Take a walk with El Nino before his title defense this Saturday against Tatsuya Kawajiri. The fight between Melendez, reigning Strikeforce Lightweight Champion and Kawajiri, a former Shooto welterweight champion, will be a rematch of a fight that Melendez won on a close, unanimous decision on Dec. 31, 2006.

"I think (Tatsuya Kawajiri) wants to take it to the ground. But I'm not an easy guy to hold down and neither is he. I think we might end up on our feet a lot more and he's also willing to bang so it should be a good fight either way. I think it's going to be a great display of mixed martial arts to be honest."

"I think I'm a little bit better than him everywhere and it's going to come down to who wants it more and who's in better shape. But trust me, it makes for a really great match-up and it's definitely no walk in the park."

"(Since our last fight) I'm a lot more intelligent and I fight with a lot of heart still and a lot of guts. My standup, wrestling, jiu-jitsu, body physique and conditioning have improved. I feel like a whole different fighter. I'm excited to show that."

-- photo via Esther Lin/STRIKEFORCE
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