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WORKOUT PHOTOS AND INTERVIEW
Thomson vs. Melendez II Precedes Shamrock vs. Diaz Main Event
Live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT)
From the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif
Attached are images and an interview (audio files) of Strikeforce World Lightweight Champion Josh "The Punk" Thomson from yesterday's open media workout at American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) in San Jose, Calif. Thomson spent the morning conducting a light training session and demonstrating some workout technique for a collection of regional media.
Thomson (16-2) will defend his crown against Gilbert "El Nino" Melendez (14-2) on Saturday, April 11 live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from the HP Pavilion at San Jose. The fight is a rematch of their classic five-round battle in 2008 when Thomson earned a unanimous decision victory over Melendez to win the title.
Strikeforce: “Shamrock vs. Diaz” represents the dawn of a new age for Strikeforce as it will be the first one under its new television agreement with Showtime Networks Inc. The live telecast will feature up to five fights including a thrilling main event between three-time world champion and MMA legend Frank Shamrock (24-9-1) and fellow knockout artist Nick Diaz (18-7, 1 NC) contested at a catch weight of 179 pounds.
Middleweight (185-pound limit) sluggers Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith (16-5, 1 NC) and Benji “The Razor” Radach (19-4) will also meet in a featured contest.
Rival forces from different worlds will meet when women’s mixed martial arts (MMA) sensation Cris “Cyborg” (6-1) of Brazil collides with “Smack Girl” Champion Hitomi “Girlfight Monster” Akano (14-5) of Japan, in a 145-pound showdown.
Heavyweight mixed martial arts (MMA) forces, Brett “The Grim” Rogers (8-0) and “Abongo” Humphrey (12-0) will put their unbeaten records on the line when they face off.
Tickets for “Shamrock vs. Diaz,” priced from $30, are available for purchase at the HP Pavilion box office (408-287-7070) as well as at all Ticketmaster locations (408-998-TIXS), Ticketmaster online (http://www.ticketmaster.com), and Strikeforce’s official website (http://www.strikeforce.com).
About Strikeforce
Strikeforce is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, Strikeforce has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.” In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of Strikeforce, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose.
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