Despite being Strikeforce champion, Gilbert Melendez remains on the outside looking into the lightweight division.
The Cesar Gracie student is slated to lock horns with Jorge Masvidal on the December 17 Strikeforce card.
While Masvidal poses a legitimate threat, Melendez understands the importance of facing and defeating UFC caliber opposition to climb the MMA ranks.
“That’s the goal, at the end of the day, to be number one in the world,” Melendez told MMAWeekly.
“The long-term goal––No. 1 in the world. The only way you’re going to be No. 1 in this game—completely, undoubtedly—is if you’re fighting on that big stage and you have that UFC crown. I have beat the Dream champ. I beat the Strikeforce champ. I’ve beat every other thing out there. Now, it’s one more title to get.”
Melendez is currently riding a five-fight win streak and coming off back-to-back successful title defenses over Shinya Aoki and Tatsuya Kawajiri.
Despite being overshadowed in the spotlight by top UFC lightweights Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard, “El Nino” has been around the sport much longer. Whether at 145 pounds or 155 pounds, Melendez has long been considered one of the best fighters in the world.
At the post-fight press conference for UFC 136, UFC President Dana White stated that he believed Edgar was the No. 2 pound-for-pound fighter in the world behind Anderson Silva.
Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker respectfully disagreed in an interview with MMAWeekly. He believes Melendez is the best lightweight in the world, and when given the opportunity, the Strikeforce champion will prove it.
“It’s definitely debatable. I was the number one 145-pounder in the world a long time ago, before a lot of people even knew about it. I went up to 155, and I’ve become top three in the world there, debatably number one,” said Melendez.
“I’m up there pound-for-pound as well, and Frankie is very well deserving of being a pound-for-pound guy, but until he goes to 145 pounds and takes care of business, I don’t know how he’s going to be a pound-for-pound. I’ve done it in two weight classes. I’m on my second weight class.”
The primary reasoning behind Edgar skyrocketing up the pound-for-pound ranks is due to him being undersized at lightweight. In an interview with ESPN, Mark Henry, Edgar’s boxing coach, stated that UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz typically outweighs Edgar on fight night.
Still, Melendez has actually competed in multiple weight classes in his career, while Edgar has remained at 155 pounds.
A case could easily be made for both fighters. Melendez has the argument for multiple weight classes, but Edgar has defeated the higher quality opposition.
“I think I am No. 1, but I’m sick of saying it. I just want to prove it. I don’t want to say it no more. I just want to prove it, but Frankie is amazing dude. If someone has Frankie as number one and says ‘Gilbert, you’re crazy,’ then I got no room to debate,” Melendez said.
If given the opportunity to face Edgar for the UFC title, would “El Nino” have an answer for the champ?
“I’m not going to blow the whistle on myself right now, but my whole goal would be to force Frankie to fight me in the pocket, force anyone to fight me in the pocket. I love fighting in the pocket. The fans love it, and it’s the real part of fighting,” said Melendez.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com