Josh Thomson

Quick Hits: Strikeforce Inks Ribeiro, Thomson Injured Once Again & More

— Brazilian lightweight standout Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro has reportedly signed a multi-fight deal with Strikeforce. The promotion is expected to officially announce the signing shortly. While Ribeiro may actually still be under contract with DREAM, the two organizations share a talent-exchange program. Ribeiro returned to active competition earlier this year after an 18-month hiatus, defeating Katsuhiko Nagata and falling to Shinya Aoki thus far. [Sherdog.com]

—Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson will be sidelined until at least December after breaking his leg for the second time this year during training. The injury will now keep Thomson from a potential showdown against Gilbert Melendez at Strikeforce’s “Fedor vs. Rogers” event on November 7 in Chicago. According to Thomson, a return bout for him could be possible at a yet-to-be-announced event on December 19. [MMA Weekly]

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Ishida to Replace Thomson Against Melendez

Josh Thomson has once again been forced to withdraw from a scheduled rematch against Gilbert Melendez.

The reigning Strikeforce lightweight champion will be replaced by Japanese wrestler Mitsuhiro Ishida, who will take on Gilbert Melendez, a man he once defeated, for the interim Strikeforce lightweight belt at the organization’s August 15 event in San Jose, California.

 

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Damm to Replace Melendez Against Thomson

BodogFight and Sengoku veteran Rodrigo Damm has reportedly been selected to replace an injured Josh Thomson against former PRIDE Fighting Championships standout Gilbert Melendez on Strikeforce’s upcoming “Shamrock vs. Diaz” card this weekend on Showtime.

From The Fight Network:

Stepping in for the injured Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson, “Alliance Jiu-Jitsu” standout Rodrigo Damm (8-2) will take on Gilbert “El Nino” Melendez (14-2) at “Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Diaz” on April 11 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.

The Fight Network learned of the replacement matchup on Monday afternoon.

A native of Brazil, the 29-year-old Damm is looking to rebound from a first-round submission loss to Eiji Mitsuoka at “Sengoku: Fourth Battle” last August. The “BodogFight” veteran boasts wins over Jorge Masvidal, Johil de Oliveira and Kultar Gill. Damm will be making his debut for the California-based Strikeforce promotion as a late replacement for this Saturday’s lightweight tilt.

Damm is a great grappler, and has been know to fight above expectations at times, (see his win over Jorge Masvidal) but seems to fold under pressure and Melendez is likely to push a torrid pace during this fight. As long as Melendez doesn’t get too careless on his feet and avoids Damm’s submission attempts on the ground, he should be able to grind out a much-needed win on Saturday night.

Photos: Strikeforce/Showtime Presser

Here’s a small gallery of photos from this past Thursday’s pre-fight press conference for Strikeforce’s “Shamrock vs. Diaz” event, which takes place on April 11 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California and will be televised live on Showtime.

Those in attendance at the press conference included former UFC and Strikeforce middleweight champion Frank Shamrock, Nick Diaz, former EliteXC champions Jake Shields and Robbie Lawler, and female MMA star Cris “Cyborg” Santos.

All photos were taken by Tom Casino and come courtesy of Showtime. Quotes from the press conference are here.

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Thomson, Melendez to Rematch for Strikeforce Lightweight Title

Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson will defend his title in a rematch against former PRIDE Fighting Championships standout Gilbert Melendez at Strikeforce’s upcoming “Shamrock vs. Diaz” event on April 11 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California.

Various websites, including MMA on Tap, were able to confirm the matchup on Tuesday. Five Ounces of Pain was the first to report the possibility of the bout. Thomson won a five-round unanimous decision over Melendez at a Strikeforce event in June of last year.

Since then, Thomson has only competed once and has yet to defend his belt. The American Kickboxing Academy product last competed at Strikeforce’s second visit to the Playboy Mansion this past September, defeating Ashe Bowman via first-round TKO in a non-title bout.

Melendez has not fought since losing to Thomson either due to taking some time off to heal lingering injuries and opening his own gym in California. The Cesar Gracie-trained fighter has one fight on his current contract with Strikeforce and will become a free agent following his rematch with Thomson.

Thomson Still Battling Toe Injury

One month after being forced to withdraw from his first-ever Strikeforce lightweight title defense, Josh Thomson is still feeling lingering effects of torn ligaments in his toe, suffered during a training session for his scheduled November rematch with Yves Edwards.

From MMA Weekly’s “MMA Insider Blog”:

“For some reason, I still can’t run, I can’t do cardio, I can’t do anything right now,” he tells MMAInsider. “I can’t ride a bike…you have to push on the balls of your feet. I can’t do anything that causes my big toe to bend.”

Thomson is doing rehab on the injury twice a day, and his doctor has worked out the scar tissue that had built up in the digit. If it doesn’t get better in two weeks, he says an anticipated February return for Strikeforce is off the table. He will, however, get on their card tentatively scheduled for March in San Jose.

I’m not much of an expert on toe injuries, but I did suffer torn ligaments in one of my toes before, and it sounds like Thomson just needs to get off his feet and rest in order for the injury to heal. At least that’s what worked for me.

Anyway, Duane Ludwig replaced Thomson at Strikeforce’s November event and won a decision over Edwards, potentially earning him a shot at Thomson’s belt early next year, if a planned bout between Ludwig and Phil Baroni doesn’t get put together by Scott Coker and company first. Thomson and Ludwig have fought before - Thomson scored a second-round submission of Ludwig at Strikeforce’s “Tank vs. Buentello” event in October 2006.

Ludwig to Replace Thomson at Strikeforce

Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson has been forced to withdraw from his scheduled title defense against Yves Edwards at Strikeforce’s upcoming “Destruction” event on November 21 due to injury reports Sports Illustrated’s Josh Gross.

Thomson suffered torn ligaments in his toe during his training for the bout and hoped that the injury would have healed in time for the fight. Duane “Bang” Ludwig has agreed to replace him on short notice. However the bout will now be a non-title fight affair and probably won’t take place at 155 lbs according to Ludwig.

“Coker called me about 10 minutes ago and asked if I wanted to take the fight and I said, ‘Sure.’ We’ve got to determine a weight to fight at because there’s no way I can make 155 (pounds) on such short notice, but I’m excited to get another fight in before the end of the year.”

No word as of yet concerning how long Thomson will be out of action. Despite each competing in a variety of bouts around the world at lightweight, this will be the first-ever meeting between Ludwig and Edwards. Ludwig recently avenged a prior loss to Sam Morgan by stopping the ‘TUF’ veteran with strikes at Strikeforce’s “Payback” event on October 3 while Edwards is coming off of a brutal first-round TKO loss to K.J. Noons at a June EliteXC event.

Thomson to Defend Strikeforce Title Against Edwards

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Strikeforce World Lightweight (155 lb. limit) Champion, Josh “The Punk” Thomson (16-2), will set out to make his first title defense and, at the same time, look to even an old score against the only man on the planet who has stopped him in the heat of battle - Yves Edwards (34-14-1) – at San Jose’s HP Pavilion on Friday, November 21st. 

The 32-year-old Edwards, who scored an unforgettable, first round knockout on Thomson with a head kick at UFC 49 on August 21, 2004, remains one of only two competitors who have defeated Thomson.  The finishing shot that Edwards landed on Thomson was afterwards called “the greatest knockout due to a kick in UFC history” by play-by-play announcer, Mike Goldberg.

“I was better than him then and I’m way better than him now,” said Thomson who, one day before his 30th birthday, coasted to his eighth consecutive victory, a first round TKO of Lion’s Den protégé, Ashe Bowman, during Strikeforce’s second affair at the world famous Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills, California on Saturday, September 20th.

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Strikeforce Announces “Destruction” Event

Southworth vs. “Babalu” Greenlit For Nov. 21st: Riggs battles Stewart, tickets for Strikeforce “Destruction” on sale Monday

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Only two months after injuries to both fighters postponed their scheduled showdown, a healthy Strikeforce World Light Heavyweight (205 lb. limit) Champion, Bobby Southworth (9-5), will make his highly anticipated title defense against surgically repaired superstar, Renato “Babalu” Sobral (30-7), in the main event of Strikeforce “Destruction” at San Jose’s HP Pavilion on Friday, November 21st.

Joe “Diesel” Riggs (28-11) will make his return to the welterweight (170 lb. limit) division in a featured contest with Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt, Luke Stewart (6-1). Strikeforce World Lightweight (155 lb. limit) Champion, Josh “The Punk” Thomson (16-2), will set out to defend his crown for the first time and notch his ninth consecutive victory against an opponent to be announced.

“It’s my title and I plan on defending it,” said Southworth, who had originally been slated to put his belt on the line against Sobral in the main event of Strikeforce’s second affair at the world-famous Playboy Mansion on September 20th. Stabilization problems stemming from a past knee injury, however, sidelined Southworth. “The stabilization in my knee is back and so is my strength.”

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Thomson-Bowman Set for Non-Title Bout

Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson will reportedly take on Lion’s Den product Ashe Bowman at the organization’s upcoming event at the Playboy Mansion on September 20th according to Sherdog.com.

Strikeforce VP Mike Afromowitz is expected to make a formal announcement of the bout at some point next week. Thomson’s title will not be on the line.

Thomson became Strikeforce’s latest lightweight title holder after upsetting highly regarded PRIDE veteran Gilbert Melendez on June 27th in San Jose, California via a five-round unanimous decision. Thomson’s current win streak now stands at seven straight fights.

Bowman meanwhile has been fighting primarily under the newly formed “Ken Shamrock Productions” promotion. He has not fought since earning a second-round submission of Henry Schweichler in October of last year.