Thomson (18-4) has been on the sidelines for over a year due to an injury but won his last two fights inside the Strikeforce cage against Gesias Cavalcante and Pat Healy. He also is 1-1 with Melendez, meaning a rubber match could be store, while holding on overall record of 9-2 inside the organization.

Noons is coming off a victory over Billy Evangelista that ended a two-fight losing skid with decision defeats to Nick Diaz and recent lightweight contender Jorge Masvidal. He holds an overall record of 11-4 with eight TKOs.

News of the potential pairing was first reported by MMAJunkie.

The finals of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix are also slated for the event, along with title-fight between bantamweight champ Miesha Tate and Olympic judoka Ronda Rousey and a battle between Paul Daley-Kazuo Misaki.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

News of the injury was first reported by MMAFighting.com

After an injury plagued 2009, Thomson fought three times in 2010, going 2-1 in those bouts. However, he hasn’t competed since Dynamite!! 2010 on New Years Eve in Japan against Tatsuya Kawajiri. The former Strikeforce lightweight champion put up a spirited effort but was ultimately defeated by one of Japan’s top 155 fighters via unanimous decision. “The Punk” hasn’t stepped foot in the Strikeforce cage since last October when he defeated Gesias Cavalcante by decision.

No word yet if Strikeforce will seek a replacement for Blanco.

Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Kharitonov is scheduled for September 10 at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio. The event will feature both semifinal Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix bouts featuring Josh Barnett vs. Sergei Kharitonov and Antonio Silva vs. Daniel Cormier. Also on the card is a Strikeforce middleweight title fight between champ Ronaldo Souza and Luke Rockhold.

The situation is not lost on Cavalcante, who expressed his interest in a spot on Strikeforce’s January 29 event but was rebuffed based on the card already having been booked. As such, “J.Z.” is now targeting the promotion’s following show in February with a specific opponent in mind – Josh Thomson.

Cavalcante talked about his interest in a rematch with Thomson, as well offered his take on the UFC’s absorption of WEC, in a recent conversation with Tatame.

Interestingly, Cavalcante expressed concern about the UFC recently adding WEC’s weight-classes and doing away with the company as a whole even if he appreciated the opportunity some smaller fighters were going to get.

“That was great, a very good thing, mainly for the lighter ones, of 145-pound division or below. Even the guys on the lightweight division that got mixed up…It’s good to have more competition, but it’s a bad thing though because there’ll be many cuts. Everybody who was fighting on WEC will now fight (for the UFC), but I see many people getting fired. Many people will be fired because there (aren’t) so many events for all those fighters to fight. For the guys from WEC it was excellent, but I’d prefer if WEC had grown by itself and became as huge as (the UFC) even if both events belong to the same company, Zuffa. In my mind, as an athlete, I think that for the sport it’ll be better if WEC grew by itself.”

On the subject of his future, Cavalcante was very clear about wanting to fight Thomson and the nature of his desire to do so.

“In my mind, I think I did my job. I did enough to deserve the win,” the American Top Team-trained lightweight explained of his loss to “The Punk” in October. “I dominated the first and the last rounds, lost the second one, but that’s it… I won’t start pointing out people to blame. If I have to point out my finger to someone, that someone will be myself for not doing my job completely, only 50%. I had the chance to knock him down, I had the chance to submit him and I didn’t, so my focus is to keep improving those aspects of my game and don’t stay on this ‘almost there’ level… I want to win.”

As for the specific reasons why he wants to fight Thomson again, Cavalcante replied, “I hate this doubt that people now have about that fight.” He also acknowledged an increased comfort with the process of fighting Strikeforce could help too, elaborating that,”…a new event always brings you something new. A timing gap, the scheduling, and I had a problem with the Commission there and I didn’t have time to warm up and do my things, but I was prepared for it, and my mind was also prepared for it. I’d like to have this same opportunity again, at the same place, the same judges… I’d like that, even because I’d like to make it clear I went there to fight, that I’m capable of beating him, which I did last time, but they didn’t see it that way.”

Though the 18-3 Thomson is currently scheduled to face Tatsuya Kawajiri on New Year’s Eve at “Dynamite – Power of Courage” in Japan, meaning a very short turnaround period regardless of result, a second fight with Cavalcante would undoubtedly involve as much excitement as their previous pairing did. The Brazilian has never been finished in his twenty-fight career, has a near-even split between submission/TKO wins, and has emerged victorious against respected adversaries like Nam Phan, Michihiro Omigawa, Vitor Ribeiro, Bart Palaszewski, and Caol Uno.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

News of the cross-promotional bout was first reported by MMAFighting.

Including his match-up with Cavalcante, Thomson has emerged victorious in ten of his last eleven bouts with the lone exception being a five-round decision loss to “Top 3” lightweight and current Strikeforce title-holder Gilbert Melendez (a man he’s also beaten). “The Punk” has finished thirteen of the eighteen opponents he’s beaten while only having been stopped a single time in his twenty-one fight career.

Kawajiri (26-6-2) will be returning to the ring for the first time since suffering a cringe-worthy Achilles Lock to Shinya Aoki at DREAM 15 last July. Prior to the submission, “Crusher” had won four consecutive fights as well as seven of the nine before starting the run of straight success.

Opening up the event on Showtime, BJJ ace Andre Galvao and talented grappler Tyron Woodley both acknowledged the opportunity at hand when they lock horns. “Tyron is a tough fighter, a top wrestling guy who has fought three times on Strikeforce,” said Galvao of his undefeated opponent. “I am excited and have a good game plan. I’m ready to go.”

Woodley, on the other hand, stated he wasn’t as concerned with Galvao’s strategy against him so much as the chance to work his way towards a shot at welterweight gold. “I can’t concern myself on what an opponent my do. It’s up to me to turn my weaknesses into strengths,” he began. “This fight means a ton to me. I fought through the Strikeforce Challengers series. Fans got to learn my story as a fighter, they got to see me develop and get better each fight. They got to submit guys fast. They got to see me go through wars. This is definitely a step forward towards my dream to be a champion. We’ll get those fireworks going on Saturday.”

While both 170-pounders were well-behaved, Josh Thomson took time to talk trash in relation to his bout against Strikeforce newcomer JZ Cavalcante, though the smack was curiously directed at a lightweight peer rather than his Brazilian opponent and actually used in a complimentary fashion rather than a derogatory one.

“JZ is a savage and a beast and I think it’s a joke that you guys have a guy like Ben Henderson ranked above a guy like him,” said Thomson of Cavalcante and WEC’s lightweight champ. “I could go out there and fight the fight of my life and still lose. I have to beat him everywhere; there is no way I am going to win this fight doing one thing. JZ has fought some good ones all over the world. He is probably bigger and hits harder so I know I have to lay it on the line and see what happens.”

However, American Top Team’s Cavalcante avoided posturing of any sort, opting instead to address his recent injury problems and excitement about fighting the former 155-pound champ in front of an American crowd. “I was off a long time because of my injuries but I’ve seen a lot by working with teammates and other guys that have helped me stay involved in the game…but there is nothing like a real fight,” said the 27-year old. “This will be an excellent fight and I’m really looking forward to it and fighting for Strikeforce. I like being part of a fight fans want to see and are talking about. This is my chance to make a name for myself in America.”

All four participants slated for the evening’s title-bouts also had a chance to address their opponents and offer a take on the event as a whole. Female welterweight champ Sarah Kaufman expressed her appreciation for defending her belt on a major card, saying, “This is definitely a big deal for the 135-pound division and a big push forward for it. The more attention and exposure we get, the more the fan base will grow. There’s already a good fan base for the Strikeforce women at 145 pounds, so this is a great opportunity for us and the division.”

Her adversary on Saturday, Marloes Coenen, stated dropping down a division to face Kaufman hadn’t hurt her power, and said the chance to hoist Strikeforce gold above her head meant a tremendous amount to her. “This fight means the world to me. I won a world tournament in Japan ten years ago and here I am again, ten years later, with another opportunity to win another potentially life-changing event. A victory means I can stay and have a career in America. I would love that to happen very much,” said the Dutch submission specialist.

Closing the press conference out, headlining rivals Diaz and Noons maintained civility while discussing their long-awaited rematch rather than resorting to behavior similar to that bringing about a post-fight melee in their EliteXC days.

“I have respect for Nick as a fighter. His style works for him and I like to watch him fight,” said Noons of the welterweight champion. “The first fight I worked on going forward against Nick because Nick never fights going backward, but I’ve been working on all aspects of the game. I’m sure at some point he’s going to try and take me down but I am ready for anything.”

Diaz keep things professional as well. “I feel good and weight-wise I am almost perfect. I was angry for a long time (about the first fight). I was real upset that it ended the way it did because it wasn’t like I was hurt. Then I kind of dropped the idea of ever fighting a rematch because he got out of MMA. I never considered the first fight as a loss. I just always looked at it as a fight that was stopped (too soon),” replied Diaz when asked about his initial scrap with part-time pro boxer Noons and the bout’s stoppage for cuts.

However, the Stockton native closed things out by making sure fans understood he won’t be entering the ring on Saturday with personal feelings getting in the way of his ultimate goal of retaining his strap.

“I don’t feel that this fight is about revenge…but I’m happy now that he took the fight.”

“Strikeforce – Diaz vs. Noons II” takes place in Strikeforce’s home-base of San Jose and will be available for viewing this Saturday night on Showtime beginning at 9:00 PM ET (delayed on the West Coast).

PHOTO CREDIT – Esther Lin / STRIKEFORCE

Regardless of how well-known he is or isn’t, Cavalcante will almost certainly maintain the interest of both groups this October 9th when he makes his Strikeforce debut in San Jose against former promotional lightweight champ Josh Thomson. Both well-rounded in terms of skill, Thomson and Cavalcante have nearly identical records and a fearless approach to fighting, as well as an understanding of the bout’s significance in terms of 155-pound contendership.

The 27-year old Brazilian recently sat down with media and spoke about the upcoming bout, his present health after a handful of unfortunate injuries, and why he feels more relaxed than usual entering things even though he’ll be facing a hometown product at the event.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve fought in the U.S. I am glad to be fighting here and Josh is a former champion and it will be a tough fight,” Cavalcante explained. “It is not an easy task to come over to the U.S. and have a good fight but life isn’t easy. I like the challenge and I think the fans want to watch this fight. As a fan want to watch this fight.”

“I don’t feel pressure especially since people don’t know me and they don’t know what to expect…so there is no pressure at all,” he continued. “There is more pressure when people know you and expect you to do well. I have been through situations with pressure from the fans expecting things and pressure from myself. I am not putting pressure on myself to do well. I know my potential. I know I am training hard and have an excellent camp…almost the best in the world and I have great teammates. I just keep focused and control and try to keep everything balanced.”

“I am always fighting in someone else’s territory, and I know it’s different in Japan…everyone is quiet and respectful, whereas here people are loud, screaming and booing,” Cavalcante said of Thomson being a San Jose native. “But a fight in a fight. I am so grateful I have a great camp. I’ve been through this with my corner men, and we have a strong connection and experience together.”

As far as his ongoing recovery from a slew of rib/knee injuries sustained while training or in bouts, Cavalcante expressed confidence in his current state while referencing his decision win over Katsunori Kikuno at DREAM 15 earlier this year. “I am feeling good,” he said on the subject. “I fought in July. It was a good fight…I fought for 15 minutes…I felt a big rusty because of the injury, but now I am healthy. After that fight I am much more confident, mentally physically, everything is there. I am training good, thank God.”

Per the usual, Cavalcante also spoke about how he felt his match-up with Thomson would go and whether or not he felt the outcome would be affected by competing in a cage rather than the four-sided ring he is more-accustomed to fighting in.

“I train a lot in the cage,” he said dismissively of the difference. “Most of my teammates fight in the cage, so I have been training with them. My game works well in the cage…sometimes even better than in the ring. I think both the cage and ring have pros and cons but I always look for the pros in my favor. I am working hard and nothing is different.”

In conclusion, he showed due respect to Thomson and recognized the need to take a general approach to strategy rather than expect an easy win based on any particular holes in the former Strikeforce champion’s game.

“I am going to look for everything…Both of us are complete fighters. I can come and fight – he can stand up, go to the ground, he can take down. So I am not looking for anything in particular. Don’t miss the fight…I am looking to fight my hardest for fifteen minutes, so when he makes a mistake I can grab it and win the fight.”

Cavalcante is 15-3-1 in his career with past wins over Caol Uno, Bart Palaszewski, and Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro. While he has beaten twelve of his opponents by way of submission/TKO, he himself has never been finished and owes all three of his losses to ringside scoring.

In addition to Cavalcante vs. Thomson, Strikeforce’s October 9th event is scheduled to feature a welterweight title-fight between Nick Diaz and KJ Noons, as well as 135-pound champion Sarah Kaufman putting her belt up for grabs against Marloes Coenen. Matt Lindland will also face Luke Rockhold at the show.

Thomson, who celebrates his 32nd birthday next Tuesday, recently spoke to media about his upcoming bout against the talented Brazilian, mentioning among other things his respect for the American Top Team product’s abilities, why he found the match-up appealing, and how he envisions the fight unfolding.

“I am excited for (the bout),” stated Thomson. “It’s been a rough camp…obviously when you are training hard for someone at JZ’s caliber you want to make sure that training goes perfect and I’ve been trying to make it as perfect as possible. I have bumps and bruises, everything that every fighter goes through, but so far it’s been a good camp.”

“I have had a lot of good guys to train with and I don’t think the media will get the grasp of the situation until JZ gets into the ring…it’s nice to have him come over from Japan and fight here stateside,” he continued while referencing the fact Cavalcante hasn’t competed outside of Japan since 2007.

When asked for more information on exactly how he was preparing for Cavalcante, “The Punk” replied, “I brought in a couple of other trainers, who have helped out a lot, so I have been working on my hands and I’m also working with a couple of some side guys on my kick boxing as well. I’ve been putting it all together and I have been working a lot on my wrestling as well. It is going to be interesting to see how the fight pans out.”

“Everyone I have talked to about him said that he is far and away the best that they have there down at the gym and I know I have my hands full,” he elaborated. “You can’t come to a fight like this with a chip on your shoulder and be arrogant about it. You have to go out there and be ready for everything that is going to happen. If I go out there and think that he can’t hurt me I am going to lose this fight. If he goes out there and rocks me in the first round your whole game plans goes out the door, and your mentality and everything gets ruined.”

As far as his assessment on what he sees taking place once the cage-door closes, Thomson responded, “I don’t think either one of us have an advantage. He is a little shorter than me. We have completely different styles, so it’s hard to say who has the advantage. We are both really well-rounded…he has great stand-up. Everyone wants to talk about mine but I hate to say it but he’s got phenomenal (striking). He’s a great fighter. He’s got the fighter spirit in him and he will never give up. He will fight to the end. I think this will be a knockdown fight. I see this being a knockdown, drag out fight.”

“(So) I can’t say that anyone really has the advantage,” he reiterated. “I fight a little bit faster. He’s probably a little bit stronger. He probably has a little more power. Obviously I am going to try to beat him to the punch. Wrestling wise he is a little shorter so he will probably be a little harder to take down, those type of things play a big factor. I need to go out there and implement my game plan and get in his face and let him know that it’s going to be a fight for three rounds.”

The 17-3 fighter also made it clear he wasn’t looking too far ahead, at least in regards to a rubber-match against current Strikeforce lightweight champ Gilbert Melendez, saying, “I think they are all must wins, everyone talking about the third fight. The last fight I was thinking about the third fight but the biggest problem was I think that there were a lot of things going through my mind which showed in my performance. It was a really lackluster performance, nothing was put together right. I broke two ribs in the first round and everything went down hill.”

Thomson continued, “So this fight what I did was I wiped my mind clean of the title fight. Everyone is talking to me about the Gilbert fight, and I was letting that get ahead of my actually training. You hear athletes say all the time I’ve got to take care of this one match first, and if this doesn’t happen there won’t be a third fight with Gilbert, and I let that hinder what I was doing last time. I definitely won’t be thinking about the third fight. I will be thinking about what is in front of me.”

In addition to the scrap between Thomson and Cavalcante for top 155-pound contendership, Strikeforce’s October 9th event is headlined by Nick Diaz defending his welterweight strap against rival KJ Noons, female champion Sarah Kaufman putting her title on the line against Marloes Coenen, and rising star Luke Rockhold facing typically-tough grappler Matt “The Law” Lindland.

The 27-year old Brazilian bounced back with a split-decision win over Katsunori Kikuno last July after nearly a year-long layoff from the sport, and will apparently look to continue regaining more of his mojo on Strikeforce’s October 9th offering in a bout against former promotional champ Josh “The Punk” Thomson.

The pairing will serve as Cavalcante’s Strikeforce debut and comes after signing a four-fight deal with the company earlier this year.

News of the match-up was originally reported by Cavalcante’s manager, Alex Davis, during a recent conversation with MMAWeekly. Five Ounces of Pain has since confirmed the bout with Strikeforce officials.

Thomson is 9-1 in his last ten bouts with the only loss coming by way of decision to current Strikeforce lightweight title-holder Gilbert Melendez last December. Prior to the fight Thomson hadn’t lost since March 2006. He has only been finished once in a career spanning nearly a decade and is 17-3 overall as a professional.

The card is slated to be headlined by a grudge-match disguised as a title fight in the form of 170-pound champ Nick Diaz defending his belt against rival KJ Noons, as well as feature Sarah Kaufman putting her welterweight strap up for grabs against Marloes Coenen and rising middleweight star Luke Rockhold facing veteran Matt Lindland. The event will take place October 9th in the promotion’s home-base of San Jose, California’s HP Pavilion.

Thomson edged out Melendez via unanimous decision in the first battle between the California based rivals in a bout that took place more than a year ago in June of 2008, but according to “The Punk”, he didn’t even bother to review his previous victory as he fully expects a new and improved “El Nino” on December 19 when the two slug it out live on Showtime.

“This is a completely different fight than the last fight,” explained Thomson during a recent media call. “I didn’t even watch the last fight. Gilbert, I think, is a different fighter. I think he’ll come in with a different mentality and a different mindset.

“I don’t want to look at the past. I have to be sure I bring it home again and I’m not really looking at the last fight as a measuring stick whatsoever. It’s going to be a different Gilbert and a different fight.”

No excuses. That’s how Thomson wants it, and honestly, that’s just the way it’s going to be this time around. While Josh has been forced to pull out of two bouts prior to this one due to a broken ankle and the rehabilitation process that followed, he’s ready to go in this one.

“I don’t want the media to make any excuses if I go out there and he beats me fair and square,” said Thomson. “I don’t want people thinking that he beat me because I had all this time off or ring rust or whatever. I’m telling you right now I’m 100 percent. I’m ready to fight and if he beats me it’s because he was the better fighter that night. There is nothing else to it.

“I want to make that clear to the media now and to everyone who talks to me and to all my friends even and even to the guy who comes up to me in an alleyway and says something to me. I’m 100 percent, I’m ready to fight and I’m ready to bring my title home. If he beats me it’s because he was the better fighter.”

The two will face off during “Strikeforce: Evolution” on December 19 from the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California.

The news of the bout was confirmed in a midnight bulletin over at GracieFighter.com early Monday morning.

Thomson was forced to the sidelines in both of the pair’s previously scheduled rematch bouts due to ankle and leg injuries. The December showdown with Melendez will mark The Punk’s first return to action since he TKO’d Ashe Bowman at the Playboy Mansion in September of 2008.

Melendez has seen action twice since the decision defeat at the hands of Thomson in July of 2008, knocking out Rodrigo Damm in April of this year, and avenging a former loss while battering Mitsuhiro Ishida in August.

A full list of the bouts expected for “Strikeforce: Evolution” are listed below:

Josh Thomson vs. Gilbert Melendez

Cung Le vs. Scott Smith

Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza vs. Matt Lindland

Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal vs. Mike Whitehead

Robbie Lawler vs. TBA

Scott Lighty vs. Antwain Brit

Earlier reports had surfaced that the Strikeforce lightweight championship bout between Josh Thomson and Gilbert Melendez was in danger of being scrapped due to Thomson’s inability to fully recover from a recently broken leg.

Strikeforce’s Director of Communications Mike Afromowitz has recently squashed those reports in a recent conversation with The Fight Network, stating, “Those reports were not true”.

The lightweight championship is expected to take place as planned on August 15 from San Jose, California. The card will feature a main event  between Gina Carano and Cris “Cyborg” Santos and will air live on Showtime.

Showtime officials issued a press release Wednesday night announcing that Thomson vs. Melendez II had been scrubbed in light of the fact that Thomson recently broke his leg during a sparring session with fellow Strikeforce competitor Billy Evangelista.

“I was sparring hard and I broke my leg, above my ankle, during an exchange,” the 30-year-old Thomson is quoted as saying in the release. “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.”

Melendez is expected to remain on the card with Strikeforce officials currently in the midst of seeking out a new opponent.

Strikeforce’s April 11 event is slated to emanate from the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. The card, which will mark the first of a multi-fight agreement with premium cable network Showtime, will be headlined by former Strikeforce middleweight champion Frank Shamrock taking on Nick Diaz at a catchweight of 179 pounds.

Watch as Tan and Josh Thomson discuss Thomson’s upcoming Strikeforce lightweight title defense vs. Gilbert Melendez on April 11, whether he wants to fight more frequently, what happened regarding a rumored bout vs. K.J. Noons, if he feels pressure fighting on Showtime, and more.

A source close to the bout informed us of the news earlier today but voice mail and text messages left for Strikeforce officials requesting comment about the matchup were not immediately returned.

Strikeforce Founder and CEO Scott Coker has stated publicly that he wanted to sign a fight between Thomson and former EliteXC lightweight champion K.J. Noons. However, the match was never finalized as Noons turned down the opportunity to fight for the title in order to focus on his boxing career.

There had been some speculation that Melendez could square off against former UFC lightweight Jorge Gurgel but there is no word why that matchup never became official.

Thomson and Melendez previously fought this past June with then-champion Melendez losing his title after Thomson recorded a five-round unanimous decision victory.

Thomson, 16-2, last fought in September during a Strikeforce event at the Playboy Mansion. Facing Ashe Bowman in a non-title encounter, Thomson won following a TKO just 1:14 into the fight.

Melendez, 14-2, has not competed since June and has sustained two losses in his last three fights. Prior to that, the former PRIDE Bushido star had won his first 13 fights and was once a top ten ranked lightweight in every major rankings poll.

Strikeforce’s April 11 event will be televised on Showtime and will feature former Strikeforce middleweight champion Frank Shamrock taking on Nick Diaz at a bout to be contested as a catchweight of 179 pounds. Other officially announced matchups include former EliteXC welterweight champion Jake Shields vs. Joe Riggs and a middleweight matchup between Benji Radach and Scott Smith.

Speaking on MMA Weekly Radio, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said that Noons would instead focus on his boxing career for the time being rather than accepting a fight with Thomson. The April 11 card will be broadcast live on Showtime from the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California.

Noons defeated Nick Diaz for the title in November of 2007 in a bout that was stopped due to cuts. He subsequently defeated Yves Edwards in his only title defense. Soon after EliteXC officials wanted to have a rematch between Noons and Diaz which did not sit well with Noons who outright refused to fight Diaz again. Noons and manager Mark Dion stated that Diaz was not the number one contender and also was unhappy that a man he had already defeated was making significantly more money than he was.

Coker went on to mention that Noons will have an open invitation to fight for the organization if and when he decides to resume his mixed martial arts career. He reassured everyone that Thomson will still be fighting on the card.

The veteran promoter is excited and realizes just how valuable Thomson is to Strikeforce and considers him a world class fighter who could take on the top three or four lightweights in the world and certainly hold his own.

Coker also promised that sometime over the next few days the card for the inaugural Showtime card will have more fights added to it.

The news is according to a report by our friends at MMAjunkie.com.

Thomson had been scheduled to take on UFC and EliteXC veteran Yves Edwards. Junkie’s report indicates that Edwards will remain on the card and is instead set to square off with another former UFC vet in Duane “Bang” Ludwig.

The 30-year old Ludwig last competed during Strikeforce’s “Payback” event last month in Denver, Colo. Facing Sammy Morgan, Ludwig avenged a previous loss to Morgan from April of 2005 following a TKO at 2:01 of round 1.

Ludwig, 17-8, holds notable victories in his eight-year MMA career over the likes of Charles “Krazy Horse” Bennett, Thomas Denny, Jens Pulver, Genki Sudo, and Tony Fryklund.

“I am really looking forward to possibly fighting Joachim Hansen,” said Thomson.

Thomson went on to say that his next fight will definitely take place in 2008.

“November 21st is my next fight. I do know that I will be fighting at the HP Pavilion. I believe it will be a title defense.”

Once again, Thomson made it clear who he wants the title defense to be against.

“We are hoping for Joachim Hansen.”

A fight between Thomson and Hansen would certainly be an excellent match-up. Hansen is coming off a very impressive showing in the recent Dream lightweight tournament that included a win over Shinya Aoki and a loss to Eddie Alvarez in a potential fight of the year candidate. On the other hand, Thomson is on an eight fight winning streak dating back to March 2006.

Thomson though has no doubt who should be ranked at the top.

“B.J. Penn is pound for pound the best fighter. He’s fought all the top guys. He beat the guy at 170 (Matt Hughes) who had the title at the time,” said Thomson. “He has that natural ability to win fights.”

It’s easy to get caught up in rankings because – in reality – they really don’t mean much. With the fighters competing in different organizations that generally do not co-promote, the rankings have no effect on who fights who. However, debating who is the best in the world always makes for an interesting discussion. When a polished veteran such as Thomson speaks, the statement should hold some additional weight.

Regardless of the high praise for Penn, Thomson would love to find out how he’d do against the UFC’s lightweight champion.

“You always wonder in a real fight how it would go. I hold him in very high regard. If I ever get the chance to fight him and win then I could think of myself as the best fighter in the world,” Thomson said.

The Thomson vs. Bowman matchup will be a non-title affair.

Thomson, who wrestled as an amateur at Standford, won the title on June 27 when he recorded an upset unanimous decision victory over then-incumbent Gilbert Melendez.

With a stellar overall record of 15-2, Thomson has an impressive 6-1 record while competing under the Strikeforce banner with notable victories over Nam Phan and Duane “Bang” Ludwig. His only Strikeforce loss was to current UFC lightweight competitor Clay Guida.

Outside of Strikeforce, Thomson holds victories over Hermes Franca, “Razor” Rob McCullough, Doug Evans, and Gerald Strebendt. The win over Strebendt took place during Thomson’s UFC debut at UFC 44 in September of 2003.

After defeating Franca via a split decision at UFC 46, he returned at UFC 49 in August of 2004, where he suffered the first loss of his professional career after being knocked out in the first round from a head kick delivered by Yves Edwards.

Bowman, nicknamed “The Machine,” is affiliated with Ken Shamrock’s Lion’s Den and holds a 6-4 record, according to Sherdog’s fight finder. Primarily competing for Ken Shamrock Promotions, Bowman has also fought for the WEC (before it was under Zuffa ownership) and for the Mixed Martial Arts Championship in Washington, D.C., where he suffered a loss to BodogFIGHT veteran Matt Lee when he submitted to a rear naked choke in the first round.

In addition to Thomson vs. Bowman, Strikeforce’s return to the Playboy Mansion will be headlined by a middleweight fight between Joe “Diesel” Riggs and Kazuo Misaki along with Bobby Southworth defending his Strikeforce light heavyweight title vs. Renato “Babalu” Sobral.