GILBERT MELENDEZ & JOSH BARNETT TO HOST SHOWTIME LIVE WEB CHATS THURSDAY & FRIDAY, RESPECTIVELY

Melendez on Thursday, May 17; Barnett on Friday, May 18

1:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. PT

WHO:                   STRIKEFORCE Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez

                                Former Heavyweight Champ & Grand Prix Finalist Josh Barnett 

WHEN: 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. PT                   

ACCESS #:            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 Burrellvs. 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.