Former Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert “El Nino” Melendez (14-2) made it clear at last weekend’s “Strikeforce at the Mansion II” event that he has plans to win back the 155-pound title he lost to Josh Thomson back in June.
The loss to “The Punk” was only the second in a 16-fight career for the Cesar Gracie-trained standout. The other was to Japanese standout Mitsuhiro Ishida this past New Year’s Eve.
As it turns out, Ishida now competes under the Strikeforce banner as well, giving Melendez the perfect opportunity to avenge the two losses.
But there’s a problem … “El Nino” only has one fight left on his current deal with the promotion and there have been rumors that suggest he might want to take the next step in his career and test the waters in the UFC.
Here’s what Gilbert had to say about his future in a recent MMAWeekly.com interview:
“I have one fight left with Strikeforce. I really do like Strikeforce, I think they’re a great organization and they took care of me, but I have other goals too, other dreams. I do want to get my payback against Josh and Ishida, but I’m just going to make sure I do really good on my next fight and then I’m going to weigh out all my options.”
Those options clearly include the UFC by what he said next:
“There’s a big chance. That’s an organization I’ve always liked to be a part of and a lot of the guys in there I would want to fight. A lot of those guys motivate me. It’s motivating to test yourself in front of the world. That’s the most motivating thing about going to the UFC is that you really get to showcase yourself.”
Regardless of what he decides to do, there are plenty of great fights out there for Gilbert Melendez. Whether he decides to stay in Strikeforce and play round robin with Thomson and Ishida for the next six months to a year, or he decides to make the move to the octagon, we as fans are all winners.
In the meantime, he’ll still fulfill his obligations with Strikeforce, which call for him to compete one more time for the organization. No announcment has been made regarding a fight invloving “El Nino,” but the company has an event planned for November 21, which may or may not feature the former champion.
Stay tuned for more on the developing story.
36 Comments »
That would be a great move for Melendez as well as for the UFC and its fans.
I dont think hes that good? I dont think he would ever make it to a title shot. But he does come with fans.
he does bring some name value with the hardcore fans, but i think he would have a hard time with some of the better wrestlers in the ufc’s lw division, like maynard,sherk and stevenson. i watched his fight with josh thompson live and he was dominated for all 5 rnds. thompson is the name i look forward to seeing in the ufc.
I never thought Melendez was that good and the Thompson fight proved it!
Melendez is a great fighter but I think he’s better suited at 145 lbs.
My guess is that he would not make it past the likes of Frank Edgar or Tyson Griffen, Im not even going to mention BJ.
Well i dont think there going to toss him to the wolves right away, i think they’ll build him up…and if you give him time i think one day he’ll be a contender. So hopefully this move happens
he’d be a good fit with the LW’s, a great contender that could beat or give most of the top dogs a great challenge…but as the rest of them can’t do, he can’t beat BJ
i wanna see him against a pellegrino or even tavares.
he’s better than nate diaz, so been there, done that!!!
I highly doubt that!!!
out of terrell, nick, shields and melendez, nate is the weak link now. he’s up and coming, and I’m a huge fane (my favorite camp) of caesar gracie fighters, but nick is the bottom of that well rounded strong pack!
KEVIN. gilbert has never fought nate. what do you mean by been there done that? something in them training together? i think nate would take him in a real fight. i dont think gilbert sucks or anything, but nate has proved himself when stepping up in talent (pelligrino and neer) while el nino has not. honestly, i wouldnt mind seeing him going to the wec and taking on jaime varner.
you know what, I (unlike most of you) am going to admit I’m wrong. Melendez is a purple belt (which is better than most blacks coming from caesar), and nick would beat him. My bad, lost my train of thought…
tonights pick pittsburgh!!!
well i do like and agree with your steelers pick tonight.
ok just so you guys can laugh in the morning…I’m down 2700…I’m putting 3k on pittsburgh tonight!!
looks like ur down 5700 then there kevin.. hahaha sux to be u dude
more ike 6k…gotta add the vig buddy, thanks for caring
whats to mull about. if he has the chance to go to the ufc, he should take it. look how jake shields is calling out gsp and top ufc fighters when he had the chance to sign with them and didnt. dont say you want to be or beat the best and stay with a 2nd tier company.
Agreed!
i would love to see El nino fight penn if he fought anyone like florian they would stick and move or lay and pray but penn and his ego would be right in the centre of the octagon see then we would see what he is made of
what who was made of? i hope you mean melendez and not penn.
I wonder if he would ever fight Nate Diaz.
They’d be more or less on a collision course if he enters the UFC as a LW.
HELL YES. The UFC needs to get Melendez and Jake Shields like now.
I hope to God he dose it. It would be so epic.
hes not that great hes a solid fighter but in the ufc he wouldnt even be a top 5 lightweight.
off the top of my head he couldnt beat stevenson, sherk, griffin, edgar, penn, florian.
He beat Guida a lot more decisively than Griffin did. I’m not saying he’d for sure beat any of those guys but it’d definitely be a fight - Penn’s a level above, but he’s a level above everyone at 155. I’d take Melendez over Stevenson, Edgar, or Griffin.
IMO griffin didnt beat Guida.
well gilbert got dominated by josh thompson and guida beat thompson so you cant really go by that. im not sure thompson would do much better than gilbert in the ufc, i think josh is better but the ufc lightweights are a step above…. i wanna see aoki in the ufc
Aoki, Now we’re talkin… I would love to see him in the UFC. He would dominate most of the fighters.
aoki vs bj anyone?
I would love to see that fight. but we all know BJ would win
As much of a Gilbert fan as i am. ive seen him fight live. ive followed his entire carreer. I would have to agree with mike on this one. it hurts to say it but i think its true.
But if he doesnt get thrown to the wolves right away and gets a couple of warmup fights under his belt in the ufc first. he just might hang with those guys.
Gilbert Melendez would never fight Nate Diaz and Nate would not fight him also. Cesar Gracie fighters are very loyal and would never fight a team mate. I would like to see him fight Roger Huerta, Tyson Griffin, or Gray Maynard.
Gilbert…please come forth to the UFC.