Strikeforce Results: Gilbert Melendez Defeats Josh Thomson by Unanimous Decision

Where were the push kicks? What once won Josh Thomson the fight was nowhere to be seen. What did show up was a tactically evolved Gilbert Melendez who eschewed exciting scrambles for pocket domination.

Round one was close with Melendez clearly adopted a more patient strategy, but with Thomson having the far better hand speed. Still, both competitors connected making the round hard to judge. Thomson looked feast or famine-ish, either hitting flurries or sticking and moving. Thomson also deftly defended Melendez's sometimes poor takedown attempts.

Round two was a different story. Several right hands from Melendez dropped Thomson early and late. While Thomson was able to effectively use body kicks at range for a short time, it was no substitute for Melendez’s clean punching. Add to the equation the brazen nature of the short range striking we saw in round two and it makes Thomson’s gamble even riskier.

The third round opened with push kicks from Thomson. The pace slowed dramatically, but it was all El Nino stalking with Thomson on the retreat. Melendez didn’t force the takedown nor did he need it. While nothing dominant, it was still a clear round for Melendez.

Round four saw more of Thomson being loose, but sloppy. That cut down on his power, his cardio and his accuracy. Melendez continued to counterpunch and press forward. The round ended with an inadvertent eye poke from Melendez, which didn’t stop the bout.

Pocket domination. That was the story of the last round. Round five was nothing but an absolute slugfest. Heading into their tenth round, the two resembled (without the more precise technique) the furious chemistry of boxing’s Vazquez vs. Marquez. What decided the round was an overhand right counter from a kick by Melendez that dropped the very weary Thomson.