Strikeforce took us to San Diego tonight for the lightweight championship between Gilbert Melendez and Jorge Masvidal.
Melendez rode a five-fight win streak into the fight, whereas Masvidal had won his last two. This was a very important fight for one fighter who has a foot in with the UFC (Melendez), and the other hoping to make an impression that will get him closer to that same goal (Masvidal).
What We’ll Remember About This Fight
Masvidal sticking out his tongue and taunting Melendez as the champ continued to connect on punches to the head. In fact, one could say the most memorable thing about this fight was Masvidal’s demeanor.
From his antics during the fight, to being surprised and upset about losing the decision, there was definitely something off with Masvidal tonight. At times, it appeared he was more interested in getting under Melendez’s skin than he was winning the fight.
It was also confusing to see no sense of urgency from Masvidal or his corner heading into the final round, even after losing the first four rounds (according to two out of the three judges).
What We Learned About Masvidal
He needs to mature if he is going to be taken seriously in future fights. Masvidal portrayed himself like he was one of the Diaz brothers tonight. Continuously talking to Melendez, waving his arms and taunting as he was being pummeled.
These actions, coupled with the fact that half of his professional wins have come by decision, are not strong bullet points on his resume for getting into the UFC should he be looking to go that route.
With that being said, Masvidal did exhibit a very strong chin and even after all the punches he took, he never really showed any signs of being hurt.
What We Learned About Melendez
His boxing is very, very good. We’ve seen Melendez display a well-rounded fighting style over the last couple of years, but he really showed us how clean his striking is. His footwork was excellent as he danced in and out of his strikes, and every time Masvidal hit him, he would counter with crisp punches to both the head and body.
We also learned that despite the childish antics by Masvidal, Melendez kept his cool and did not fall into the trap of being over aggressive.
What’s Next for Masvidal
With the Strikeforce roster changing on a seemingly daily basis, it is hard to speculate who Jorge will be fighting next.
He is still quite a ways away from being in conversation to join the UFC, but should Melendez vacate the Strikeforce belt to jump into the Octagon, he may only be a couple of fights away from contending for the title once again.
What’s Next for Melendez
The UFC. Gilbert said all the right things in his post-fight interview by thanking Showtime and stating his love for the Strikeforce product, but Dana White wants to get him into the UFC while he is at his peak.
Melendez is now 29 years old, the Strikeforce lightweight champion and has won his last six fights. The time is now for him to make the jump to the Octagon. If so, he would likely be a No. 1 contender and face the winner of Frankie Edgar and Benson Henderson for the UFC lightweight championship.
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