Another ex-UFC fighter is headed to World Series of Fighting.
Melvin Guillard has signed a multi-fight contract with the promotion, WSOF executive vice president Ali Abdel-Aziz, who was once a sparring partner of Guillard’s, confirmed with MMAFighting.com. Jeremy Botter of Bleacher Report first reported the news.
Guillard (pictured, with new WSOF contract) is expected to make his promotional debut in the summer, potentially as soon as July. No opponent has been lined up yet.
The 30-year-old “Young Assassin” was released by the UFC last month following a unanimous decision loss to Michael Johnson. The lightweight fighter went 12-9 inside the Octagon, with notable wins against Dennis Siver, Gleison Tibau, Evan Dunham and Mac Danzig. He’s 1-3 with 1 no-contest in his last five fights.
Following his release, Guillard said he was relieved to be a free agent.
“I was happy,” Guillard said on a recent episode of The MMA Hour. “I gave the UFC nine years. I gave them a good nine years. Honestly I gave them one bad performance, which was the London fight (against Johnson). I had two busted ribs, a busted hand in the first round, but I didn’t make any excuses in the fight. I stayed in there, I fought. I could’ve been like most fighters and just threw in the towel when I got up off the seat, but I was fighting injured.
“I didn’t expect to get released. I just expected (UFC matchmaker) Joe (Silva) to do the normal thing he does and sit me down for like six months, and make me ask him for a fight. But I ended up getting released, and for me, honestly, I thought it was the best thing that could happen to me right now at this point in my career.”
Guillard now joins recently released UFC fighters Jon Fitch, Yushin Okami and Rousimar Palhares, among others, in the upstart WSOF.