BoDog Fight and Sengoku veteran Rodrigo Damm (8-2) has agreed to fill for the injured Josh Thomson to face Gilbert Melendez on the main card of Strikeforce: "Shamrock vs. Diaz," set to take place this Saturday, April 11 from the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California, according to The Fight Network.
"The Punk" broke his left leg last Wednesday while training for his first title defense against the man who he defeated to capture it, Gilbert Melendez. A search for a replacement to challenge "El Nino" has been underway for the Showtime card — the first for the promotion since acquiring select assets, including fighter contracts, from Pro Elite earlier this year.
Enter Rodrigo Damm, a Brazilian submission specialist who holds a notable win over current Bellator Fighting Championship lightweight contestant Jorge Masvidal, as well as submission victories over Kulter Gill, Santino Defranco and Naoki Seki.
Thus far in his illustrious career he's finished five of his eight victims by way of tapout, including four of those by rear naked choke.
However, it's been a while since Damm last saw action. In fact, he hasn't competed since August of last year, losing for only the second time in his career at Sengoku: "Fourth Battle" by first round submission to cagey veteran Eiji Mitsuoka (15-6-2).
Melendez has spent some time away from active competition as well, with his last fight having been the loss to Thomson nearly ten months ago at last June's Strikeforce: "Melendez vs. Thomson."
This won't be an easy fight for the former champion because this fill-in has clearly got some talent. Still, Damm is facing a huge hurdle in not only having to fight on such short notice, but having to match up with "El Nino" when he's coming off a loss.
It's not an enviable situation to say the least, but still a big opportunity for the Brazilian.
"Shamrock vs. Diaz" will be the debut for the promotion on the premium cable network Showtime. The main card will air beginning at 9 p.m. ET, and of course MMAmania.com will be your spot for all the event coverage. Check in early and often.
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