Mike Chiappetta • E-mail

Gilbert Melendez is considered by many to be among the top lightweights in the world, and the Strikeforce 155-pound champion will put his title on the line when he faces Josh "The Punk" Thomson in the main event of the next Strikeforce card, scheduled for Friday, June 27 at San Jose's HP Pavilion.

The two were originally scheduled to throw down on last month's Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Le card, but Thomson was forced to withdraw from the fight after undergoing shoulder surgery for an injury suffered in a win over Adam Lynn.

Thomson was replaced by Gabe Lemley, who suffered a second-round TKO at the hands of "El Nino."

"This is a very big fight for the fans, for the promotion and for Josh and me,” said the 26-year-old Melendez. "Josh is a great fighter, but I’m the champ and I plan on remaining the champ for a long time."

The 26-year-old Melendez is a veteran of the PRIDE promotion and holds a 14-1 career mark and holds wins over notables Clay Guida and Tatsuya Kawajiri, among others.

The 29-year-old Thomson is a former college wrestler at Stanford who is riding a six-fight win streak, including a victory over former UFC fighter Duane "Bang" Ludwig. He also holds wins over former UFC top contender Hermes Franca and ex-WEC champ "Razor" Rob McCullough.

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