Primed and ready to go for its first event of 2009, the San Jose-based mixed martial arts promotion Strikeforce appears to have the fight card for "Shamrock vs. Diaz" complete for the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., on April 11.
Headlining the show, which will air live on the premium cable network Showtime , will be 36-year-old former UFC middleweight champion Frank Shamrock battling Cesar Gracie trainee and Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Nick Diaz at a catchweight of 179 pounds.
The co-main event of the evening will feature a lightweight championship rematch between two of the best 155-pound fighters in the world as champion Josh "The Punk" Thomson takes on his long time friend and former training partner Gilbert "El Nino" Melendez for the second time in a just over an eight month span.
Check out the complete fight card for Strikeforce: "Shamrock vs. Diaz" below:
Main event:
179 lbs.: Frank Shamrock (23-9-2) vs. Nick Diaz (18-7)Main card (Televised):
155 lbs.: Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Josh "The Punk" Thomson (16-2) vs. Gilbert "El Nino" Melendez (14-2)
140 lbs.: Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos (6-1) vs. Hitomi "Girlfight Monster" Akano (14-5)
185 lbs.: Benji "Razor" Radach (19-4) vs. Scott "Hands of Steel" Smith (14-5)
265 lbs.: Brett "The Grim" Rogers (8-0) vs. Ron Humphries (5-0)Under card (May not be broadcast):
265 lbs.: Marcus "Beyond Normal" Royster (0-1) vs. Yohan Banks (2-1)
185 lbs.: Luke Rockhold (3-1) vs. Buck Meredith (3-2)
185 lbs.: Eric Lawson (8-2) vs. Richard Montoya (6-5)
185 lbs.: Raul Castillo (5-0) vs. Brandon Michaels (0-2)
170 lbs.: James Terry (5-1) vs. Zak Bucia (1-1)
135 lbs.: Jeremy Tavares (0-3) vs. Shingo Kohara (0-0)
MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of "Shamrock vs. Diaz," beginning with the 10 p.m. ET Showtime telecast. In addition, up-to-the-minute quick results of the under card action will begin to flow earlier around 8 p.m. ET on fight night.
We’re still a couple of weeks away from the event; therefore, feel free to share your thoughts and predictions on "Shamrock vs. Diaz" in the comments section below. And remember that MMAmania.com will be the spot for the latest news and event-related highlights before, during and after the event.
For everything you need to know about Strikeforce: "Shamrock vs. Diaz" feel free to also hit up our event archive right here.
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