Sherdog’s Top 10: New Year’s Eve Fights

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3. Gilbert Melendez vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri
Pride “Shockwave 2006” | Dec. 31, 2006

Approximately six months removed from capturing the Strikeforce lightweight crown for the first time with a split decision over Clay Guida, the then-unbeaten Melendez was still seen as something of an unproven commodity in comparison to the well-traveled Kawajiri, who was Shooto’s lightweight ruler.

Both fighters established a furious pace from the opening bell, but it was Kawajiri who would land the first significant offering, dropping the American with a right hand before landing a series of knees to the head of his turtled opponent. “El Nino” quickly recovered from that initial salvo, however, and the contest settled into a spirited back-and-forth affair between two of the world’s top 155-pound talents.

Utilizing the relentless style that he has perfected in becoming one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport today, Melendez managed to remain just a half-step ahead of Kawajiri through superior wrestling and control. Even when “Crusher” was able to successfully land a takedown, Melendez did not remain grounded for long. On the feet, the Strikeforce champion dished out his fair share of punishment, surprising Kawajiri with solid jabs and straight right hands. The Japanese fighter responded by throwing plenty of power shots of his own, resulting in several high-octane exchanges between the two combatants.

Melendez’s high work rate and superb conditioning ultimately proved to be the difference, as the California native defeated Kawajiri via unanimous decision to firmly establish himself as a serious force on the lightweight scene. The two would meet again at Strikeforce “Diaz vs. Daley” in 2011, but the bout was not nearly as closely contested, as a more-evolved version of Melendez stopped Kawajiri with elbows 3:14 into the opening frame.

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