If you only watched the main card for UFC 132, you might think that it was one of the best events of all-time. There were great finishes, terrific fights that went the distance and a great moment for a legend who hasn’t won a fight in five years. But the prelim card was really nothing to get excited about, that is until the Spike TV portion of the event started and Melvin Guillard provided some fireworks.
Guillard has been making a lot of noise in the lightweight division for the last year and he continued that streak in impressive fashion against Shane Roller.
He knocked Roller down with a hard left to the chin, but Roller was able to work his way back up. He landed some hard knees right to Roller’s head that dazed him then dropped him with another left hand. He threw some hammer fists that made Roller’s body go completely limp and the referee stopped it three minutes into the first.
After the fight, UFC announcer Joe Rogan asked Guillard if he thought he was ready for a title shot and even though he didn’t come right out and say that he deserved the shot, he said that he hoped this put him on the map.
Later, at the press conference, he sounded like he knew what he had to do to get a title shot soon.
“I’ve been saying all week that speed kills,” Guillard said. “I came here in the best shape of my life and I was really comfortable in there tonight. I knew that I could break him. I knew that with my speed and my pace, I could make it a rough night for him.
“I really hope I get “Knockout of the Night.” I want another top contender next. I’m looking for my meal ticket to a title shot.”
He didn’t get the fight bonus, that went to Carlos Condit’s flying knee, but he set himself up for a top tier lightweight fighter in the future. I would like to see him get a shot against the winner of next month’s Jim Miller-Ben Henderson fight to determine the No. 1 contender.
The lightweight division has been so crowded at the top this year, and Melvin Guillard’s impressive performance last night and five-fight win streak have put him right in the middle of the line with all of the other guys.