Melendez Finally Ready to Fight

Gilbert Melendez (Pictures) will make his next appearance in a cage. That news was confirmed Monday, when Strikeforce revealed Melendez would fight Gabe Lemley (Pictures) March 29 in San Jose, Calif.

Coming off the first loss of his career on New Year's Even in Tokyo, Melendez was originally slated to fight Josh Thomson (Pictures) on the Showtime-televised card. Thomson was one of sevearl fighters to bow out before Strikeforce settled on Lemley, an 11-6 fighter out of Iowa whose best win came over a developing Clay Guida (Pictures) in 2004.

Sherdog.com visited the Fairtex gym in San Francisco recently and caught up with the ranked lightweight, where he prepared for a then unknown opponent.

Also announced for the co-promoted EliteXC-Strikeforce card is a 165-pound fight between Nick Diaz (Pictures) and "The Korean Icepick" Jae Suk Lim (Pictures).

Frank Shamrock (Pictures) headlines the card against Cung Le (Pictures). In an EliteXC welterweight title fight, Jake Shields (Pictures) battles Drew Fickett (Pictures).