Shinya Aoki, Mach Sakurai, And Erin Toughill Next Up For Title Shots

by Kelvin Hunt on Jan 31, 2010 7:33 PM EST in News Comment 20 comments

That's the word from Scott Coker. So the following title fights could take place sometime in 2010 for Strikeforce:

-Gilbert Melendez vs. Shinya Aoki for the Strikeforce lightweight title

-Mach Sakurai vs. Nick Diaz for the Strikeforce welterweight title

-Erin Toughill vs. Cris "Cyborg" Santos for the Strikeforce women's 145lb title

So much for Jay Hieron wanting Nick Diaz for the title shot after beating Joe Riggs last night. He's a free agent now, and is in a really tough predicament. I forgot that he'll appear in the EA Sports MMA game, which could affect his status if he tries to sign with the UFC. Coker went on to say that Bobby Lashley could fight Brett Rogers next in what would definitely be a step up in competition. All the match ups make sense to a degree. Aoki is probably the highest ranked lightweight that Melendez could face outside of the UFC. The only problem is Strikeforce would have a fighter as their champion that speaks no English and also fights in a Japanese organization as their champion. The same problem arises with Sakurai if he were to beat Diaz, at least in Hieron you have someone that speaks English. The Toughill/Santos fight is a fight that Strikeforce definitely needs to make happen. Toughill may be the only woman fighter out there that could give Santos a legitimate fight. Also, Strikeforce needs to promote the hell out of that fight, because they really dropped the ball with Santos on this last fight. She performed brilliantly against Coenen, and they really could have capitalized off that in my opinion.

HT: MMAFighting
SBN coverage of Strikeforce: Miami

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Maybe next time Hieron

will think twice about passing on title shots.

@fjbar on twitter...formerly El Mexicutioner

by _Felix_ on Jan 31, 2010 7:55 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Melendez/Aoki will deliver inside the cage, no doubt – let’s see how well Shinya operates without his pants [/no homo]

Diaz/Sakurai makes absolutely no sense.

Santos/Toughill would be the dopeness. Would there be anyone left for Cyborg if she wins that? I’m not very well-versed on women’s MMA so I assure you the question is not rhetorical lol

"I don’t care, hit him with your groin!"

by 3PA on Jan 31, 2010 8:16 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Nah

not at 145…they are doing that women’s tournament this year though…so the winner of that would be next I guess….unless Carano gets a win…then re-matches…but that’s doubtful…I’m not sure she wants to be a fighter.

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by Kelvin Hunt on Jan 31, 2010 8:36 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I’m pretty sure she doesn’t lol

"I don’t care, hit him with your groin!"

by 3PA on Jan 31, 2010 8:39 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Yea

Aoki without the pants=an ass whipping for him IMO…I think Melendez is a good enough wrestler that he can beat him on the feet also…

I just don’t see where bringing all these DREAM fighters over to SF is doing SF any good….they need to be promoting SF…not some other organization across seas fighters.

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by Kelvin Hunt on Jan 31, 2010 8:42 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

What good does it do for Dream if Aoki fights Melendez? Not one thing. Don’t exspect to see that matchup happening

by EVeezy on Jan 31, 2010 9:30 PM EST via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

I like these potential match ups even Diaz/Sakurai which has been criticized by Jordan Breen from sherdog.

But Strikeforce should really start getting girls that are going to be fighting Cris Cyborg for the Championship at least 1 fight on TV beforehand. I don’t get that at all.

And I give a zero percent chance of Brett Rogers being Bobby Lashley’s next opponent.

by RJ8842 on Jan 31, 2010 9:31 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

ya know

I don’t buy Rogers fighting Lashley either…I think that was talk to satisfy everyone’s criticism of the Sims fight.

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by Kelvin Hunt on Jan 31, 2010 9:46 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I’ve been fucking up on the comments with this iPhone but anyway I doubt Bobby wants that fight, but who you think would win

by The Bronzeville Bully on Jan 31, 2010 10:08 PM EST via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

it would be interesting

It would be one of the two…could Rogers stop the double leg takedown of Lashley….and could Lashley keep him down?

Or could Lashley take a punch from Rogers? I think Lashley would be able to get him down…dunno if he could keep him down though…

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by Kelvin Hunt on Jan 31, 2010 10:14 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

He could make Rogers work off the ground. Rogers does not have best cardio

by The Bronzeville Bully on Jan 31, 2010 10:25 PM EST via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

this is true also

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by Kelvin Hunt on Jan 31, 2010 10:27 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Aoki is probably the highest ranked lightweight that Melendez could face outside of the UFC. The only problem is Strikeforce would have a fighter as their champion that speaks no English and also fights in a Japanese organization as their champion. The same problem arises with Sakurai if he were to beat Diaz…

Nah, I don’t think that matters. It’s not like they ever use the guys to try and promote anything; the only time they would talk is in pre-fights, which they could get voiceovers, and post-fights which they can get translaters. And they’d want a translater anyways, so that they don’t get an unabridged version of Aoki talking trash.

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by -Neil- on Jan 31, 2010 11:24 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

ya know...you could be right

they do suck at promoting….I’m still trying to figure out how this SF/DREAM alliance is going to benefit SF….

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by Kelvin Hunt on Jan 31, 2010 11:28 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Well...

Strikeforce will get a few oddball fighters here and there, and Dream will get access to the few fighters Strikeforce has. I think that it’s more of a tactic on Dream’s part to give some of their fighters who want to fight stateside the ability they can. Or at least the guise that they can. I’d be surprised if Aoki goes, because he’s their biggest fighter, and a guy like Kawajiri doesn’t even WANT to fight in the US. A guy like Sakurai.. well, he seems pretty spent in Dream, don’t you think?

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by -Neil- on Jan 31, 2010 11:35 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs