO Diaz. He might stagger Diaz, but Nick will go into survival mode and take Daley down. If Daley doesn’t land that kind of shot, Diaz will take him down anyway just because he can. Once Diaz realizes how easy it is to put Daley on his back, he’ll keep doing it. Nick Diaz wins by Submission in Round 3, possibly Round 2.

Gilbert Melendez vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri: Although he’s primarily known as a striker, the last time “Crusher” Kawajiri (T)KO’d anyone was in 2009. In fact, the last time he was able to string together at least two straight (T)KO wins was in 2006. Worse yet, Melendez already holds a victory over Kawajiri. There’s a chance that Melendez will show up rusty and Kawajiri will nail a KO blow, but I just don’t see that happening. Gilbert Melendez will win this one by Unanimous Decision.

Gegard Mousasi vs. Keith Jardine: It’s too much and too soon for “The Dean of Mean”. Since getting the boot out of the UFC on the heels of a four-fight losing-streak that saw him get KO’d twice, Jardine has gone 2-1 on the regional circuit, beating two non-entities and losing to Trevor Prangley. It truly pains me to say this, but I don’t think Jardine has done anything to deserve a fight with a former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion. If Jardine wins this one, I’d be beyond shocked. I’d even be surprised if he makes it out of the first round, which I don’t think he will. Gegard Mousasi wins by first-round TKO.

Shinya Aoki vs. Lyle Beerbohm: If this was a few years ago, back when Aoki was tearing people’s limbs off with reckless abandon, I’d immediately call for Beerbohm to lose by submission. But not only has Aoki slowed down a bit, several of his glaring weaknesses continue to be exploited, namely his relatively weak chin and his nearly-nonexistent stand-up game. I think Beerbohm will have to fight through some submission attempts, and I won’t rule out Aoki grabbing something and forcing the tap, but my gut and my head are in agreement: Beerbohm will more than likely be able to dominate Aoki standing as well as on the ground, all the while avoiding and/or eventually breaking any submission attempts. Lyle Beerbohm wins by Unanimous Decision.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. But what about you? Who do you see winning, and why, at Strikeforce: “Diaz vs. Daley”?

The Event: Strikeforce: “Diaz vs. Daley”, currently scheduled for April 9, 2011 at the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, California. The main card will be broadcast live on the Showtime network starting at 10:00 PM ET.

Why You Should Care: This is the first “Arena Series” event after Zuffa’s surprise purchase of the Strikeforce promotion. Also, two championships are on the line, with two of Strikeforce’s biggest and brightest stars taking on some pretty tough challenges. As if that wasn’t enough, former UFC star Keith Jardine makes his Strikeforce debut by taking on former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Gegard Mousasi.

What to Look Forward to in the Main Event: Nick Diaz vs. Paul Daley is being marketed as one of the biggest matches of the year, both for Strikeforce and for MMA in general. While it may not quite measure up to some of the UFC’s mega-matches planned for this month and beyond, it’s definitely one of the biggest matches Strikeforce could make at this point in time. At least for Strikeforce, it doesn’t get much bigger than putting your best, most marketable, most notorious champion against an iron-fisted knockout artist that is almost as notorious.

What to Look Forward to in the Co-Main Event: Gilbert Melendez looks to make the second defense of his Strikeforce Lightweight Championship after unifying the belt back in 2009. Much like his first defense, Melendez will take on a Japanese import. But unlike his fight against Shinya Aoki, Tatsuya Kawajiri is an exciting brawler that loves to knock people out. And Melendez has been out for almost a year. It’s a fight where anything is possible, and it should be one of the night’s most entertaining bouts.

Why You Should Watch This Card: Simply put: there are two titles on the line, featuring two of Strikeforce’s best fighters facing legitimate, tough challengers to their championships. You’ve also got the aforementioned Jardine/Mousasi bout, which should be a real proving point for both men. It remains to be seen what happens if Jardine wins, but if Mousasi wins he’ll most likely be getting a shot at the title. And you’ve even got ground wizard Shinya Aoki taking on Lyle Beerbohm, who recently suffered his first loss in a great fight with Pat Healy.

Why You Shouldn’t Watch This Card: Here’s some rare criticism of Strikeforce: if all four of these televised fights go the way assorted fans are predicting they’ll go, we’re in for a night of mismatches. Don’t believe me? If Nick Diaz takes Paul Daley to the ground, it’s all over. If Gegard Mousasi can keep the fight standing against Keith Jardine, it’s all over. If Gilbert Melendez can outwrestle Tatsuya Kawajiri, it’s all over. If Shinya Aoki can get and keep Lyle Beerbohm on the ground, it’s all over. All of the fights could be competitive, or they could end up being like the recent Anthony Johnson vs. Dan Hardy fight. I’m not saying they will turn out like that, and I definitely still have a lot of faith in Strikeforce, but I do feel the need to point out that the possibility is there.

Closing Thoughts: In the end, I think Strikeforce’s recent track record of incredible shows more than earns them the benefit of the doubt for this show. In fact, I’ll go one step further: I think this could end up being one of the best Strikeforce events of 2011. Not only do I think the fights will live up to their potential, I think a few of them will even exceed it. I’m very pumped for this show, and I look forward to tuning in and watching live.

And what about you, fans and friends? What are your thoughts on “Diaz vs. Daley”?

He’s proven such accolades in the past, as he has taken fights in the lightweight, welterweight, middleweight, and even light heavyweight division. So now with the acquisition of Strikeforce into the Zuffa fold, things have gotten a little bit skewed once again.

The loyalty that him and his team (Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu) share is undeniable–arguably the most loyal team in the sport of mixed martial arts. When Jake Shields and Nick Diaz were both under the Strikeforce banner, Shields moved up to the middleweight class exclusively, just so he can avoid having to run into his teammate, and eventually both men became champions.

So when people ask whether Diaz will fight any of his teammates, the answer is clear. So in Diaz’ opinion, were Rashad Evans and Jon Jones ever “real teammates”? Definitely, not. Because that’s not loyalty.

“They’re not real training partners though,” said Diaz during a recent conference call leading up to his fight with Paul Daley on April 9, regarding Evans and Jones.

“You don’t understand, they’re like 10 years apart for one and they didn’t grow up training together. That guy’s just brand new into the sport. He’s just doing whatever, they’ve got him busy making photo shoots and press conferences, and conference calls and all this.”

Diaz went on to explain more about his training styling’s and highlighted the fact that the wars he has with his brother Nate Diaz, and his best friends Gilbert Melendez and Shields are the only fights that you will see any of them in. Real teammates do not fight each other, is a point he tries to make clear.

“That’s what they’ve got them doing and they’re not focused on what’s important to them in life. I’ve got what works, and I’ve got what’s got me there and that’s my team. That’s a disgusting thought to have to fight my brother. I don’t even appreciate being asked about that,” said Nick.

Thank to MMAWeekly.com for the transcribe from the teleconference.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the whole “not fighting teammates” routine? Does it hurt the sport? I think in some cases, it’s not necessary, but when their all under the same roof and if they all reach the top of the division, questions will begin to arise. Sound off in the comment section below.

Since Japan has been ravaged with many natural disasters, including flash floods, Tsunamis, Earthquakes, and after shocks that have taken the lives of upwards of 10,000 people, several prominent mixed martial arts have pulled out from their respective bouts in upcoming events, most notably Yoshihiro Akiyama who was originally scheduled to face Nate Marquardt this past weekend.

The Japanese Judoka pulled out of his middleweight bout with the Greg Jackson product due to the torrential conditions that have plagued Japan, and many have since sympathized with him and the many others that have been effected by this tragedy.

Kawajiri, however, is not looking for sympathy and will continue to drive forward in order to become possibly the first fighter from Japan to win a title in a major U.S. promotion.

MMAWeekly.com has been able to confirm with Strikeforce that Tatsuay will still in fact compete opposite of Gilbert Melendez for the organization’s lightweight title, which will serve as the co-main event for “Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley” which takes place on April 9 at the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, California.

Kawajiri became the top contender to the lightweight crown when he bested former champ Josh Thomson on December 31 of last year at the “Dynamite!! 2010″ year-end extravaganza at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Tatsuya dominated “The Punk” with his effective ground control en route to a clear cut unanimous decision win.

At the time, Josh was on a two-fight win streak and was poised for another shot at th Strikeforce title, before Tatsuya had ruined the American Kickboxing Academy product’s plans, and put himself into the mix at 155-pounds.

Kawajiri’s bout with Melendez is actually a rematch from their early years in the now defunct PRIDE organization, where the Cesar Gracie protege took home a close decision win over the Japanese superstar in 2006.

Much different fighters since their initial meeting, their second meeting will largely depend on how much both men have improved on their stand up, since both are more than adept on the ground and will likely nullify one another. Melendez remains one of the sport’s top lightweight stars, however Kawajiri will likely have the size advantage, living up to his moniker as “The Crusher”.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the news? I for one am glad that Kawajiri will continue with the bout as planned, and that despite the tragedies that have plagued his land, he will continue on to do his best to become the new Strikeforce champ. Sound off in the comment section below.

Before I begin, I’d like to point out that I’d like to see all five of these matches no matter when they happen and no matter who holds what championship in whichever division. Also, this list doesn’t take into account the army of dominoes that would have to fall into place for many of these fights to occur. In a perfect world where there are no such things as contract disputes and everyone can fight everyone else at their best, these are the five fights I want to see the most.

5. Anthony Pettis vs. Gilbert Melendez

I think of this match and I can’t help but smile. I also can’t even begin to imagine the potential insanity both men could unleash in the cage against each other. Gilbert Melendez is Strikeforce’s best Lightweight by far, while Anthony Pettis has fully and finally reached top-division status after an amazing five-round war with Ben Henderson. This fight would probably set the standard for years to come.

4. Quinton Jackson vs. Muhammed Lawal

It’s two of the best characters in MMA fighting each other… what’s not to love? Also, let’s not forget that both “Rampage” and “King Mo” love to bang and would probably spend every single second of this fight trying to knock each other’s heads off. Plus, I can’t even imagine how awesome the pre-fight trash talk will be between these two. Nothing about this fight or its build-up would be pretty, but entertaining? This fight has that in spades.

3. Nick Diaz vs. Georges St. Pierre

Although I don’t have a problem with taking a firm and even controversial stance on important issues, I’m not so rigid in my opinions that a fighter has no chance of winning me over. To this day, Nick Diaz stands out as the clearest example of that rule: I once utterly loathed him, but thanks in no small part to his many brilliant performances, I now consider myself a fan. I’ll go even one step further: he’s one of my favorite fighters, and currently one of the best Welterweights in the business. I’d love to see him fight GSP, who is already regarded as one of the best ever. Both men have a shot at winning this match, and I think Nick Diaz is one of the last, great challengers for GSP at 170.

2. Alistair Overeem vs. Brock Lesnar

This is the kind of fight where you wouldn’t be surprised if the ground shook the first time these two colossal titans locked horns. And that’s really the best way to describe these two hulking behemoths: they have a physique right out of Roman legends. And let’s not forget that these are two of the top Heavyweights in the business. Despite constant abuse from his cynics, Brock Lesnar is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and one of the highest-drawing UFC stars of all time. Despite constant accusations of chemical enhancement, Alistair Overeem is a K-1 World Grand Prix Champion, the Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion, and the DREAM Interim Heavyweight Champion. This would be an awesome match no matter where both men are at in their careers when it does finally get around to happening.

And my number-one pick should come as a shock to virtually no one that’s followed me and my musings for any prolonged period of time.

1. Randy Couture vs. Fedor Emelianenko

When you talk about a “legacy fight”, this is what you’re talking about. Neither man has anything left to prove, both men will go down as one of the best in the history of the sport. However, I can and will admit that this fight doesn’t have the appeal it did back when Fedor was undefeated and Randy Couture was the UFC Heavyweight Champion. But none of that would matter if these two ever stepped into the Octagon against each other. I can’t think of a better way to end an era, as I think this fight would virtually close the book on Fedor’s and Randy’s careers. This fight still has an incredible amount of appeal, and it’s still easily the number-one “Strikeforce vs. UFC” fight I absolutely want to see.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. What about you? What fantasy fights do you hope one day to see?

Long has the UFC adopted the unified rules of combat, which allows fighters to use elbows to a grounded opponent, which is something that Strikeforce has exclusively stayed away from since their tenure.

However, now that Strikeforce has become part of the Zuffa umbrella, it looks like that said fighters will now be able to utilize elbows to a grounded opponent, which will be detrimental to the style of several prominent fighters under the banner of the San Jose based promotion.

Lorenzo Fertita, CEO of the UFC, along with President Dana White earlier today held a teleconference highlighting key points of the acquisition. While most things have remained largely the same, with both companies operating as separate entities (for the time being), the executives were able to confirm that Strikeforce will now adopt the use of elbows on the ground.

Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez almost immediately comes to mind. While he has a penchant for punching people in the face, and has recorded some of his more recent bouts via knockout, he primarily relies on his wrestling ability over the course of his 20-fight career. Having fought primarily for both Strikeforce and PRIDE over the years, Melendez has rarely had the opportunity to utilize elbows in mixed martial arts contest.

However him, along with other ground specialists such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion and current Strikeforce middleweight title holder Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza are among some of the few names could greatly benefit from the new unified rules.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the news? Do you think that Strikeforce fighters will benefit from the elbows on the ground, or is it something that you would like to see eliminated altogether? Sound off in the comment section below.

The American Top Team product was last inside the cage when he bested then undefeated lightweight prospect Billy Evangelista with a dominating decision win just a few weeks ago.

The Cuban fighter has stated that he would like to fight on a consistent, rapid basis and he might now get his wish. Originally, Jorge was expected to possibly clash with KJ Noons in Texas this April, however with the recent tragedies in Japan, Masvidal could next fill in for Tatsuya Kawajiri in order to face reigning lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez.

<a href="http://mmajunkie.com/news/22815/noons-masvidal-may-fill-earthquake-related-vacancies-at-strikeforce-diaz-vs-daley.mma”>MMAJunkie.com reported the possibility of both KJ Noons and now Jorge Masvidal stepping up to face their new respective opponents in Lyle Beerbohm and Gilbert Melendez, whereas originally the two American fighters were intended to face one another in a top contender lightweight bout.

Both Aoki and Kawajiri have been a big question mark with the promotion following the recent geographical phenomena’s occurring on their side of the globe, where the fighters native Japan has been ravaged with both tsunamis and earthquakes that have the whole country reeling.

No definitive word yet has been released by the promotion as far as the confirmation of said fighters removal, however the indication that Strikeforce officials have told both Noons and Masvidal to be ready “just in case” shows how much confidence they have in either Aoki or Kawajiri coming stateside to fight.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the news? How do you think Jorge will fare against Melendez? Or would you have rather seen the Noons vs. Masvidal bout? Sound off in the comment section below.

Courtesy of Strikeforce itself, there’s plenty of new info on their upcoming show on April 9. According to Strikeforce’s latest press release, the following four matches are now official for Strikeforce: “Diaz vs. Daley”.

In the main event, Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz defends the belt against British knockout artist Paul Daley. Also, Gilbert Melendez will put his Strikeforce Lightweight Championship on the line against “The Crusher”, Japan’s Tatsuya Kawajiri. In another co-promotional effort between Strikeforce and the Japanese-based DREAM promotion, Lyle Beerbohm will face Shinya Aoki. And finally, it’s been confirmed that Mike Kyle will face Gegard Mousasi at “Diaz vs. Daley”, with the winner most likely getting the first shot at Dan Henderson’s newly-won Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship.

With just four matches, Strikeforce has already put together an event I have no intention of missing. These are fights literally exploding with potential. Lyle Beerbohm is coming off a fantastic (though losing) performance against Pat Healy, while Shinya Aoki is a dreaded submission master even though his stand-up isn’t anything to write home about (and that’s putting it lightly). Although both fighters have their flaws, this is a fight where their styles match up perfectly, so I’m expecting an excellent and supremely technical ground war.

I also love the idea of Mike Kyle vs. Gegard Mousasi, I think Mousasi is an incredibly tough opponent for Kyle while a win over Kyle will restore most of Mousasi’s luster. Many still think that Mousasi will one day be the future of the division, and many are now once again interested in Mike Kyle after a dramatic performance against Antonio Silva at Heavyweight, a bout that Kyle came very close to winning.

I’m also glad to see Gilbert Melendez back in action, although to be perfectly honest, I would have much rather had the long-hyped and fiercely-debated “champion vs. champion” bout between him and the Bellator FC Lightweight Champion, Eddie Alvarez. But this is not said to disrespect Kawajiri, I simply think that’s a better match. But it’s Kawajiri we’ll be getting, and I think he’s a pretty good replacement. He’s incredibly tough, a knockout artist, and one of Japan’s best.

And in the main event, we see two of the best strikers in Strikeforce battle it out with a championship on the line. This is a very interesting, potentially catastrophic match-up for Diaz. Nick usually has to take a couple to fire him up and really get him into his groove, but when you face someone that has one-hit KO power from virtually any angle, those are shots you can’t afford. I do think Nick Diaz can wear Daley down and even finish him, but I also think that Daley is going to have ample time to land that one huge sledgehammer that has made him so famous. It’ll likely be a strong candidate for “Fight of the Year”, and I can see myself biting my nails from the first second to the last.

And what about you, fans and friends? How excited are you for “Diaz vs. Daley”?

Though both men have spent a majority of their careers on opposite sides of the globe, both are touted as some of the best lightweight fighters in their division.

Current Strikeforce titleholder Gilbert Melendez has been rumored for sometime to be taking on former rival Tatsuay Kawajiri in the foreseeable future, though nothing has been certain as of yet. However recently, the bout’s likelihood has become more and more relevant, as their appears to be a date and location anticipated for said lightweight match-up.

MiddleEasy.com is reporting that a rematch between Melendez and Tatusya Kawajiri could be taking place this April in Japan for the promotion’s lightweight title.

Melendez has been inactive since a dominating decision win over another Japanese star in current DREAM lightweight champ Shinya Aoki.

Kawajiri meanwhile was last inside the ring when he bested former Strikeforce titleholder Josh Thomson with a dominating three-round decision last December for the year-end extravaganza, “Dynamite!! 2010″.

Both Gilbert and Tatsuya met many years ago under the now defunct PRIDE banner, where “El Nino” picked up a very close-decision win over the perennial top-10 fighter. The former Shooto champion has since faced some of the best fighters in the class, including recording victories over the likes of JZ Cavalcante and Sengoku standout Kazunori Yokota.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the rematch? Both men have similar styles, though Tatsuya is more of an imposing physical fighter, but Melendez would be likely to oblige with the powerhouse wrestler. Who do you think takes the belt here? Sound off in the comment section below.

5. A possible move up to 170 to take on someone like Paul Daley.

Melendez has expressed an interest in fighting at a higher weight class, specifically against Paul Daley, and I think this would be the natural thing to do if he keeps winning at Lightweight. Melendez has a lot of interesting possible challenges at Welterweight, not the least of which would be the actual jump in weight in and of itself, since Melendez has always been a smaller fighter. Whether it’s with or without the championship, a run at Welterweight is definitely an option for Melendez and would result in some tough, entertaining fights.

4. A fight with KJ Noons.

Even though he was unable to secure a second win over arch-rival Nick Diaz and claim the Strikeforce Welterweight Championship in the process, KJ Noons is still a feared striker and a big threat to most Strikeforce fighters. Noons has had the most success in his MMA career at Lightweight, so he’ll probably drop back down to 155 after taking time off to heal the injuries he sustained in his second scrap with Diaz. And Melendez will be waiting for him. Melendez/Noons would be an awesome fight between a very tough grappler with a very tough chin and a very hard striker that is a former champion at Lightweight.

3. A second fight with Tatsuya Kawajiri.

In regards to Melendez’s immediate future, Tatsuya Kawajiri finds himself on the short-list of possible opponents that both the fans and Strikeforce management want to see Melendez test himself against. “Crusher” has won five of his last six and most recently beaten Josh Thomson at the K-1/DREAM supershow “DYNAMITE!! 2010”. Kawajiri is a tough knockout artist and, like KJ Noons, poses a big threat to Melendez on the feet. It’s also been over four years since these two last fought, so it has the potential to be a radically different second encounter.

2. A third fight with Josh Thomson.

Many fans seem to think that it’s inevitable that these two will meet for a third and final time to finally prove which one is better. I wholeheartedly agree. I think these two have a great rivalry going: both are highly competitive and highly skilled, but both respect each other a lot. It’s a rivalry born not out of scorn, but out of the honest desire to see which man is the better fighter. The two previous times these two fought each other were both Fight of the Year candidates, so a third (and most likely final) showdown would be a pivotal moment in both their careers.

And finally, we have…

1. A  champion vs. champion showdown with Bellator FC’s Eddie Alvarez.

There have been on-again, off-again talks of putting together a super-fight between Gilbert Melendez and Eddie Alvarez, the current Bellator FC Lightweight Champion. The reason this fight hasn’t happened yet is subject to much debate, and things actually got a bit bitter between Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker and Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney. This fight seems to have faded back into the background at the start of 2011, but make no mistake, it would be an amazing fight between two of the best Lightweights on the planet.

And what about you, fans and friends? Did Melendez make the right call in sticking with Strikeforce? What do you think the future holds for “El Nino”?

With dominating victories over the likes of Mitsuhiro Ishada and Josh Thomson, which avenged two of the sole losses on Melendez’ 18-2 record, Gilbert capped off his impressive career so far with a one sided five-round affair of DREAM lightweight champion Shinya Aoki last April.

However, the Cesar Gracie product has remained loyal to the San Jose based organization, and will remain with Strikeforce for the foreseeable future.

Officials today distributed a press release, indicating that the Cali native has re-upped with the promotion for a multi-year deal, though no other specifics were indicated.

Melendez debuted in the organization in 2006, and has competed there since, though he spent a few stints overseas in the PRIDE Fighting Championship. Gilbert became the promotion’s champion in May of that year, with a unanimous decision victory over current UFC contender Clay Guida. After a successful title defense over Gabe Lemley, Gilbert dropped the belt in a one sided decision against friend Josh Thomson.

The 28-year-old stormed back with a knockout win over Sengoku veteran Rodrigo Damm, capturing the promotions interim lightweight title while Thomson was sidelined due to injury. A TKO win over Ishida, avenging the previous loss, helped set up the pivotal rematch against “The Punk” where Melendez defeated Josh in one of the most exciting fights in mixed martial arts history, taking home a well-deserved decision win and thereafter became the undisputed champion.

His last outing in April, the demolition of Japanese submission specialist Shinya Aoki, helped cement Melendez, the proud father of one, as one of the premier lightweights in the sport.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of Melendez re-upping with the organization? Of course personally speaking, I would have loved to have seen Gilbert take it to the UFC’s lightweight division, but there are still formidable opponents in Strikeforce. Melendez is expected next to face Tatsuya Kawajiri, a perennial top-10 fighter, in defense of his title. Relationship’s with Japanese organization DREAM will have plenty of lightweights to distribute to the Strikeforce 155-pound class. Sound off in the comment section below.

The two standouts originally met a little over four years ago under the now defunct PRIDE banner, where Melendez scored a pretty close decision victory over the Japanese superstar. Since their encounter, both men have found tons of success in their division, with Kawajiri clearing house in Japan while Melendez took care of all comers that Strikeforce had to offer him here in the States.

MMAWeekly.com recently spoke with Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker about Melendez’ return, and while he was hush-hush for the most part, he did reveal little tidbits about his champion, regarding his possible return and his next opponent.

“We’re talking to Japan, but things move slow over there and it’s been an ongoing conversation,” said Coker regarding acquiring Kawajiri from DREAM, the organization in which the Japanese star among other top athletes who cross over with Strikeforce, are under contract with.

“There’s a possibility. The fights aren’t finalized, but until we come back with a final card or at least a final main event, I really don’t want to talk about confirmations”, said Scott when asked about the possibility for Melendez returning by March.

The champion has since been sidelined from competition following a five-round domination of DREAM lightweight titleholder and top-ranked fighter, Shinya Aoki last April. A few lingering injuries have since been healed and Melendez has also been able to spend time with his new family, who welcomed a baby girl earlier last year.

Gilbert was also part of the now infamous CBS brawl, which took place in Nashville, Tennessee when Jason “Mayhem” Miller stepped inside the cage following Jake Shields‘ middleweight title defense against Dan Henderson. A melee ensued involving the Cesar Gracie camp, to whom both Shields and Melendez were part of the mix, including several others. For their actions, they were suspended for an allotted amount of time.

“He had a couple issues, he had that broken hand, and then he had the suspension issue, so yeah we would like to get him back in there right now,” said the CEO. “It’s just one of the conversations we’re having.”

While nothing is concrete yet, it’s looking promising. So, MMA peeps, what do you think about the possible match-up pitting Kawajiri and Melendez? Tatsuya recently bounced back from a submission defeat to Aoki (which snapped a four-fight win streak including victories over Kazunori Yakota and J.Z. Cavalcante) when he defeated former Strikeforce champion Josh Thomson at the annual year-end Dynamite!! show. Thomson was likely the next in line for the belt, and now that Kawajiri beat him (handily) he should be recognized as the next logical contender. Sound off in the comment section below.

In a recent interview with Bloody Elbow, Gilbert “El Nino” Melendez said the following: “I’m ready for some new blood… I hear Paul Daley called out K.J. Noons… Noons says that Daley isn’t worthy and I think that Paul Daley is a Top 10 guy. I would love to jump up and fight somebody with a high profile like that… Something like that interests me and those are the kinds of things I want to bring to the table. We can do it at a catchweight… but if he has a problem making that and we need to do it at 170-pounds, then let’s do it. ”

“Semtex” recently responded on “The Underground”, the popular user forum of MixedMartialArts.com. Here’s what Daley had to say: “Gilbert Melendez has called me out. Says he’ll fight at 170lbs. I’m down, but I know I will get negative feedback from the MMA Media for fighting a Lightweight…  So still we have a problem…”

I personally wouldn’t have much of a problem with Paul Daley fighting Gilbert Melendez. I think Melendez would be a pretty interesting test of Daley, likewise, I think Daley poses some big threats to Melendez. The fight absolutely would have to take place at Welterweight, though. Daley has struggled to make 171 in the past, I just can’t imagine him being able to cut to under 170.

My problems with Daley have always been twofold. First and foremost, Daley will be fighting to get out of the shadow of what he did to Josh Koscheck for quite some time in my eyes. What he did was completely classless and hurt the sport as a whole. I’ve talked about it at length, so all I’ll add is this: while I’m willing to give Daley another chance given how exciting he usually is, the memory of that post-fight attack is going to remain for quite some time.

My only other problem with the man is that he’s a flopping turtle when put on his back. The man has no ground game to speak of, even though he’s an amazing striker. In a way, he’s a lot like Shinya Aoki: Aoki has a tremendous ground game and utterly abysmal stand-up, Daley has dynamite in both hands but is only relevant in MMA until someone inevitably tries to take him down and keep him down. Both are so good in their one element that that’s normally all they need to rely on in order to secure a win. However, when their problems/weaknesses are forced out they’re very, very glaring.

But in the end, I’m willing to give Daley the respect he deserves for being an entertaining and dynamic striker. Add to this the fact that I’ve got no major problems with Gilbert Melendez, and you’ve got a fight that I’d definitely like to see if it was offered to me. It would certainly be an interesting test for both men, and whoever emerges as the winner would likely be regarded as one of Strikeforce’s top talents overall, not just in their own respective weight divisions. It does seem a bit unlikely that this match will ever come to fruition, but if it does, you can count me in.

And what about you, fans and friends? How likely do you think this match is? And just in case it does happen, what are your thoughts on a fight between Gilbert Melendez and Paul Daley?

MMA Weekly recently confirmed it with Strikeforce officials: this bout will not be happening. Melendez famously beat Aoki at the April 2010 Strikeforce: “Nashville” event. In fact, Melendez outright dominated Aoki en route to capturing a Unanimous Decision win and retaining his Strikeforce Lightweight Championship. The international showdown between two of the best Lightweights in the world came about through Strikeforce’s partnership with the Japanese-based DREAM promotion.

Shinya Aoki has since fought three times (in his native Japan) since the crushing loss to Melendez, winning once by decision and twice by submission. DREAM itself has come under fire recently for not paying its fighters, and rumors of financial instability in its parent company abound. It was not confirmed that these rumors were the reason that the rematch in Japan was axed. In fact, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker recently commented that the DREAM/Strikeforce partnership was still intact, and that DREAM had paid all of the Strikeforce fighters that were “loaned” to the promotion.

I honestly can’t say that I’m sad that this match won’t be happening. In a previous article, I outright stated that I thought this match wouldn’t really prove anything. Then again, I also admitted that a rematch couldn’t hurt. In the end, I think it just hasn’t been long enough to justify a rematch.

I know I’ve been advocating for several immediate rematches recently, and I’m glad that this story popped up because I’m usually not in favor of immediate rematches. This fight in particular perfectly typifies my problem with immediate rematches. What has Aoki done to deserve an immediate rematch? He’s beaten three people, sure, but has he evolved in any way, shape, or form? If we get a rematch so soon after the first match, wouldn’t we just be getting the same Shinya Aoki versus the same Gilbert Melendez? Sure, it would be in Japan and Melendez would have to cope with some new rules, but does that make the fight interesting enough to justify having an immediate rematch?

I honestly don’t think it does. No matter the setting, Melendez’s dominant wrestling ability, striking skill, and submission defense are far too much for Aoki to handle as he is now. If Aoki had reinvented himself from the ground up following the loss to Melendez, maybe I’d have more sympathy towards those calling for an immediate rematch. But he’s still the same Aoki. He’s a great submission specialist, one of the absolute best, but he has some of the worst stand-up I’ve ever seen. It’s a tall order to fend off his submissions for three or even five straight rounds, but if Melendez did it before, he’d be able to do it again, especially if the fight took place in the same calendar year.

Let’s see a rematch a year from now, or even two years from now. There was no controversy, there were very few mitigating factors, Gilbert Melendez outright dominated Shinya Aoki and I highly doubt that would have changed if the fight took place in a ring instead of a cage. So I’m glad this fight won’t be seeing the light of day.

And what about you, fans and friends? What are your feelings on this match now officially being cancelled?

Here’s what Thomson had to say in an interview with the Las Vegas Sun: “They made it sound so great that a company went under. The simple fact of the matter was that the WEC failed and they put it with the UFC to carry it. To compare WEC lightweights to Strikeforce and the UFC is not fair because if they were that good, they would have been fighting for the UFC. I think the world of (Jamie) Varner, but I beat Hermes (Franca) and Hermes beat Varner. Varner was the WEC champ for awhile. So, where does that leave us?”

First and foremost, I absolutely do not believe that the WEC failed. Look at the events they put on in 2010, the quality of the matches and how consistently they were able to produce stellar shows, and just try to convince me that they failed. The WEC had a banner year in 2010, one that few promotions have ever had, in fact. In 2010, or even in the last several years, has any other MMA promotion consistently given us as many great fights on a per-event basis as the WEC gave us this year? Thomson is fooling himself is he thinks the WEC needed the UFC to save it.

What happened is that the WEC started producing so many quality fights and fighters that the UFC had no choice but to stand up and take notice. The UFC sees the drawing potential of stars like Jose Aldo, Jamie Varner, Donald Cerrone, Urijah Faber, and countless others, and they want in on the act. Even if it means less free and awesome MMA on TV, the UFC wants to start turning the WEC’s best into real Pay-Per-View draws. They see the potential, and they want that money. If the UFC didn’t believe that the WEC’s top stars could be major PPV draws if marketed correctly, I highly doubt this merger would have ever seen the light of day.

And finally, I’d just like to say that Thomson is appealing to the lowest common denominator when he tries to use “MMA Math” to justify his opinion. As I’ve said countless times before, MMA is a sport where a fighter can revitalize and even reconstruct himself on a per-fight basis. Past failures or successes can give you an estimate of future accomplishments, but you just can’t definitively say that if Fighter X beat Fighter Y and Fighter Z lost to Fighter Y, then Fighter X beats Fighter Z every time.  By that logic Josh Thomson never should have beaten Gilbert Melendez, since Melendez beat Clay Guida while Thomson lost to him.

Ultimately Thomson is doing little else than sticking up for his brand despite the fact that almost all of the best Lightweight talent in the world is in the UFC, and the UFC is about to get even more great Lightweight talent when the WEC merger begins. I mean absolutely no disrespect towards Josh Thomson or the Lightweight division of Strikeforce, but this is quite clearly a case of sour grapes. Putting it plainly, Josh Thomson needs to get over himself.

And what do you think, fans and friends? Do you agree or disagree with Thomson, and why?

Having defeated the likes of Tatsuya Kawajiri, Rodrigo Damm, Mitsuhiro Ishida, Josh Thomson and now Shinya Aoki last April, Melendez is looking for new and exciting quality opponents. While a third match with Thomson, who has recently bounced back from the loss to his fellow Californian native last December with two consecutive wins over Pat Healy and “JZ” Cavalcante, would be appealing to fans, it’s something that Melendez has openly criticized, wanting to face new competition.

With a potential fight with Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez dangling in the wind after Bjorn, the organization’s CEO, and Coker have had it out in the media, the back and forth has nearly solidified the fact that the two parties may never come to an agreement.

Melendez, who recently spoke with MMAWeekly about the positives in rematching Aoki, DREAM’s lightweight champion, which include possibly capturing a new championship title and being the only 155-pound fighter to defeat the perennial top-10 fighter on two occasions.

The Japanese organization has expressed interest in creating a rematch under their banner, however Scott has been adamant about not making that fight happen.

“That’s not definitely going to happen, we’ll probably know in the next week or so,” Coker revealed on MMAWeekly Radio concerning the bout’s future. “I’m not sure if that fight will happen. If not, we’ll get Gilbert back fighting in the Strikeforce cage.”

The biggest concern on Scott’s behalf has been DREAM’s short but rocky future in the mixed martial arts world. Beginning in 2008, the Japanese organization has already created a history of tardy payments with fight purses. “JZ” Cavalcante, a former K-1 Hero’s champion has still yet to receive any compensation from his victory over Katsunori Kikuno at DREAM 15 last July.

“It’s always concerning when you hear something like that, but I can only judge when we send our fighters over there, as to whether they get paid or not,” said Coker. “We sent K.J. (Noons) over there at the beginning of the year and he got paid in two weeks. When we sent Nick (Diaz), I think he got paid within a couple months. So they have been paying the athletes we have sent over, but I’ve been hearing a lot of the nightmares that you’re talking about.

“It’s something that we’ll be monitoring as we continue the fighter sharing.”

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the news? Should Coker move forward with DREAM, what sort of precaution’s can be made to protect their athletes? And furthermore, who would you like to see Melendez fight next? While a third fight Thomson is compelling, his win over “JZ” is hollow, en light of how controversial the outcome was. Who do you see as a marketable, viable, contender to his title? Sound off in the comment section below.

Here’s what Coker had to say over at MMA Weekly: “I’m not sure if that fight will happen… We sent K.J. (Noons) over there at the beginning of the year and he got paid in two weeks. When we sent Nick (Diaz), I think he got paid within a couple months. So they have been paying the athletes we have sent over, but I’ve been hearing a lot of the nightmares that you’re talking about… It’s something that we’ll be monitoring as we continue the fighter sharing.”

While I do think that it’s unfortunate that DREAM seems to find itself in an increasingly-worse situation, I have relatively little sympathy for promotions that refuse to pay their workers. I think DREAM has put together some good cards and started out with some great intentions, but when you lose the respect of the fans and the respect of the fighters, you may as well call it a day. And DREAM is quickly losing both with all these rumors about not paying their athletes.

I could not possibly stress enough how important it is to keep the good faith of your fighters. We can squabble and debate the merits of each fighter and their pay all we want, welcome to modern-day sports. But not paying them at all? Inexcusable. It’s a slap in the face to go out, do your job, and not see a penny for your hard work. I’m sure I’m not the only journalist/opinion columnist/whatever with friends in the industry (which is why I always take such a harsh stance whenever this topic pops up), but I’m also not afraid of calling promotions on this. So I’ll say it loud, proud, and again and again: pay your damn fighters.

In regards to Aoki vs. Melendez 2, I honestly have to ask: would this fight really prove anything? Melendez already owns a very convincing win over Aoki. And I know the common response deals with Aoki being inexperienced in the cage and how Melendez benefited from the home team advantage, but I honestly think that’s very unfair to Melendez. Gilbert’s win over Aoki was all skill, nothing should be taken away from that victory even if Aoki had trouble adapting to the cage. I think Gilbert’s skill would easily translate from the ring to the cage and we’d get another blowout performance.

But ultimately, I suppose a second match couldn’t hurt. Who knows, Aoki may even beat Melendez, evening up the score and setting up a possible third match. I have to admit, I’d be far more interested in a trilogy fight if Aoki won the second than I’m currently interested in the actual second fight between these two champions. If it happens I’d watch it, if Aoki wins I’d be shocked, if Melendez wins I’d shrug my shoulders and say “Good, now fight Alvarez already.” At this point I’d be more shocked if DREAM paid Melendez for beating Aoki again than if Melendez actually beat Aoki again.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you think of DREAM’s rumors of financial instability, as well as the rumors of Melendez/Aoki 2?

I don’t think there was really any outcry for a Gilbert Melendez vs Eddie Alvarez fight to begin with, at least not until both champions of their respective organization’s went on a media frenzy calling out one another like kids before recess.

Would I like to see this fight? Absolutely. But, according Rebney, it looks like the possibility of a match up between these two stellar lightweights seems to be thinning as we speak. Bjorn, the Bellator owner and founder, has now responded in kind to Coker, the Strikeforce CEO, asking him to “Have (Gilbert Melendez) stop talking about the fight, so that Eddie can not have to respond to it and I don’t have to respond to it, or just sit down with me and let’s work it out”.

It was reported last week that Rebney had gone out of his way to get in touch with Coker. Even going as far as releasing photo’s of text messages he had sent directly to the Strikeforce head honcho. However, there has been some recent inquiry whether or not the number that Bjorn had been contacting was Scott’s current digits? Well, it’s not. But nonetheless, Coker has seen the reports, and suggests that he will not conduct business this way, not out in the open.

“There is no reason for this to be something taking place in the media,” Rebney said Wednesday during an interview on the Sherdog Radio Network’s “Beatdown” show.

“If Scott had just called me back and said, ‘Hey, dude, I’d love to work with you, but the Gilbert fight against Eddie is not one that makes sense for us,’ I never would have brought it up with the media. It’s just that to pretend to be engaged publicly and then not be responsive to my attempts to reach him for going on 90 days, I don’t think it’s fair or reasonable.”

I’ll give Bjorn the advantage here. He’s been the more vocal of the two sides in this heated debate. Rebney has stated on several occasions that he would not only allow his Bellator lightweight champion, Alvarez, to compete under the Strikeforce banner, that he would also allow him to compete on their terms. Meaning at the HP Pavillion in San Jose, California, which has been the organization’s staple home since it’s inception in 2006.

Meanwhile, Coker has been widely silent in attempts to put the gears in motion to make the bout come to fruition.

“The only reason I followed up so aggressively with Scott both publicly and privately on his own private phone was that it seemed to us, based on his responses, he wanted to make the fight happen,” said Rebney.

“I completely understand him not wanting to make the fight happen. Were the roles reversed, I probably wouldn’t want to make that fight happen either.

“That’s a fight we should make happen as mixed martial arts promoters. Take the CEO hat off and just be fans. That’s a fight that we should do.”

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the back and forth? Bjorn has been the more vocal of the two parties, where as Scott has been very idol in the negotiation process. Rather than besmirch Rebney for taking aggressive measures, why don’t you answer in kind? Take the necessary measure’s in order to move forward. It’s put up or shut up time my friends. Do you think the lightweight tilt will still come to fruition? Sound off in the comment section below.

Here’s the latest batch of quotes courtesy of an interview Coker recently did with MMA Weekly: “The reality is he doesn’t have my right number. The number that he’s texting is not the number I’m using… If you’re really looking to make something happen then he should sit down with me face to face. I feel like this whole texting thing, I feel like I was in high school again. It just seems childish to me… That’s not how we’re going to do business, I can tell you that. We don’t conduct business like that. We’re not going to be engaged in that kind of silliness.”

I have to admit, Rebney posting his texts to Coker online did seem very childish to me. Posting your texts online is something that a spurned lover does, not the head of a major MMA promotion. Then again, Coker basically forced Rebney’s hand. What other choice did Rebney have when Coker started denying the texts? It was his word against Coker’s, and in the end Rebney decided that acting childish wasn’t as bad as looking like a liar.

I do agree that these kinds of tactics are definitely detrimental to any sort of co-promotional agreement. There’s a point where an intense rivalry between two promoters stops being fun to watch and starts getting brutal. The Strikeforce/Bellator rivalry is quickly approaching that point. Instead of positioning themselves as a strategic ally, Bellator is beginning to look more and more like an enemy to Strikeforce. And that’s just not how co-promotion works.

If anything, the burden is on Bellator and not Strikeforce. Strikeforce has co-promoted with many organizations in the past: the now-defunct EliteXC, M-1 Global, and the Japanese-based DREAM. The San Diego-based promotion has a history of getting deals done with other promotions in the spirit of putting together the best fights possible. If Bjorn Rebney truly wants to see if his champions really are some of the top fighters in the world, perhaps it’s time to call a temporary truce. Despite all the publicity this is giving Bellator, at the end of the day nothing is solved and no matches are made when a promotional rivalry begins to spiral out of control.

And what about you, fans and friends? Did the whole texting fiasco finally push this rivalry past the breaking point? Is there still hope that we’ll get to see matches like Alvarez vs. Melendez?

Here are the highlights of an interview Melendez recently did with MMA Weekly: “Of course I want to fight Frankie Edgar and Eddie Alvarez… I really want to figure out who’s No. 1 in the world. [Those fights] would help me figure it out right there… I think I’ve been the one making the most noise about this and I think I’m finally starting to get heard… I know Eddie wants to fight me, I want to fight Eddie… Win or lose, I just want to figure out if I can beat this guy or not. I can’t live with myself not knowing.”

Now that’s a warrior speaking right there, ladies and gentlemen. Gilbert Melendez simply isn’t the kind of fighter that turns down fights or ducks fighters. His past performances are all I need as proof in order to believe him when he says that he would gladly take on both the Bellator and UFC champion. I think the Lightweight division in MMA in general has been blown wide open this year. With new talent, the fall of BJ Penn, and the announced merger of the WEC and UFC, MMA’s 155 division will be one of the ones to watch in 2011.

In regards to Gilbert Melendez vs. Eddie Alvarez, I honestly think that fight would be a toss-up. Just because Gilbert Melendez beat Shinya Aoki while Shinya Aoki beat Eddie Alvarez does not mean that Melendez will beat Alvarez. That’s a pretty obvious example of “MMA Math”, and I’ve never once believed in that system of thinking. A fight is a fight, a fighter can reinvent himself countless times over and simply holding a win over an opponent that beat your upcoming opponent isn’t something you can take for granted. It’s certainly a feather in your cap and a great way to get yourself motivated, but you’ll lose sight of your opponent as he is right now if you focus on how he performed in the past.

When it comes to Gilbert Melendez vs. Frank Edgar, this one definitely isn’t happening. But as far as “fantasy fights” go, this is an awesome one. It would be a very competitive, very fast-paced fight, but ultimately I’ve just got to favor Edgar. Edgar is making a habit out of proving people wrong and doing it in spectacular fashion. Against Melendez we’d see the same incredible drive, the same determination, the same insane cardio… taken by themselves I think Melendez could deal with Edgar, but when you put them all together you get a total package that only Gray Maynard has been able to stand up against.

While I won’t hold out hope for Melendez vs. Edgar anytime soon, I honestly think that we’ll see Melendez vs. Alvarez before 2011 is through. It’s just such an interesting fight, and this rivalry is starting to gain quite a lot of traction in the press. Personally, I’ll continue to cover this rivalry because I want to do whatever I can to push both promotions towards co-promoting. A Bellator vs. Strikeforce rivalry would give us some guaranteed “Fight of the Year” candidates, and I’m all in favor of excellent match-ups between amazing fighters, regardless of what banner they’re waving.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you make of Melendez’s comments and the Bellator/Strikeforce rivalry in general?

Without question both Bellator and Strikeforce are two of the top-tier promotions in the business (behind the UFC) and have become so by consistently putting on some of the best fights in recent memory.

Now with the acquisition of world class fighters within each promotion, it has been Bjorn, the Bellator CEO, that has gone out of his way to get in touch with Scott Coker of Strikeforce.

However, Coker has refuted claims that Bjorn has contacted him, let alone text him. Rebney upped the ante recently when he released pictures indicating otherwise.

“Bjorn’s saying he’s texting me 11, 12 times an hour. I’m not sure if he’s trying to be a level-five clinger or anything like that, but I haven’t received one text from the guy”, said Scott while speaking with Sherdog.com.

“I’m not sure what the motivation is, but maybe it’s just his way of staying in the media, staying in the press.”

Bjorn has been very vocal about a match up pitting his champion and top-10 fighter Eddie Alvarez against Strikeforce’s own Gilbert Melendez, who last April defeated the only man to put an “L” in Alvarez’ lightweight career, Shinya Aoki. While both champion’s have been equally as vocal about the said match up, Coker doesn’t necessarily see the significance of the fight, though he’s not exactly opposed to it either. However, Coker is citing that Bjorn’s intention’s may just be to garner more attention for his own upstart promotion, piggy backing off of Strikeforce.

“Let’s face it: Gilbert’s fought everybody. He beat the guy that Eddie lost to”, continued Coker.

“For them to say, ‘Oh, Gilbert’s ducking him’ — come on, let’s be real. Gilbert has ducked nobody, and neither has Eddie. These are two great fighters. The thing is, if Bjorn’s serious about doing this, then there has to be a business component that has to be worked out. Unfortunately that hasn’t started yet. It’s just been a bunch of stuff in the media. He’s chosen the media to use it as a platform to try to push this thing along, but I think it’s maybe a PR move.”

“It’s very obvious to me he’s using the media as a platform to try to do his business, but that’s not how we’re going to do business. If he wants to do business, call me or fly out here, come sit down with me. If there’s a deal to be made, we’ll try to make it, but I’m not going to do it in the media. That’s for sure.”

MMATorch.com has released photographs indicating that Bjorn has in fact attempted contact with Coker. However, BloodyElbow.com has also reported that Coker no longer uses the phone in question.

It’s either a FAIL on Bjorn’s part, or Strikeforce has a weird way doing business.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the news? Sound off in the comment section below.

Here’s what the soft-spoken Coker had to say over at Sherdog: “Bjorn’s saying he’s texting me 11, 12 times an hour. I’m not sure if he’s trying to be a level-five clinger or anything like that, but I haven’t received one text from the guy… [Gilbert Melendez] beat the guy that Eddie lost to. For them to say, ‘Oh, Gilbert’s ducking him’ — come on, let’s be real… He’s chosen the media to use it as a platform to try to push this thing along, but I think it’s maybe a PR move.”

I think Scott Coker is right to criticize Rebney, in all honesty. Coker is asking for nothing more than to simply call a spade a spade: by calling out Strikeforce and pulling the “ducking” card, Bellator FC is looking to drive up interest in their promotion. This has been a tactic used in the fight game since what feels like forever. Rebney isn’t the first fight promoter to boldly declare that he has the better champion, Coker is simply asking us to recognize this and realize that Rebney is using a tactic generally considered cheap and counter-intuitive to actually making a “champion vs. champion” fight happen.

But if we’re calling a spade a spade, let’s also realize that Scott Coker isn’t exactly blameless in this situation. Bjorn Rebney has actually been more than willing to meet any of Strikeforce’s demands in order to make matches like Alvarez vs. Melendez or Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Ronaldo Souza vs. Bellator Middleweight Champion Hector Lombard. In the past, Rebney has stated that he would offer up his stars to compete on a Strikeforce show, on Strikeforce’s network, and even in Strikeforce’s hometown. Rebney talks a big game, of that there can be no doubt, but he also seems more than willing to put his money (and his champion) where his mouth is.

In the end, I’ve repeatedly called for both men to bite their respective bullets and make these kinds of fights happen. At this point I’d even settle for non-title fights just so we can see bouts like Alvarez vs. Melendez. In a world where virtually all the top fighters and big-money match-ups are in the UFC, these “champion vs. champion” encounters represent some of the biggest, most viable options a non-UFC company has when it comes to putting on stacked shows that fans will pay good money to see. So work it out, guys.

And what do you think, fans and friends? Who gains the most if Bellator and Strikeforce co-promote? And will they ever co-promote?

Bjorn Rebney, the CEO of Bellator, said the following over at Sherdog: “There aren’t promotional issues… There aren’t any hurdles… We’ll do it on Showtime… Let’s do it in San Jose. The answers to the questions are very simple. There’s no reason that fight shouldn’t happen but for the fact that the promoter of Gilbert Melendez doesn’t want it to occur.” In the same article, Alvarez himself accuses Scott Coker, CEO of Strikeforce, of protecting his champion when he said the following: “(Scott Coker)’s trying to obviously protect his champion. I guess he has every right to.”

Now, I’m not a conspiracy theorist by any stretch of the imagination. But it does strike me as a bit odd that Bellator is basically willing to give Strikeforce all the power and promotional exposure in making this match while Scott Coker is still saying that it’s a fight that needs to have a lot of questions about it answered before it becomes a reality. Bellator is willing to serve up Eddie Alvarez on a silver platter, he’ll go to Strikeforce’s base of operations and he’ll fight on their network. Really, what more could Scott Coker ask for?

Eddie Alvarez is certainly deserving of a fight with Melendez, and it’s certainly not like the belt is too prestigious for Alvarez to get a shot at it in his first fight with the promotion. I mean, this is a belt that has just barely found itself on stable ground, at one time we saw an Interim Champion defend his Interim Championship. Gilbert Melendez is an incredible fighter, but the Strikeforce Lightweight Championship lacks the prestige required to just sweep Alvarez under the rug and pretend that he’s not worthy.

However, I’ll admit that the opposing side has their points. Coker has every right to protect his champion, if that is indeed what he’s doing. Strikeforce as a whole is still very much a work-in-progress, establishing credibility in each and every one of their divisions is a huge priority right now. How would it look if a (supposedly) unknown fighter from another organization received an immediate title shot and then humiliated your champion? With Showtime and CBS breathing down your neck, it wouldn’t look good at all, that’s for sure.

So, at the end of the day, do the risks outweigh the rewards? I certainly think so. Both Strikeforce and Bellator could use all the help they could get. There are precious few “dream fights” outside of the UFC and outside of Strikeforce’s Heavyweight division, and this encounter has “dream fight” written all over it. If Strikeforce is afraid that fans won’t know who Eddie Alvarez is, trust me, they’ll know who he is by the time round 2 starts.

And what do you think, fans and friends? Is Strikeforce and Scott Coker really ducking Bellator and Eddie Alvarez? And who would win this fight if it ever happens?

5. Increased exposure across several television networks.

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker recently stated that TV issues were the main reason holding back Melendez/Alvarez. I actually think this is a blessing in disguise. No matter who ends up with which fighter, promoters get their fighters on another network representing their brand. It’s a great way to drive up brand interest, and everyone benefits from increased TV exposure.

4. Strikeforce goes viral.

If any MMA company currently operating can be said to truly “get” viral marketing, it’s Bellator. The upstart promotion has started several successful viral marketing campaigns, the highlight of which was a video showcasing an insane Reverse Triangle Choke by Toby Imada on Jorge Rivera that earned numerous “Submission of the Year” awards. For a promotion that’s still trying to enter into the mainstream, that video alone has close to a million views. Strikeforce could only benefit from Bellator’s knowledge of how to crank out online videos that are viewed by hundreds of thousands of potential fans and customers.

3. Both promotions compliment each other’s rosters so well.

That was basically my point in the introduction to this piece, so of course this one registers high on my list. Both promotions benefit from each other’s rosters because both rosters fill each other’s gaps. Bellator would get some big names that would really drive the push to mainstream acceptance, Strikeforce would move out of the shadow of having big-name stars and, for the most part, only big-name stars. Aside from Eddie Alvarez and Roger Huerta, name a Bellator star that everyone really talks about with regularity. Aside from the champions and big-name stars, name a good low-level or mid-level talent in Strikeforce that performs with regularity and has an actual fanbase. There are examples in both cases, some of them quite obvious, but for the most part they’re few and far between. By mixing rosters, both promotions get the “best of both worlds” treatment.

2. The chance for epic dream-matches.

Alvarez vs. Melendez is the most obvious example, but why stop there? Why not Roger Huerta vs. Nick Diaz if Nick ever does make good on his promise to one day go back down to Lightweight? Bellator has a lot of weight divisions, they’ve even got a female MMA division. Moving forward, as more fighters begin to gain steam and get noticed, there’s going to be a lot of potential big-money fights available if both companies pool their resources. I wholeheartedly believe that Alvarez/Melendez would be just the tip of the iceberg.

But above all else, my #1 reason why this partnership would work is…

1. Everyone loves a rivalry.

Back in the day, do you know what would happen if you started a “UFC vs. PRIDE” argument? You’d get people laughing at you, laughing with you, siding with you, and criticizing you. You’d get arguments, debates, flame wars, trolls, and fantasy matches. Everyone would come out of the woodwork, everyone had an opinion, everyone wanted to get their words in. And do you know why that is? It’s because everyone loves a rivalry. It’s one of the most basic reasons to look forward to a fight, but it’s also one of the most enduring and most profitable. If Alvarez/Melendez kick-starts a promotional rivalry, both promotions will benefit hugely. Sides will be picked, battle lines will be drawn, and the war will rage. Strikeforce and Bellator fans will do whatever they can to support their promotion of choice, while those interested in why so many people get riled up over the rivalry end up checking out both promotions to see what the fuss is about. Everyone benefits.

And that’s what I think fans and friends. Now it’s your turn: what did you think of my list, and what would you add/subtract from it?

Josh Thomson, the former Strikeforce lightweight champion whom lost his title in a title unification bout (and rematch) with Gilbert Melendez, was hoping to garner his second consecutive victory when he met with the world-ranked “JZ” Cavalcante in the co-main event of last night’s great night of fights.

Proving to be a formidable force in the ring, the American Top Team product in “JZ” displayed his strength, proficient grappling skills, and his heavy handed ground-and-pound. However, it wasn’t enough to earn him the judges nod, and Thomson took the fight all across the board. Thomson may have walked out the “winner”, but it looks like Josh and only three other people (the judges) think he actually won the fight.

The first frame saw Cavalcante stalking Thomson down, who appeared the smaller fighter of the two. Then, in a wild exchange, “JZ” landed a strong right hook, stunning Thomson to his knees before latching on and falling back for a tight, arm-in guillotine choke. Keeping his composure, Josh stayed in for what seemed like an eternity. In the waning moments of the round, Josh was able to escape the choke, and lock on an arm triangle choke, which allowed him to maneuver to mount, then to side control to tighten the squeeze. It looked tight, but the round ends, and while Josh was gaining moment in the end, it looked like the Florida native took the round.

In the second, saw Thomson a little bit more aggressive, as he was able to carry over the momentum from the end of the first. After reversing jockeying positions against the cage, Thomson finally earns a trip take down. Josh tries to go for the arm triangle again, but doesn’t have it. Stuck in half guard, Josh tries to free his leg, but in the last moments of the round, Josh instead opts to pound away on his opponent and seemingly takes the round.

The third round was all “JZ”. After a botched take down attempt by Thomson, the Brazilian was able to reverse positions, and eventually wound up in mount. Thomson was able to work his way back to full guard, but “JZ” kept the pressure on Josh, and the AKA lightweight was unable to get out from underneath Cavalcante, who in the last seconds of the fight unleashed his devastating ground and pound, clinching the round in his favor and essentially the fight, 29-28 after three rounds of action.

AOL’s MMAFighting.com, Sherdog.com, MMAJunkie.com, and MMAWeekly.com all scored the fight the same, 29-28 across the board for Cavalcante, who had returned to the United States after four years spent in Japan.

As the bout concluded, it looked as though Gesias had finally recorded his first victory under the Strikeforce banner, becoming the first DREAM fighter (since Gegard Mousasi) to successfully transition here to the United States and claim a victory. However, Josh Thomson was declared the winner, with scores of 29-28, 29-28, and shockingly enough, 30-27. The bout was to determine a number one contender to Gilbert Melendez’ lightweight crown in Strikeforce. Thomson and Melendez have met twice before, splitting victories with “El Nino” picking up a victory in their last outing in December of 2009, in what was a 5-round brawl.

So, MMA peeps, for those who watched last nights great Strikeforce card, do you all share the same sentiments as the rest of the MMA community, or was the fight closer do you think? Does a knockdown and submission stack up better against full mount and a locked in arm-triangle choke? Sound off in the comment section below.

Although his in-ring antics against Mizuto Hirota at “Dynamite!! 2009″ would inidicate otherwise, the grappling ace usually keeps to himself and refrains from doing a lot of outlandish things. Maybe that’s why the Japanese have embraced him as their leading man in the world of mixed martial arts.

However, most recently, the famed Judoka has stepped out of his shell and lit the MMA world abuzz once again, with his almost brutal honesty, on how he views the Western MMA scene (um…us) and how they can benefit by tuning into DREAM, once in a while.

Here is a transcript from a short interview Aoki, the DREAM lightweight champion, had done with Grappling Dummy, in an official DEEP affiliated gym, in Tokyo, Japan. Props to MiddleEasy for the find.

If you’d like to read the transcript in it’s entirety, the tread along, otherwise, if your looking for the meat and potatoes, what he thinks about the UFC, his favorite fighters, etc, then scroll on down towards the end.

GD: Are you any closer to achieving the “ideal self” you talked about in recent interviews?

SA: Yes… by practicing everyday, I get closer to my ideal self. It’s the training itself, every day.

GD: Amateur Wrestling is helping out a lot of fighters win fights. Do you think you can counter it by training more wrestling?

SA: I am not a wrestler, so… But I do have elements of wrestling in my style. I don’t think I’m going to change what I do that much.

GD: Now that prize money is offered in grappling competitions like Abu Dhabi Pro, would you compete in jiu jitsu again?

SA: Abu Dhabi Pro… What’s the prize money?

GD and Associates: (scuffling, and some back and forth) Do you have any idea? No, I don’t know. Maybe it’s like… five thousand dollars. Pretty small.

SA: Multiply that by ten and I might do it!

GD: How do you feel about the western fighters comparing themselves to the samurai of Japan?

SA: Samurai are the guys with the chon-mage haircut and swords… They aren’t walking around today. It’s probably a misunderstanding of the Japanese culture.

GD: Are martial arts just fighting or do they teach you to be a better person?

SA: Well, it’s my job. I don’t really know if it would benefit me… A lot of people say that fighters are good people, but I’m not sure how useful it is for a professional fighter to be a nice guy.

:::: Free conversation, starting with BJ Penn‘s loss to Frankie Edgar ::::

SA: BJ lost the fight, but… I am a really huge fan of BJ Penn. In fact, he’s my favorite fighter. Technically he lost, but… Real martial arts means a knockout or a submission. I still think he is the “number one”. I think the problem in the fight was that BJ didn’t try hard enough to get the submission and finish the fight. I think that was the problem. Maybe technically it was a good game, but not very interesting.

GD: Do you want to see Gray Maynard vs Frankie Edgar?

SA: I don’t! (laughs).

:::: Free Conversation Concerning Western MMA; Specifically, the UFC ::::

SA: I am a really big fan of the UFC. I love it. But the wrestling style of take down, holding… Standing, a little boxing, then another take down… It’s boring. Going for the submission, the KO, is much more interesting. That’s what Japanese MMA is all about. Lately, in the UFC, there are some amazing fighters, but… It’s not always exciting.

:::: Favorite Fighters ::::

SA: My favorite fighters are BJ Penn, Joe Stevenson, Kenny Florian, Melvin Guillard, Nate Diaz. I like aggressive fighters. All this wrestling is boring.

:::: The Gilbert Melendez fight in Strikeforce, last April; his last loss ::::

SA: (In the Melendez fight) it had nothing to do with the cage. I was simply weak. I can’t really explain it in words, but… Step by step, I’m improving. It will be fine.

:::: His opinion on the top 4 fighters in the lightweight division ::::

SA: BJ Penn, Eddie Alvarez, Gilbert Melendez, Frankie Edgar… Anyway, there’s four (top lightweights). With BJ as number one. The most aggressive is Eddie Alvarez. The most defensive is Franke Edgar. Gray Maynard!…He’s a…(hesitating) good wrestler.

:::: MMA Promotions Aoki watches ::::

SA: I watch all the American MMA shows. From Elite XC, then Strikeforce, the UFC… Basically I watch everything. When a fighter get’s released from the UFC, they move down to a local promotion. Sometimes they win, sometimes they lose. With tough fighters coming up, it’s good.

GD: How much weight do you cut?

SA: Five or Six kilograms (which translates to 11 to 13 pounds). (Cutting lots of weight) is not good for the body. American fighters train so hard, they use a lot of supplements. So their fighting peak is pretty small.

(except Randy Couture)

SA: (Smiles and nods)

I encourage everyone to watch the video when they have a chance. I’m sure the little nuances and such would be much better translated on video instead of me writing it all out, inch by inch.

So, MMA peeps, what’s your take on Aoki now? Have your views changed? Do you agree with his assessment of the Western MMA scene? Sound off in the comment section below.

“Obviously our record shows that we will co-promote and we will let fighters go and exchange fighters with other leagues… I think our record speaks for itself on that front. [But] we’re doing 16, 18, maybe 20 [events] in a calendar year. Timing is an issue because we need our athletes to be busy in Strikeforce… It’s not always an easy thing when you co-promote… [The people at Bellator] have a deal with Fox and NBC late night, and Showtime is our partner. So where does the fight air? There’s your first question, and I think that’s going to be a big hurdle… When you start thinking where’s this thing going to air, I can tell you right now I think it’s going to be a big issue.”

As much as I hate to admit it, Coker has some pretty good points. In today’s MMA world it’s very difficult to co-promote. The UFC won’t even entertain the notion of co-promotion, it’s one of the main reasons why Fedor Emelianenko still hasn’t competed in the Octagon. To their credit, Strikeforce does have a working relationship with M-1 Global (Fedor’s management team and an actual MMA promotion in and of itself) as well as the Japanese-based DREAM organization. But neither of those promotions are in league with Bellator (at least in the United States, where Strikeforce books all of its shows), which has quickly emerged as the popular underground alternative that’s home to exciting fights and highlight-reel moments.

Like Coker said, expect to see some network warfare if we want Alvarez/Melendez to become a reality. I don’t think either network (and even the promoters themselves) wants to run the risk of their champion getting clowned on during a major televised show that takes place on a different network in a different promotion. It takes a lot of grease to get those wheels going, if you get the reference. For a promotion and the network behind it to offer up one of its best champions and brightest stars to another promotion and another network, there’s going to have to be a lot of give-and-take boardroom debates. It’s a sad fact that I absolutely hate, but let’s be honest: we all know that this’ll be a big political game long before it ever becomes a reality.

And that’s a real shame, because I think Strikeforce and Bellator can only benefit from co-promotion. Strikeforce needs good talent to fill out their rosters, they’re high on big-name stars but low on middle-level fighters. Bellator has slim pickings when it comes to their biggest stars, but they boast an army of up-and-coming talent that always puts on great fights. On paper, it seems to be the perfect match. Bellator even supports women’s MMA, and as sparse as the female MMA landscape is, both promotions would benefit immensely by pooling their talent.

I don’t think Strikeforce needs Bellator to succeed, and I believe the reverse is also true. But it would sure help. Both promotions would benefit from increased brand awareness, an increased roster of talent, and several marquee-value “dream fights”. If Bellator and Strikeforce can just play nice, we’ve got some great fights to look forward to in the future. Here’s hoping.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you think about a possible Bellator/Strikeforce relationship?

After an illuminated run in Japan, where Alvarez has picked up some of the biggest wins of his career, which includes victories over the likes of former DREAM lightweight champion Joachim Hansen, former Shooto champion Tatsuya Kawajiri and current DEEP lightweight champion Katsunori Kikuno.

Not impressed?

En route to Bellator gold, he was able to submit all three of his opponents, including the heralded Toby Imada, a Jiu-Jitsu whiz who became an internet sensation with his inverted triangle choke over lightweight notable Jorge Masvidal, which garnered Imada the “Submission of the Year” on several publications, including a trophy award at the 2009 World MMA Awards, hosted by Fighters Only.

So when Alvarez, 26, heard word that Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez has called him out on numerous occasions, the Philly fighter didn’t take too kindly to it.

Eddie made the most of his opportunity when he was guest on “The MMA Hour” with Ariel Helwani, and confronted Scott Coker, the CEO of the San Jose based organization, regarding their champion.

“Scott, It seems as though your lightweight champion keeps on calling me out on every interview and I have no problem with that”, began the enigmatic lightweight.

“I’ve never said anything about the kid and I would never say anything at all. Never even approached anybody about fighting Gilbert Melendez. He just doesn’t shut up, every other interview he’s talking about fighting me ‘Oh I want to fight Eddie Alvarez, I want to fight Eddie Alvarez’ and it really makes me look bad because I see (the interview) the next day later. So Bjorn [Rebney] (Bellator Fighting Championship CEO) says it’s OK, I say it’s OK, Gilbert is telling the world that he wants to fight me. I assume you’re the only one left to agree.”

Gilbert Melendez has been on the mend, taking the rest of the year to help him recuperate from injuries sustained in back-to-back 5 round title fights against Josh Thomson, which helped him avenge his only other loss hanging out there (the first was against Mitsuhiro Ishida, which he later avenged as well), and most recently Shinya Aoki, who holds a victory over Alvarez, in April of this year. Melendez soundly defeated the DREAM lightweight champion in his first title defense, shucking off any take down attempts while raining down the hammer on his Japanese foe. He was able to come away the victor, winning every round on the judges score cards.

While talks had been in place before, a sort of more subtle meeting of the minds with the CEO’s Scott Coker and Bjorn Rebney, both parties appear to be game–the sticking matter, appears to be how co-promotion would work for both parties, considering Strikeforce’s ties with CBS, Showtime, and now M-1 Global.

“First of all, I have tremendous respect for you. I think you’re a great fighter, great champion of Bellator and I followed your career over in Japan when you were fighting over there and these things are sometimes a little complicated”, stated the cautious Coker.

“It’s not just the fight, of course we would love to make the fight, but there’s so many details to be worked out between the promotions to make it happen. Bjorn did call me and I did talk to him and this was probably two months ago. I said look, Gilbert has a broken hand at the time so let’s just table this until the future, but after the KJ Noons/Nick Diaz fight, we can readdress this. We’ve been open to co-promotions with every league so that’s not the issue. The issue is how does it work on a business level between our two leagues and if we can work that out, we would love to have it.”

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of this? Would you like to see Melendez in action against Alvarez? Who do you take in this match up? Sound off in the comment section below.

I’ll start with what is quickly becoming one of Strikeforce’s biggest advantages: their Women’s division. In short, Strikeforce’s women’s division has consistently given us some of the best fights of the night. Given the fact that Women’s MMA is a relatively new phenomenon, nothing really needs to be changed. There’s already some growing dissatisfaction among MMA purists that Strikeforce’s Middleweight wrecking machine Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos has no real competition to truly measure herself up against, but that’s hardly Strikeforce’s fault. While it may shine a harsh light on the fact that all other Middleweights are playing catch-up to Cris Cyborg, seeing Santos dominate again and again has yet to lose its appeal.

With his recent thrashing of Shinya Aoki, Gilbert Melendez has quickly earned the rank of “Best Lightweight Not in the UFC”. Many are pointing to an epic showdown with Bellator Fighting Championships Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez as a dream-match that would go a long way towards cementing the legitimacy of the Strikeforce Lightweight Championship. While I also believe that Melendez vs. Alvarez would be a fantastic match, I think Strikeforce should go one step further and forge an actual alliance with Bellator in the same vein as their alliance with the Japanese-based DREAM promotion. This would give Strikeforce a considerably deeper pool of talent while also showcasing Bellator FC, which has gained a cult following due to its penchant for highlight-reel knockouts and submissions but lacks true mainstream exposure.

For Strikeforce’s Welterweight Division, it is in Strikeforce’s best interest to build up Welterweight champion Nick Diaz, despite the fact that he remains one of the sport’s most polarizing fighters. For all his faults, Nick Diaz stands out as arguably the greatest Welterweight not named Georges St-Pierre. Diaz’s unorthodox but highly effective “punches in bunches” strategy combined with his vastly underappreciated ground game has resulted in seven straight wins since 2007, with seemingly no end in sight. Diaz is a rare exception to the rule: a controversial fighter that’s actually worth the trouble.

With the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship now vacated, a Middleweight Tournament is a no-brainer. With no names or format revealed as of yet, I’ll wait to see how this all turns out before giving my opinion on how Strikeforce should move forward with their Middleweight division.

While not as earth-shattering as Fedor Emelianenko’s recent loss, Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal’s victory over former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Gegard Mousasi did cast the future of Strikeforce’s Light Heavyweight Division in doubt. Even with his bad boy attitude and strong wrestling skills, “King Mo” remains a relative newcomer. Strikeforce’s best option is to keep “King Mo” active against the stiffest competition possible. If Mo is able to weather the storm and beat several tough opponents either by highlight-reel stoppage or hard-fought decision, he will bring credibility both to himself and to his championship.

The future of Strikeforce’s Heavyweight division is far from uncertain. Despite calls for an immediate Fedor/Werdum rematch, Fabricio Werdum deserves his shot at Heavyweight gold. It may never generate as much interest or make as much money as an Alistair Overeem vs. Fedor Emelianenko dream match, but Overeem/Werdum needs to happen. As for Fedor Emelianenko, it doesn’t matter who his next opponent is. Fans will be so interested in seeing how Emelianenko rebounds from his first-ever legitimate loss that they will tune in no matter what.

Simply put, Strikeforce deserves to be where it is: despite some stumbling blocks, the promotion always tries to put together the best cards possible. When all is said and done, the future of Strikeforce is actually quite bright.

So what do you think, fans and friends? What does Strikeforce need to do to hold or even re-gain your attention?

The suspensions come as a result of the post-fight brawl that broke out in the cage at “Strikeforce: Nashville” at the Bridgestone Arena on April 17.

The five individuals will not be named according to their regulations, until all administrative actions are finalized.

According to Loretta Hunt, “the nine-member commission voted to propose $20,000 fines and nine-month suspensions for all five individuals at a formal disciplinary hearing. However, these initial figures can all be reduced to fines ranging between $5,000-$7,500 and three-month suspensions if the recipients do not contest the proceedings and agree to “settle this matter with a consent order.”

In three of the cases, the commission found cause to move forward with a formal hearing for a civil penalty of $20,000 each as well as associated costs and a nine-month suspension. The individuals can agree to a “consent order” which would allow them to bypass the hearing and agree to a three-month suspension and a reduced fine of $5,000.

The fourth individual can receive the same deal but with a higher fine of $7,500. That is due to the fact that the individual did not respond to the commission’s inquiry as instructed.

The fifth individual also gets the $7,500 settlement fine because of lack of proper response. This individual is not licensed with the state and the complaint alleges “unlicensed activity” according to Christopher Garrett who is the director of communications for the state of Tennessee.

The brawl was live on CBS after Strikeforce middleweight champion Jake Shields (25-4-1) had defended his title. During the post-fight interview “Mayhem” Jason Miller (23-6) interrupted Jake to demand a rematch.

This led to shoving and eventually turned into a brawl. Also involved in the brawl were Strikeforce lightweight champion “El Nino” Gilbert Melendez (18-2), “Diablo” Nick Diaz (21-8) and UFC fighter Nate Diaz (11-6).

Stay tuned to Fighters.com and MMA Gospel Radio as we work to bring you the latest on this story. As always please let us know your thoughts in the fines and suspensions by commenting below.

The talk of this fight taking place all started when Melendez appeared on “Inside MMA” on HDNet. Melendez recently beat Shinya Aoki (19-5), a man many believed to be a top three fighter in the lightweight division. Now Melendez believes the fight between him and Alvarez could be for the number one ranking.

“I think he’s an amazing fighter, and that’s why I call out Eddie Alvarez,” Melendez said. “Let’s unify those titles. I’d love to fight that guy and test myself. I think if I could beat him, I could be No. 1 and vice versa.”

Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney jumped behind Melendez seeing the chance for a major fight that indeed would have major implications in the divisional hierarchy.

“I will do everything I can to get Gilbert what he asked for,” Rebney stated. “Gilbert wants the fight, Eddie wants the fight, and I want the fight. All we have to do is get Scott Coker on board, and together, we can make this happen. Eddie wants to fight the best, and Gilbert wants to fight the best, and there is no reason why any promoter or network should stand in the way of that.”

Scott Coker agreed that they need to put this fight together for the benefit of the fans and since Bellator and Strikeforce have already worked together it should not be hard to make come to terms.

“We’ve lent them three or four fighters already, and we had a brief conversation about (loaning) Roger Huerta, but the terms, conditioning, time just weren’t right,” Coker said. “But we’d love to work with them.”

This all hinges on Eddie winning his first title defense this fall when he will fight the winner of Toby Imada (26-14) versus Pat Curran (11-3).

Eddie Alvarez may just be the most underrated fighter in all of MMA. He keeps knocking down everything put in front of him and Fighters.com feels it is time he gets the recognition he deserves.

Recognition that would come from a cross-promotional super-fight fans have been waiting to see. When Pride FC was still around talk always surrounded Pride champs versus UFC champs. The fans and media alike wanted this to happen and we never truly got to see it unfold. Now these fights are starting to take place with fights like the aforementioned Aoki versus Melendez.

Fighters.com believes that if anything can save the inevitable sinking ship that has become Strikeforce it will be fights like this. Scott Coker needs to continue to work with Dream and Bellator in order to give fans match-ups that will not only put butts in the seats but also bring in the viewers. Something they have not been able to do their last two events.

Fighters.com hopes for the sake of the sport we get to see this fight at the beginning of next year. Stay tuned for further updates.

After Fighters.com second-ranked and Strikeforce welterweight champion Jake Shields (25-4-1) won a lopsided unanimous decision victory over “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (25-8) the typical post-fight interview was about to begin.

The always colorful “Mayhem” Jason Miller (23-6) entered the cage to call out the champion, asking for a rematch. These two fought back in November of 2009 at the Fedor versus Rogers fight where Shields won by decision in a fight many thought was a snooze-fest.

Miller, known for his crazy ring walks and in general for being quite goofy, stepped up and stole some of Jake’s spotlight by asking when he was going to get his rematch. This is where all hell broke loose starting with “El Nino” Gilbert Melendez (18-2) trying to push Mayhem out of the views of the camera.

Jake Shields then decided it would be a good idea to push Miller and of course there can’t be a brawl inside the cage without Nick and Nate Diaz involved. Miller ended up being down on the ground and was kicked multiple times while being held there. All of this airing live on CBS as moronic Gus Johnson tells the audience “Sometimes these things happen in MMA”.

Gus Johnson is an ill-informed person who allowed the first-time viewers to believe that this is something that is typical in the sport of MMA. Nothing could be further from the truth.

What happened inside that cage after the licensed and regulated fights took place was paramount to a gang attack. It is felonious assault and as such those involved should have been arrested and charged. If you, a fan of MMA, got in the cage and started throwing punches and kicks to someone you can bet you would have been arrested on the spot.

Many are putting the blame on the shoulders of Jason Miller and I feel that this could not be further from the truth. Did Matt Hughes and his camp jump Georges St. Pierre after he entered the cage and said he was not impressed by Matt? So who is to blame for this event?

Strikeforce is the number one culprit here for a couple of reasons. No one actually knows if they asked, told, or gave the OK for Mayhem to enter the cage but regardless it is their job to control who can and can’t enter the cage at all times. So the bottom line is they allowed Miller inside the cage in one fashion or another. How did they think that was goinjg to turn out when you have the Diaz brothers in there? They are known for their antics and were involved in another post-fight brawl inside the cage in the during the EliteXC days.

Nate and Nick Diaz are also to blame for this event. After the cage was cleared MMA Fanhouse reporter Ariel Helwani talked to Nick Diaz who had the following to say, “I apologize, it wasn’t my fault”. Very interesting apology Nick. Nick said that he had his partners back and would expect his corner to have his back if he had just fought. This is an error in thinking because there should be no need for anyone to have someone’s back post-fight, hence the term post-fight.

The Diaz Brothers needed to realize that at that time there friend and training partner had just successfully defended his title against a man many thought would KO him in the first round. Not only that but they were live on network television as people were tuning in to catch the local news. What they found instead was the a brawl inside a cage which did nothing but solidify the opinion that MMA is brutal and nothing more than a bunch of thug bar brawlers.

Most of the MMA critics could not be more wrong when they discuss the sport but the actions of a few last night loaded the near empty guns of those critics. They now have video evidence of the fact that MMA fighters are nothing more than glorified thugs and gangsters.

Mixed Martial Arts has always been about respect and honor. Respect for you opponent and the arts as well. Mayhem Miller may have shown Shields little respect by stealing the spotlight but what transpired afterward was the complete opposite of what the sport is all about. This was not the streets of Stockton, California but rather inside the cage in Nashville, Tennessee.

The fans of MMA deserve more than they got last night and sadly, the sport took a huge step backwards. I know Dana White was happy by what he saw but he has to realize that it hurt Strikeforce but will also have an effect on all of MMA.

Strikeforce lightweight champion “El Nino” Gilbert Melendez (19-2) stunned Dream champion “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (19-5) in a strategic unanimous decision at Strikeforce: Nashville Saturday night by judges’ scores of 50-45 three times.  Fighters.com scored the fight for Melendez 49-46, giving Aoki round one.

The fight was repetitive and Melendez came into the fight with a perfect strategy.

Aoki circled outside as Melendez through straights to Aoki’s body.  Aoki shot for single-leg takedowns 18 times, all stuffed by Melendez.

In round one, Aoki was able to pull Melendez into his guard, but Melendez quickly stood out Aoki’s sweet spot.

But, by round two Melendez was more confident and dove into Aoki’s guard after stuffing the shots.  Aoki attempted to work wrist control, but Melendez stayed just out of reach of submissions while lunging forward with big right hands.

By the end of round two, Aoki’s nose was bloodied and his face swelling.

The cycle repeated throughout the fight, with Melendez landing more shots and Aoki looking less confident from his back.

In the final round, after Aoki shot, Melendez had the referee stand him immediately and winged big shots at Aoki’s head.  Melendez landed a big straight right before the final bell, leaving Aoki on his back as the fight ended.

Shinya Aoki is a fighter many have wanted to see come to the states and fight for years now. He has been the talk of the town in Japan and finishes people seemingly at will with his super slick submissions. This fight is one that allow him to test the waters in the U.S. and see if those submissions will work against an amazing wrestler.

Aoki was last seen in a fight against Mizuto Hirota (10-3) in which he broke the arm of Hirota using a hammerlock. His list of fighters that he has beaten is impressive however he has a glaring weakness that could be exploited stateside.

Aoki is known for his jiu jitsu and it is very high level. However his striking leaves a lot to be desired and I wonder if his chin will be able to hold up if he continues with his quest to fight the best America has to offer.

Fifth-ranked lightweight “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (18-8) exploited that chin when they fought in the Dream 5 lightweight grand prix final in 2008. Granted Aoki did end up avenging that loss and won via armbar at the Dream 11 featherweight grand prix but none the less, Hellboy put him out could with strikes.

I have to wonder how well his submissions will work without the pants he typically wears even though Eddie Bravo believes they do not offer a big advantage in the submission game. As the fight wears on and Melendez gets sweaty I would think that the subs will be much harder to come by without the traction he gains from the pants.

He will also be here in  the states where the crowd is much different. Japan may have some of the most knowledgeable mixed martial arts (MMA) fans in the world but they are very quiet compared to the raucous crowds that attend events here in the states. I know he is an experienced fighter but will be quite the culture shock and could throw him off his game.

Gilbert is an interesting fight for Aoki when you look at his skill set. Melendez has a solid wrestling base that shows both good take-downs and take-down defense. We won’t see Aoki try and take him down unless it comes via him jumping guard but if he does I believe Gilbert will have the ability to get back up to his feet.

Standing is where Melendez will want to keep this fight as he is the much better striker. The improvement from Melendez since his losses to Mitsuhiro Ishida (19-5) and “The Punk” Josh Thomson (15-3-1) have been significant. After the Ishida he seemed to work more on his wrestling and his transitions. After the loss to Josh he worked his striking, specifically his counter-strikes and his ability to move in and out.

The work paid off as he has now avenged both of though losses en route to winning the Strikeforce lightweight title he puts on the line against Aoki.

Anyone looking at this fight has to believe that Gilbert will look to keep this fight standing and beat Aoki from the outside. Popping the jab, using good head movement and getting in and out with his punches.

This is a fight that will tell us just how good these two both are inside the cage. Gilbert is a fighter that has been discussed as being a top ten lightweight but given he is in Strikeforce and not fighting the best in the world it is hard to compare him. Aoki is a consensus top five who until this point has not faced a battle tested American fighter. One of these men will walk out of the cage crushed as MMA fans spout how they knew he was over-rated while the other fighter will walk out, head held high and instantly be talked about in the same breath as top-ranked UFC lightweight champion “The Prodigy” BJ Penn (15-5-1)

My first wish for mixed martial arts is to for a fight to happen in arguably the most prestigious building in the sporting world, Madison Square Garden. The Garden calls itself the “World’s Most Famous Arena” and one would be pressed to find anyone who disagrees. It is in fact the second when it comes to being the world’s busiest arena, right behind Manchester Evening News Arena. It is an iconic figure in sports and nothing says you have made it better than holding an event inside it’s storied walls. Marc Rattner stated he believes that it will become legal in the state in either Febuary or March of the coming year. Hopefully this holds true and we see an event at the Garden near the end of 2010.

Second on my list of wishes for mma would be to see the fighters from DREAM actually move into Strikeforce. Many of the fighters in DREAM are heralded as some of the best in the world. Fighters such as Fighters.com fourth-ranked lightweight “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (16-8-1), eighth-ranked “Crusher” Tatsuya Kawajiri (23-4-2) and second-ranked Shinya Aoki (14-3). These are men that would offer very entertaining fights against the best Strikeforce has to offer. Not only that but they would be fights that would have some impact on the rankings which is something all hardcore fans want to see, fights with true meaning.

Who would not like to see Aoki versus “El Nino” Gilbert Melendez (14-2) or Kawajiri versus fifth-ranked welterweight Jake Shields (24-4-1) in action packed Strikeforce fights?

There are many intriguing fights that could be put together if this truly comes to fruition. It would give some of the Strikeforce fighters a chance to prove they truly are some of the best rather than being looked at as second tier fighters. It also would introduce some of the best in the world to the casual fan who does not typically watch Dream events.

My final wish for mixed martial arts in 2010 would be for us to finally see some changes to the archaic judging system. Currently we have two major faults to the scoring system. Boxing’s 10 point must system which fails to work for mixed martial arts and judges that seemed to be lacking in knowledge when it comes to certain aspects of the sport.

As I write this changes to boxing’s scoring system which we have adopted are being looked into finally. According to Keith Kizer, executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, recent changes to the system were discussed at a recent American Boxing Commissioners convention. Half points is something we may see added. Thus giving the judges a better way to score rounds. Nelson “Doc” Hamilton has stated judges are discouraged from handing out 10-10 rounds and as we all know very rarely give out 10-8 rounds. Adding the half point gives the judges to better score rounds giving the fight a more true outcome.

I think the addition of the half point would be a bold move forward for mma but that needs to be coupled with proper certification of the judges. Many of the judges in the sport have come over from boxing and need to learn the art of jiu jitsu and what a near submission looks like. During an episode of my show, MMA Gospel Radio, I talked about changes to the judging. The segment was called “Save MMA”. During that segment I brought up the topic of nationwide certification for judges where they are required to take a class three times a year. While at the class they would be required to judge a fight off of video tape and then all the judges would have to defend their scores. They would also be required to watch some of the high level jiu jitsu fighters and learn what different submissions are and how they are set up. This leads to knowledgeable judges and more clear cut decisions in the sport.

I feel even enacting one of these changes to the judging system would make 2010 one of the biggest years in the history of the sport.

Those are my wishes for mixed martial arts in the coming year. What are your wishes for the coming year? If you would like to discuss any of this with me directly you can join us on MMA Gospel Radio every Wednesday from 8-10 PM EST at www.blogtalkradio.com/mmagospel where we have a live chat room during the show. You can also call in to the show by dialing 347-857-1337 and join myself and New York Gary Friedman live on the air. I know some people would rather not go live on a radio program so feel free to contact me at turk@fighters.com to tell me your thoughts on this article or any other piece you have read here.

“I just wanted to perform better than I did the last time,” said Melendez said after the victory.

Melendez was on the other end of a UD in San Jose in June 2008 when Thomson took the title from Melendez.

Melendez added, “Josh hands down is the toughest guy I’ve ever fought, the toughest match-up for me, maybe the toughest match I’ll ever have. It feels great right now though.”

Thomson admitted, “I just wanted to make sure this is 100% clear that the reason why Gilbert beat me tonight is he was the better fighter tonight, he was the bigger man.”

Frank seems to be looking for an exciting stand up war which casual fans seems to thirst for today. I feel  the most exciting fights are ones where we see the actual definition of mixed martial arts. The continued rise of this sport and the very future of it depends upon fighters and promoters working to show what a true mixed martial artist is and not focusing on only one aspect of that,specifically the stand up wars.

I noticed that many times during a pay per view we get to see the knock out of the night even when it is not a main card fight. Seldom to we get to see the submission of the night when it is an under card fight. This is a travesty to the sport. We can’t continue to promote the sport, the fighters and the evolution of it while focusing on the stand up aspect and essentially ignoring the other aspects.

Promoters tout mixed martial arts as the combination of boxing, muay thai, kick boxing,wrestling and jiu jitsu. This is the evolution of the sport. We see fighters working hard to evolve into complete mixed martial artists. Guys like Fighters.com and UFC lightweight champion “The Prodigy” BJ Penn (12-4-1) and UFC welterweight champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (19-2). Yet it is the strikers that are getting the biggest headlines in the national media.

On ESPN’s website today we see former Strikeforce middleweight champion Cung Le. A man highly touted yet has faced not one top tier middleweight. He is known for his striking and this gets him publicity. That and his new found movie career. I would much rather see fighters such as Strikeforce interim lightweight champion “El Nino” Gilbert Melendez (14-2) and “Cowboy” Donald Cerrone (9-2) get publicity. Both of these men train hard to become well rounded. Cowboy is known as a submission fighter but has worked hard recently to clean up his stand up. This is what the sport is all about.

Spike TV has done a great job of promoting mma but look at one of the shows they like to run, Ultimate Knock Outs. This is run over and over while Ultimate Submissions is a show I have never seen. We seem to be promoting the stand up and ignoring the ground game. It is an injustice to pander to the new fans who tune in to watch someone get knocked out using the four once gloves. I understand that many new fans want to see a knock out but it is our job to make sure we educate them and a show like Ultimate Submissions would do just that. When  watching the reruns of fights on Spike, instead of showing us a fight with great stand up I say show us a fight with great transitions. Maybe then we will see a fight go to the ground and not have to listen to fans boo even while one fighter is passing guard.

This education of fans is also a responsibility fighters must take seriously. Frank is dodging a fight because he feels it would not be exciting. It is the fighters job to work to be the best and in doing so one must take fights that put them against the best. Even if a fight may end up being a fight like we saw when Strikeforce middleweight champion Jake Shields (24-4-1) took on “Mayhem” Jason Miller (22-7). The fight was a five round wrestling match with Jake doing very little striking and Mayhem unable to look for subs due to the great top control of Shields. There will be times when these things happen. Fighters seem to be more worried about how they look in the cage then if they win or lose. How many times do you see a fighter lose and then ask the crowd if they enjoyed the fight? Yes, promote yourself but let’s allow our sport to turn into a Jorge Gurgel (12-4)

Jorge is a black belt in jiu jitsu yet has decided to put all that aside to be an “exciting fighter” who focuses on stand up. This has led to him being cut from the UFC due to loses. Jorge may have the ability to be a top lightwieght fighter but it is his insistence on putting on a show that has been his downfall. Do not abandon one aspect of this amazing sport just to be exciting. Seasoned mma fans know and new fans will find out that the most exciting fights are the ones that transition from stand up, to wrestling , to jiu jitsu and then back to the feet. Fights such as Fighters.com ninth ranked light heavyweight “Axe Murder” Wanderlei Silva (15-1) versus Hidehiko Yoshida (9-6-1) or Fighters.com third ranked light heavyweight “Shogun” Mauricio Rua (18-4) versus fourth ranked heavyweight “Lil Nog” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-5-1).

We can use knock outs to bring people new fans to the sport but without educating them ikn all aspects of the sport fighters like Frnak Shamrock will continue to refuse fights they don’t feel will be exciting and we could miss the next Shogun versus Lil Nog fight. There comes a time when one needs to shut up, step inside the cage and let his skills speak for themselves and the fans will surely be pleased.

Huerta fulfilled his contract with the UFC with split decision loss to Fighters.com’s fifth-ranked lightweight “Bully” Gray Maynard (8-0) at UFC Fight Night 19 in Oklahoma City in September and has entered a one-year matching period during which the UFC has the right to match any offer made to Huerta by competing promotions.

Before losing to Maynard, Huerta had claimed he would retire from fighting to pursue an acting career.  Howver, after the loss, he indicated he had reconsidered and told Sherdog he would like to return to MMA in February or March.

Huerta’s manager, Jeff Clark of NCFC Management, told Sherdog, “We’ve had a lot of interest from different parties.”

Huerta expressed specific interest in fighting second-ranked “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-4), Strikeforce champ “Punk” Josh Thomson (15-2-1), and interim Strikeforce champ “El Niño” Gilbert Melendez (16-2).

“I just had to be focused today,” Melendez stated after the W. “I’m focused, I’m motivated. I can’t guarantee I’ll win every fight, but I guarantee I’ll come out and perform for you.”

Next up is the title fight versus “Punk” Josh Thomson (15-2-1) that was originally scheduled for Saturday.

In the third round, Melendez dropped the Japanese wrestler with an uppercut as Ishida shot. Melendez pounced in furious punches; but, Ishida smothered the attack and rolled to his stomach. Melendez worked between a rear naked choke and strikes to Ishida’s head. The strikes eventually took effect and Melendez pounded out Ishida for the victory.

Melendez and Ishida had played paddy-cake for most of the first round. Ishida scored a hard-won single-leg-to-double-leg takedown against the fence; but, Melendez scrambled to his feet and returned the favor with a slam. Ishida wokred to his feet to end the round.

Melendez battered Ishida’s body in the second round, then went upstairs as Ishida shot for the takedown. Melendez squashed Ishida’s shot and opened a cut on Ishida’s head with endless left hooks. Back to their feet, Ishida swung a left high kick, but Melendez dumped him on his ass in defense.

The key stat of the fight was Ishida’s 1/7 takedown to shoot ratio, allowing Melendez to tee off in a deliberate, effective onslaught throughout the three rounds.