In what looks to be a promising and stacked card at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert ‘El Nino’ Melendez puts his Lightweight championship title on the line against Japanese superstar submission master Shinya Aoki. This match up has some serious lightweight ranking repercussions as Aoki is widely regarded as the number #2 lightweight in the world and with the recent loss of BJ Penn’s title, Aoki may be able to lay claim as the top pound for pound lightweight in the world. Lets introduce you all to the fighters and how this battle may unfold!
Gilbert Melendez –Strikeforce Lightweight Champion
Fighting out of: Gracie’s BJJ, San Francisco, Ca.
Height: 5-9
Weight: 155
Age: 27
MMA Record: 17-2
Melendez may be the current Strikeforce world lightweight champion, but by all accounts, he will have his hands full against Dream lightweight champion Shinya Aoki. Melendez, a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and wrestling specialist, has recorded 10 of his career victories by either TKO or KO and recently beat Josh “The Punk” Thomson, on Dec. 19, 2009 in a hard-fought unanimous five- round decision to regain his title.
Shinya Aoki – Dream Lightweight Champion
Fighting out of: Tokyo, Japan
Height: 5-11
Weight: 155
Age: 26
MMA Record: 23-4
Aoki Shinya, the DREAM Lightweight Champion, is the No. 2-ranked 155-pounder in the world and would love nothing better than to be mentioned as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world by beating the snot out of Melendez. Aoki comes into his highly-anticipated championship showdown riding a three-fight winning streak while winning seven of his last eight fights overall. Aoki captured the DREAM lightweight title with a second-round submission (armbar) over Joachim Hansen on Oct. 6, 2009. Fourteen of Aoki’s career wins have come by submission with the Japanese fighter displaying a scintillating brand of judo and jiu-jitsu. Aoki is also one of the most flexible fighters in the world, earning him the nickname “Tobikan Judan,” meaning “master of flying submissions.”
Analysis: Gilbert Melendez may be the reigning Strikeforce champion, but I believe he is going down in this fight and going down hard (by way of submission) to Aoki. If Melendez wants to retain his title, he will almost assuredly have to stay on his feet and strike Aoki repeatedly. Unfortunately, Melendez is a wrestler that likes to fight on the ground – playing directly into Aoki’s formidable strengths. Aoki uses some very unconventional methods to win fights, which is why his opponents are generally dumbfounded – because they have no idea what Aoki is going to do from one fight to the next. Of course, Aoki has all the punching power of my seven-year-old son, so if Melendez can keep the fight upright – and land some solid strikes, he could very well retain his title.
However, I just don’t see that happening. Aoki gets this fight to the ground at some point and finishes off Melendez in fantastic fashion to best the slight underdog.
Our Pick: Shinya Aoki by second round submission
