Gilbert "El Nino" Melendez will get his rematch with Japanese wrestling expert Mitsuhiro Ishida a little sooner than expected.

Strikeforce announced on Thursday that Ishida will replace the injured Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh "The Punk" Thomson who was unable to get medical clearance for his injured leg. Ishida and Melendez will battle for Melendez' interim lightweight title on the Saturday, Aug. 15, "Carano vs. Cyborg" show at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.

Showtime will televise the bouts beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast).

San Francisco's Melendez (15-2) lost a unanimous decision to Ishida (18-5-1) in Saitama, Japan, on Dec. 31, 2007 -- the first loss of his career.

In his last fight on Strikeforce, Ishida submitted Justin Wilcox in the first round at "Strikeforce at the Mansion II" on Sept. 20, 2008. After four wins in five fights, Ishida recently suffered a TKO loss to Mizuto Hirota at a May Shooto event.

The main event featured an undefeated Gina Carano (7-0) and her top rival, Cyborg Santos (7-1), are slated to battle for five, 5-minute rounds in a fight for the first ever Women's 145-Pound World Title. The matchup also represents the first women's main event on a major MMA fight card.