Props: Sherdog.com

Quoteworthy:

"I think it's nuts that the biggest star in Japan is coming over here to fight me. I'm prepared for every scenario and I'm going to prove I'm a true mixed martial artist. I think this is what’s going to separate me from the rest, the fact that I can go to the ground with Aoki and I can ground-and-pound him. Yeah, his jiu-jitsu poses threats, but I think my ground-and-pound does as well."

Undisputed Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez sets his sights on Japanese grappling phenom Shinya Aoki at this Saturday's "Nashville" event on CBS. Aoki is not the first DREAM competitor to try his luck stateside but is certainly hoping to make a better impression than the last two (Manhoef, Zaromskis). What happens when you pit the fury of "El Nino" against the submissions of "The Tobikan Judan?" We'll find out soon enough -- early predictions?