Press Release from Strikeforce:
SAN JOSE,
Calif. —Lightweight (155 lb. limit) Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu wonder Nam Phan (14-4) will attempt to hand
knockout artist Billy Evangelista
(6-0) the first loss of his career during Strikeforce’s “Melendez vs. Thomson”
mixed martial arts mega-event at the HP Pavilion on Friday, June 27th.
The 25-year-old Vietnamese-born
Phan, recently promoted to the rank of brown belt, is looking to notch his
third consecutive victory after stopping Shad Smith and Saad Awad on October 6,
2007 and February 16, 2008, respectively.
“It should be a great matchup,”
said Phan, a resident of Los Angeles, California. “I know (Evangelista)’s pretty good at
wrestling and ok at Jiu-Jitsu and he’s got great Muay Thai. I think his striking is better than mine, but
my strength is Jiu-Jitsu. I always prefer
Jiu-Jitsu and submitting opponents.”
Phan’s only other Strikeforce promoted
fight to date, a meeting with June 27th’s lightweight championship
challenger, Josh “The Punk” Thomson, recently aired on Strikeforce’s new NBC
program, the first-ever 52 week mixed martial arts series on one of the four
major TV networks in The United States.
Standing toe to toe with Thomson
for a good stretch of the bout, Phan held his own, but took enough punishment
to convince all three judges to award the win to Thomson.
Evangelista, a 27 year-old native of Parlier, California, is coming off a
punishing knockout of Marlon Sims, which unfolded on the Strikeforce
co-promoted “Shamrock vs. Cung Le” world championship card that aired live on
SHOWTIME on Saturday, March 29. Prior to
that, he earned a judges’ decision victory over Clint Coronel during
Strikeforce’s historic event at the world-famous Playboy Mansion on September
29, 2007.
“I don’t really have a game plan
for Nam Phan and I’ve never seen him fight,” said Evangelista. I know he’s good on the ground, though, so I
just need to be prepared for anything that comes.”
Tickets for "Melendez vs. Thomson," priced from $30, are on sale at the HP Pavilion box office (408-287-7070) as well as all Ticketmaster locations (408-998-TIXS), Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) and on Strikeforce's official website (www.strikeforceusa.net).
Strikeforce World Lightweight (155
lb. limit) Champion, Gilbert “El Nino”
Melendez (14-1), will defend his crown against number one contender and Bay
Area arch-rival, Josh “The Punk” Thomson
(14-2), in the main event of the June 27th Strikeforce affair.
In another championship showdown, Bobby Southworth (8-5) will put his
Strikeforce World Light Heavyweight (205 lb. limit) title on the line in a
rematch with Anthony “El Toro” Ruiz
(20-10). Ruiz was declared the winner of
their initial meeting on November 16, 2007 after a cut Southworth had sustained
during the fight prompted the ringside physician to order a stoppage at the :52
mark of the second round.
HP Pavilion doors will open at 6
PM for “Melendez vs. Thomson” and the first preliminary bout will begin at 6:30
PM. The main card will commence at 8
PM.