Ratings for the second episode of The Ultimate Fighter 10 dropped 29 percent to 2.9 million from the series record 4.1 million who tuned in for the TUF 10 debut. [Spike TV]

Pictured: Anderson Silva

The promotion has already secured a replacement, as Mitsuhiro Ishida will fill in for Thomson and take on Melendez in a rematch of their own with the interim title on the line.

Strikeforce announced the latest lineup change on Thursday. Welterweight contender Joe Riggs and heavyweight champ Alistair Overeem also withdrew from the event due to injuries in recent weeks.

The card was bolstered by the addition of a light heavyweight championship contest between title-holder Renato “Babalu” Sobral and challenger Gegard Mousasi, a fight that was set to take place at the recently-canceled Affliction: Trilogy event.

The PRIDE and Shooto veteran Ishida (18-5-1) is coming off a May loss to Mizuto Hirota after previously defeating Justin Wilcox in his Strikeforce debut as well as picking up a victory over Daisuke Nakamura at DREAM 7. “The Endless Warrior” previously defeated Melendez via unanimous decision in December 2007.

Melendez (14-3) first won the Strikeforce lightweight title in 2006 with a split decision win over Clay Guida. After three-straight victories and the loss to Ishida, “El Nino” defended the title with a victory over Gabe Lemley before losing to Thomson via unanimous decision in their first meeting. Injuries prevented Thomson from defending the title, so Melendez was crowned the interim lightweight champ with a second-round knockout of Rodrigo Damm earlier this year.

Click here for the latest Strikeforce news and Strikeforce rumors.

Pictured: Gilbert Melendez

“I broke it right at the ankle, so I had to have some plates put in with some screws,” Thomson said. “It was a double break in the fibia. I had a break in the lower part of the bone and a break in the upper part of the bone. I got eight screws and a plate put in.

“It was kind of a nasty break. The good thing is it wasn’t a jagged break. There was no compound fracture.”

Now nearly four months later, Thomson admitted he’s not yet 100 percent.

“I guess you could say that two weeks ago I was on crutches,” Thomson said.

Thomson admitted he was considering his options, one of which included withdrawing from the contest.

“I’m still talking right now with my cornermen and my management about moving the fight back to October or me just not fighting [Melendez],” Thomson said. “But that doesn’t mean I’m not taking this fight serious. I’m doing what I can to win this fight. That’s the bottom line.”

Thomson also admitted he hasn’t been able to follow his usual training routine while his leg continues to heal.

“It’s moving right along, I guess you could say,” Thomson said. “I’ve decided to go with the non-training method for this fight – kind of play it by ear and see what happens. There’s a lot of things I couldn’t do. I’m not training like I was able to for the first fight, and we’re going to see what happens.”

Thomson gained the Strikeforce lightweight belt by defeating Melendez via unanimous decision in June of 2008. He has yet to defend the belt, however. Thomson’s last fight was against Ashe Bowman in a non-title fight at “Stikeforce: At The Mansion II”, which he won via first round TKO. He was then slated to make his first title defense against Melendez earlier this year, but was forced to withdraw when he first sustained the injury that is jeopardizing the currently scheduled match up.

It is not yet clear if Thomson has made his struggles known to Strikeforce, or if they are seeking possible a replacement opponent for Melendez at this time. Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com to follow this story as it develops.

Update 11:28 AM July 28, 1009: Thomson later went on the popular MMA forum, The UnderGround and changed his story on the possibility of withdrawing from the bout.

Pictured: Josh Thomson

Though no location was announced for the Showtime-televised card, the event is expected to take place at the HP Pavillion in San Jose, California.

Carano (7-0) was last in action in October, topping Kelly Kobold via unanimous decision in EliteXC, while Cyborg (7-1) defeated Hitomi Akano via third-round TKO in her most-recent bout at Strikeforce in April.

In addition to Carano-Cyborg, Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson will unify his title in a rematch with interim 155-pound champion Gilbert Melendez.

Thomson won the title from Melendez last June in a unanimous decision victory. The pair were originally scheduled to rematch at Strikeforce’s April 11 Showtime debut, but a broken ankle forced Thomson out of the bout. Following his win over Melendez, Thomson (16-2) defeated Ashe Bowman via first-round TKO last September in a non-title bout. Melendez (15-2) returned to action in April, defeating Rodrigo Damm via second-round TKO to win the interim belt.

[Pictured: Gina Carano]

Gilbert Melendez

The winner of Saturday’s Strikeforce “Shamrock vs. Diaz” co-headliner between Gilbert Melendez (14-2) and late-replacement Rodrigo Damm (8-2) will be crowned the promotion’s interim lightweight champion, according to MMA Madness.

The event takes place on April 11th at the HP Pavilion in San Jose and airs live on Showtime.

Current Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson (16-2) was forced out of the scheduled matchup with Melendez last week after suffering a broken leg. A winner of eight-straight bouts, Thomson won the title from Melendez in June 2008 by unanimous decision, but has not yet defended the championship. His only fight since claiming the belt was a first-round TKO of Ashe Bowman in September in a non-title matchup.

Saturday’s bout will mark Melendez’s first contest since relinquishing the title to Thomson last year.

Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com for the latest Strikeforce news.

Josh Thomson Kicks Gilbert Melendez

PRESS RELEASE; New York (April 1, 2009) – A broken left leg sustained during a sparring session earlier today has forced Strikeforce World Lightweight (155 lb. limit) Champion Josh “The Punk” Thomson (16-2) to withdraw from his scheduled title defense against Gilbert “El Nino” Melendez (14-2) at Strikeforce’s “Shamrock vs. Diaz” event at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. on Saturday, April 11.

Strikeforce is searching for a replacement fighter to face the top-ranked Melendez in the live SHOWTIME televised event.

“I was sparring hard and I broke my leg, above my ankle, during an exchange,” said the 30-year-old Thomson, who was trading blows with fellow Strikeforce competitor Billy Evangelista when the injury occurred. Thomson is scheduled to undergo surgery on Friday and is expected to be out of action for two to three months.

“I’m very upset. All the hard work was done and it was time to fight,” said the injured champ. “I was looking forward to putting on a great show for the fans. All I can say is that I’ll be back when I get healthy.”

Nick Diaz gives Frank Shamrock the finger

• UFC veteran Kevin Randleman has signed with Strikeforce and will debut with in the promotion’s light heavyweight division later this year.
• Joe Riggs and Brett Rogers are under consideration for the fifth and final Showtime-televised bout at Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Diaz on April 11th. The slot was to be filled by Riggs against Jake Shields, but Shields was pulled from the matchup to headline Strikeforce’s May event in Tacoma, Washington against Robbie Lawler.
• Showtime on Thursday announced the broadcast team for Strikeforce events, with Gus Johnson, Mauro Ranallo, Frank Shamrock, Stephen Quadros, and Pat Miletich tapped to call the fights.
• Strikeforce on Thursday held a public press conference in Los Angeles for “Shamrock vs. Diaz” with appearances by Frank Shamrock, Nick Diaz, Josh Thomson, Gilbert Melendez, Benji Radach, Scott Smith, Jake Shiels, Robbie Lawler, and Cris Cyborg. Quotes and photos from the event are below:

FRANK SHAMROCK

• “Someone asked me the other day how my comeback was going so I guess I’ve come back. I love fighting. I love this art. I want to thank Nick Diaz for the opportunity and just warn him that when I punch his head and he lands in the second row he’ll need someone to catch him.
• “I’m not going to show a lot of things I have in the past. This time I’m just showing up to smash some people and make a few dollars.”

NICK DIAZ

• “Training has been going great and I am very happy with it. I am clear-headed and ready to fight.
• “I feel I am the perfect candidate for this fight. Shamrock thinks he can beat guys with styles like me.
• “I don’t care about the weight. I feel more energetic. My strength is great. I hit harder. I like this fight because I will be able to control what goes on when we’re on the ground.
• “Frank can talk all he wants, but I’m going to beat him up. Let’s see how much he fights back.’’

JOSH THOMSON

• “There is much more pressure on me this fight. There was no pressure when I fought him the last time; I was just the challenger.
• “But now that I am Strikeforce champion, I have to work ever harder and be more prepared for anything and everything.
• “I don’t feel I got the respect I should have after beating Gilbert. But that doesn’t bother me. As long as I know I am giving the fans what they want – and the fans know what they will get when I fight – then I am fine.
• “Our second fight will really showcase our new skills, things people haven’t seen in the past. It will be more action-packed and fast-paced.
• “Gilbert is someone I admire and I’m actually dreading this fight. I know it’s going to go for five rounds and will be full of action. There will be a lot of blood, sweat and tears shed to get ready for this fight but it’s going to be fun come April 11.’’

GILBERT MELENDEZ

• “It is definitely a great thing for me to have a chance to redeem myself for my only loss and to do it on SHOWTIME is a dream come true. This fight will give both of us a lot of exposure.
• “All I will say about our first fight is that Josh trained harder and was the better man that night.
• “Losing is never a good thing, but you live and learn from experiences and that fight has made me train even harder. I did the best I could in our first fight, but I feel I am a better fighter now and will do better on April 11.
• “This time, I am going to take it to him, dictate the pace and make him fight me. This time, I am going to fight my fight.’’

SCOTT SMITH

• “I am very excited about this show and excited to be able to ride this new wave. This is going to be a great fight, one of the best of the night.
• “I totally respect Benji. This will not be easy. I’ve changed a few things in my fighting.
• “I’m trying not to get hit too much. People like to see fun fights and our fight will definitely be a fun fight to watch.’’

BENJI RADACH

• “He has been in a lot of wars but by no means do I think they have taken a toll on Scott. He is always in top shape and always comes to battle.
• “My advantage is, I think I am faster and maybe a little better wrestler. My quickness is going to be key.
• “But the bottom line is to be better and win the fight no matter where it goes.’’

CRIS “CYBORG” SANTOS

• “It’s really exciting what SHOWTIME has done for women’s MMA and I am proud that they want me back on their next show. I am not looking past my opponent, but the fighter I want is Gina Carano.
• “People have been talking about us fighting so I think it is only a matter of time. I think we both want the fight and I know it is a fight the fans would love to see.
• “I can’t wait for April 11 and I can’t wait to fight Gina Carano.’’

ROBBIE LAWLER

• “Everybody knows I am always ready and willing to fight anybody, anytime, any place so I am just looking forward to getting out there and fighting.
• “I might be bigger, but it sure doesn’t look it when we stand side by side. This will be my first fight since July but I’m always in the gym and I stay in shape. So I’ll be 100 percent.’’

JAKE SHIELDS

• “I am super excited about this fight and this opportunity. I’ve always wanted to fight the top level guys. That’s not to say the guys I’ve fought recently weren’t good fighters because they were.
• “But Lawler is a high-profile fighter, a top-five middleweight. So this is a real challenge for me and a fight that has me highly motivated.
• “I am very happy to be fighting on SHOWTIME again. This is definitely going to be a great fight and I am super happy to be part of this. Strikeforce is going to be doing a lot of good things in the future.’’

PHOTO GALLERY

Josh Thomson Kicks Gilbert Melendez in their first meeting.

After struggling to find opponents for both men on April 11th, Strikeforce has decided that it was time for Gilbert Melendez to get a shot at reclaiming the title Josh Thomson took away from him last June. Strikeforce executive Mike Afromowitz today confirmed the rumored matchup.

From the time the event was first announced both men were expected to be a part of it, but were initially hoped to face separate opponents. Strikeforce promoter Scott Coker had hoped to pit Thomson against former EliteXC champion KJ Noons, but that fell through when Noons’ father said that KJ wanted to focus on his boxing career at this time. Coker had tried to line up Melendez to face either PRIDE veteran Mitsuhiro Ishida or UFC veteran Jorge Gurgel. Those bouts fell through when Ishida joined the upcoming DREAM Welterweight tournament and it was revealed that Gurgel is still recovering from an elbow injury.

In their previous meeting Thomson topped Melendez via five round shut-out unanimous decision victory, in a battle that has been mentioned as one of the best fights of the year. Thomson’s last fight was a non-title affair in which he knocked out opponent Ashe Bowman last September, however Melendez has not fought since losing the title to Thomson.

Other bouts for the April 11th card include Nick Diaz vs. Frank Shamrock, which will still be the headlining fight, Jake Shields vs. Joe Riggs, Benji Radach vs. Scott Smith, and potentially Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos vs. a yet to be named opponent.

For more information about the April 11th card, and to stay up to date on all rumors regarding it, check out Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Diaz Rumors in our Rumors section.

Josh Thomson

A rumored bout between Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson and former EliteXC title-holder KJ Noons has been scrapped from Strikeforce’s April 11th event in San Jose after Noons turned down the matchup to remain focused on his boxing career.

“Josh Thomson will fight [on April 11th]. We offered it to K.J. Noons, (but) it looks like that fight will not happen. K.J. is focusing on his boxing career, so he will not be available,” Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker recently told MMA Weekly.

“I think we’ll always extend the invitation [for Noons to join Strikeforce],” Coker continued. “It’s really going to be up to K.J. If he really has had success in boxing, cause I understand he has, and he’s trying to become a boxer, then he’s not going to be able to be an MMA fighter at this point in his career.”

Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com as we’ll pass along news of an opponent for Thomson as soon as it becomes availabe.

Josh Thomson

Just hours after completing a deal to purchase select assets from ProElite, Strikeforce jointly announced with Showtime on Thursday a new live MMA series that calls for Showtime to televise up to 16 Strikeforce events per year.

The deal is similar to EliteXC’s prior deal with Showtime that included 4 primetime events on CBS and 12 Showtime events, including cards focused on up-and-coming fighters.

Strikeforce’s first Showtime-televised event will take place on April 11th at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. The event is slated to feature Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson and former Strikeforce middleweight champion Frank Shamrock with Benji Radach vs. Scott Smith also rumored for the card.

Strikeforce’s fighter acquisitions in the ProElite deal, according to Yahoo Sports’ Dave Meltzer, include Kimbo Slice, Gina Carano, Nick Diaz, Eddie Alvarez, EliteXC middleweight champion Robbie Lawler, and EliteXC welterweight champion Jake Shields.