Shinya Aoki Faces Lyle Beerbohm in Strikeforce on April 9 in San Diego

Shinya Aoki will make his return to Strikeforce on April 9 when he faces Lyle Beerbohm in a lightweight match-up on the San Diego card.

Strikeforce officials confirmed the match-up to MMAWeekly.com on Monday. The news of the bout was initially reported by MMA-Japan.com.

Aoki last fought in Strikeforce in April when he lost a lopsided decision to lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez. Since that time, Aoki has gone 3-0 in MMA competition, including a win over Tatsuya Kawajiri.

The Dream lightweight champion did compete during the promotion’s year-end New Year’s Eve show, Dynamite!!, and was knocked out by Yuichiro Nagashima in a mixed rules match.

Beerbohm enters the fight after suffering the first loss of his professional MMA career, dropping a unanimous decision to Pat Healy during a Strikeforce Challengers card.

The Washington native is 15-1 overall. Facing Aoki could be a fast track back to the top of the division if he can pull out a victory.

More bouts for the April 9 card are expected to be announced by Strikeforce in the coming weeks.

badass.

How good is Beerbohm's wrestling?

He was an accomplished wrestler in high school. During his senior year he began using Methamphetamine. He subsequently spent a year in Washington State Penitentiary for drug related crimes and blew his chance at college wrestling. There is a documentary film to be released in this year titled. NO SUBMISSION: The Lyle "Fancy Pants" Beerbohm Story. It chronicles his life and fight career, including his six year addiction to meth, his year in prison on 8 felonies, his rise to become an undefeated mixed martial artist and how MMA helped to "save his life".