In preparation of his headlining UFC on FX fight with Jim Miller, Melvin Guillard decided to part ways with Greg Jackson and his famed MMA team to join the south Florida-based Blackzilians team full time.
“The Young Assassin” spent a few weeks with the Blackzilians prior to his UFC 136 submission loss to Joe Lauzon, and since then, Guillard decided that the Blackzilians were just a better fit for him at this point in his career.
“Both camps are great, both sets of coaches are awesome. It’s just a decision I had to make for myself professionally. Did I want to split the time? Yeah, I did, but it’s kind of like trying to work for Exxon and work for Shell,” Guillard told MMA Weekly Radio, noting a conflict of interest.
“You won’t be able to split your time between both. Cause both of those companies wouldn’t allow it,” Guillard said.
“So it came to one of those points in my life where I had to make a grown-up decision. Kind of an executive decision, and this is the decision I made,” the hard-hitting lightweight added.
Despite the team switch, Guillard wanted to make it clear that he had no ill will towards Greg Jackson.
“I didn’t leave Jackson’s in a bad way. I love those coaches to death, love that team, and if anything ever occurs and I have to go back to Jackson’s, I hope I’m still welcome, because I didn’t leave in the wrong way,” Guillard clarified.
Guillard, who says that he feels a fighter’s worth ethic is more important than which coaches are being utilized, called his permanent move to the Blackzilians “one of the best decisions I’ve made in a long time for myself.”
Interestingly, Rashad “Suga” Evans co-founded the Blackzilians team after leaving Jackson’s MMA shortly after Jon Jones won the light heavyweight title at UFC 128.
Evans co-founded the team with several Brazilian fighters who left American Top Team due to a managerial dispute.
A two-time UFC Knockout of the Night winner, Guillard looked like he was one win away from a title shot before getting upset by Lauzon in October, while Jim Miller was riding a rarely seen seven-fight win streak prior to getting decimated by Benson Henderson in August.
The winner of this fight could re-establish their reputation as a top five lightweight in the world, while the loser could fall outside of the division’s top 10 for the first time in years.
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