Strikeforce poster pic for 'Melendez vs Healy' on Sept. 29 in Sacramento

"El Nino" is bearing down on Sacramento, California.

Strikeforce has begun to beat the promotional drum for its upcoming Strikeforce mixed martial arts (MMA) event on Showtime, which was recently made official for the Power Balance Pavilion on Sept. 29, 2012.

Strikeforce: "Melendez vs. Healy" will feature a main event between 155-pound champion Gilbert Melendez, putting his Lightweight title on the line against division number one contender Pat Healy. Other bouts are expected to be announced in the coming days, but don't anticipate the recently-announced Daniel Cormier vs. Frank Mir Heavyweight showdown to be included on this fight card.

"There's no doubt that Gilbert Melendez is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, but he's facing a tough test when he defends the Strikeforce Lightweight title against Pat Healy in Sacramento," Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said in a recent press release. "Pat has been around the sport a long time and has put together an impressive winning streak. This is the biggest fight of his life and he doesn't want to waste this opportunity."

For the latest Strikeforce: "Melendez vs. Healy" news and notes check out our complete event archive right here. For ticket information, including presale dates and times, click here.