The Strikeforce promotion is attempting to reach out to more fans by making a couple of the key competitors from this coming weekends event accessible via the web.
Both Strikeforce lightweight champ Gilbert Melendez, and Heavyweight Grand Prix finalist Josh Barnett, will answer fan questions on Thursday, May 17 and Friday, May 18 respectively.
Fans can submit questions on Twitter using the hashtag #StrikeforceChat, or on Strikeforce’s Facebook page, or Showtime’s Ustream page.
Both web chats are set to begin at 1:30pm EST (10:30am PST) one both days.
Here is the published scheduled from Strikeforce.com:
WHO: STRIKEFORCE Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez
Former Heavyweight Champ & Grand Prix Finalist Josh BarnettWHEN: Melendez: Thursday, May 17, at 1:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. PT
Barnett: Friday, May 18, at 1:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. PTACCESS #: Fans can submit questions via Twitter using the hashtag #StrikeforceChat, via the Strikeforce Facebook page www.facebook.com/StrikeforceMixedMartialArts or via Ustream at www.Ustream.TV/SHOSports.
WHAT: Melendez and Barnett will participate in the SHOWTIME Live Web Chats found at http://sports.sho.com/chat as the countdown continues to the mega-STRIKEFORCE event this Saturday, May 19, live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) and SHOWTIME EXTREME® (8 p.m. ET/PT) from HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.
The main event will feature Barnett against Daniel Cormier in the Final of STRIKEFORCE: World Grand Prix Heavyweight Tournament. In the co-feature, Melendez will defend his STRIKEFORCE World Lightweight Championship against Josh Thomson.
In other fights on SHOWTIME: Rafael Feijao vs. Mike Kyle, light heavyweights; and Nah-Shon Burrell vs. Chris Spang, welterweights.
Preliminary fights on SHOWTIME EXTREME: Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante vs. Isaac Vallie-Flagg, lightweights; Virgil Zwicker vs. Carlos Inocente, light heavyweights; Gian Villante vs. Derrick Mehmen, light heavyweights; and Quinn Mulhern vs. Yuri Villefort, welterweights.