Strikeforce To Create Interim Lightweight Title

Or so the plan goes. Sources close to the bout have confirmed that Saturday's Gilbert Melendez vs. Rodrigo Damm fight will be for a Strikeforce Interim Lightweight Championship, but it won't be announced until when/if Damm passes a pre-fight medical exam and is cleared to fight.

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Posted by DCRage

Or so the plan goes. Sources close to the bout have confirmed that Saturday's Gilbert Melendez vs. Rodrigo Damm fight will be for a Strikeforce Interim Lightweight Championship, but it won't be announced until when/if Damm passes a pre-fight medical exam and is cleared to fight.

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WHY?!

How long is Thomson going to be out for? If it is only going to be a few months then this is extremely stupid and a slap in the face to Thomson.

i don't think its a slap in the face at all...he's hurt...the create an "interim" champ which is basically just smoke and mirrors and then when he's healthy they fight and "unify" the belt again...it really doesn't change much except make it a five round fight this sat. i think its a good move to keep the first show more exciting

On Thomson-based on what I read before, best-case for a return is June. Now should they want to do Thomson-Melendez when he returns and considering SF's current schedule, a more realistic timeframe is proabbly August.

We get to see a 5 round war.

Gilbert by decision or tko now?

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Posted by DCRage

On Thomson-based on what I read before, best-case for a return is June. Now should they want to do Thomson-Melendez when he returns and considering SF's current schedule, a more realistic timeframe is proabbly August.

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That is BS then, Interim titles should only be for special cases like it is uncertain if the real champion is coming back or devastating injury that will take a year to recover from. RE TAR DED

The thought that Damm should fight for a title is stupid anyway

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Posted by sclasclemski

i don't think its a slap in the face at all...he's hurt...the create an "interim" champ which is basically just smoke and mirrors and then when he's healthy they fight and "unify" the belt again...it really doesn't change much except make it a five round fight this sat. i think its a good move to keep the first show more exciting

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I for one think that an interim title should only be put in place if Thomson will be out for a good length of time. As far as i know it's not the case, so it just sounds like either SF or Showtime is wanting to put a title fight on the show...and that is the completely wrong reason to do this.

i agree that this is just a paper belt, but...

im going so i dont give an eff!!! and im glad that they were at least able to put together a competitive fight for gil.

2 updates:
The fight is now official. Although the CSAC still has to clear Damm, no problems are expected and he did pass the pre-fight medical test.

The winner will get Thomson and an immediate title unification bout when he returns.

Also, to clarify how long Thomson will be out-when the news first broke last week the figure I heard was 2-3 months.

It would be hilarious if Damm was able to win this fight. Where are all the haters at for this decision? Dana White and Company were thrown under the bus when they decided to create Interim titles in the past.

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Posted by tberg420

It would be hilarious if Damm was able to win this fight. Where are all the haters at for this decision? Dana White and Company were thrown under the bus when they decided to create Interim titles in the past.

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I guess the closest similiarity is the Serra injury, how long was that? Mir and Couture were very valid reasons.

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Posted by McBee

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Posted by tberg420

It would be hilarious if Damm was able to win this fight. Where are all the haters at for this decision? Dana White and Company were thrown under the bus when they decided to create Interim titles in the past.

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I guess the closest similiarity is the Serra injury, how long was that? Mir and Couture were very valid reasons.

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Serra fought 5 1/2 months after his injury.

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Posted by grappler0000

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Posted by McBee

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Posted by tberg420

It would be hilarious if Damm was able to win this fight. Where are all the haters at for this decision? Dana White and Company were thrown under the bus when they decided to create Interim titles in the past.

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I guess the closest similiarity is the Serra injury, how long was that? Mir and Couture were very valid reasons.

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Serra fought 5 1/2 months after his injury.

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yeah that is BS also, the fight Thomson/Melendez fight was a LONG time ago right? but I think that was because of the aquisition not Thomson.

June 27.

It makes perfect sense that its for the iterim titile because Thomson hasnt defende his belt in almost a year. He git hurt just before he was supposed to fight Yves Edwards and now Gil.