By FCF Staff
After days of speculation and various reports surfacing, Strikeforce has officially confirmed that Dream lightweight champ Shinya Aoki will take on noted vet Lyle Beerbohm (pictured), at the promotion’s upcoming April 9th card in San Diego.
Aoki (26-5) will be returning to the Strikeforce cage for the first time since last April, when he dropped a unanimous decision loss to champion Gilbert Melendez while making his promotional debut. Since the defeat Aoki has won three straight official MMA bouts; however, the renowned submission artist was KO’d by Yuichiro Nagashima on New Year’s Eve in a MMA / K-1 rules hybrid bout.
Beerbohm (15-1) will return to action after being defeated for the first time in his career on February 18th, when Pat Healy was awarded the unanimous decision in their memorable, Challengers contest. Beerbohm has scored victories over Duane Ludwig and Vitor Ribeiro while competing under the Strikeforce banner.
Strikeforce’s April 9th event will be headlined by a welterweight title fight between champion Nick Diaz and challenger Paul Daley. The card will also feature the aforementioned lightweight champ Melendez, taking on Dream vet, Tatsuya Kawajiri.
The event will be broadcast on Showtime.
