News
10/07/10 - Aoki claims he is rematching Melendez in September
Shinya Aoki is set to rematch Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez in September, according to a speech he made following his win over Tatsuya Kawajiri at DREAM 15 last night.
Aoki claimed that he and Melendez would be squaring off at DREAM 16, although this is the first time that a rematch has been publicly mentioned.
The two first met at a Strikeforce show in April when Melendez hammered the Japanese lightweight star for five rounds before taking an easy unanimous decision win.
Strikeforce and DREAM have a talent-sharing agreement which means the likes of Aoki, Geagrd Mousasi and Melvin Manhoef can move freely between both shows.
Having an Aoki-Melendez rematch on Japanese soil seems fair - and the DREAM lightweight title would presumably be on the line - but it would first have to be agreed by all parties, including Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker.
Aoki won with a crushing straight ankle lock last night, appearing to break or at least severely damage Kawajiri’s ankle. Aoki dived for the leg almost as soon as the fight started and after a panicked but prolonged scramble the finish came at 1:53.
In the speech he made afterwards, Aoki also mentioned he would be marrying his long-term girlfriend and thanked her for her support, prompting her to break down in tears as every camera in the arena zoomed in on her.
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