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

[Scott Yockel]

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.

[Nate Hollyfield]

badass.

[AJ Camacho]

How good is Beerbohm's wrestling?

[Andrew Maxwell]

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".