The final Strikeforce show will be taking place on January 12th in Oklahoma City and a majority of the fighters will transition over to the UFC.
One of the fighters that will be coming to the UFC will be Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez, who is considered one of the top lightweight fighters in the world.
Following yesterday’s UFC 155 Pre-Fight Press Conference, UFC President Dana White was asked by the attending media if Melendez would receive an immediate title shot against UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson and White said he probably will.
“He will probably com in and get a title shot,” White said. “Again we will see.”
Melendez (21-2) recently told Bleacher Report that he wanted to take on Benson Henderson, after the UFC champion defeated his training partner Nate Diaz.
Henderson welcomes the challenge of taking on the Strikeforce lightweight champion as he has continued to say that he wants to face all of the lightweights and prove he is the best of all time.
However, the news that Melendez is likely to be the next fighter in line for a title shot is bad news for the last WEC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis, who is the last person to defeat Henderson.
Pettis is scheduled to take on Donald Cerrone in January at UFC on FOX 6 and it appeared if he defeated Cerrone, he would be next in line for a title shot. He will likely need a dominating performance over Cerrone to show the management team at the UFC that he should receive the next shot at Henderson and not Melendez.