The fight between Strikeforce Lightweight champ Gilbert Melendez and #2 Lightweight in the World Shinya Aoki is locked for Strikeforce’s April 17^th event in Nashville, Tennessee.

This will mark Aoki’s first appearance in North America, against #8 in the world, Melendez.  The two will be fighting for the Strikeforce lightweight title, but Aoki’s Dream title will not be up for grabs just yet.  Deals are being made to have an eventual rematch over in Japan with dream, where the bout would take place for Aoki’s belt.

Melendez-Aoki will be one of the three title fights the night of April 17^th.  Gegard Moussai will defend his light heavyweight title against undefeated wrestler Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal, while Jake Shields will meet two-division Pride titleholder Dan Henderson.

Melendez, who turns 27 on April 12, unified the promotion’s lightweight titles with a five-round “fight of the year” contender against Josh Thompson last December in San Jose, Calif.

The 26-year-old Aoki grasped the Dream lightweight championship with a second-round armbar against Joachim Hansen at Dream 11 last October. The flamboyant submission artist snapped Sengoku champion Mizuto Hirota’s arm with an unconventional hammerlock in only 77 seconds at K-1 “Dynamite” on New Year’s Eve in Saitama, Japan.