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Gilbert Melendez and UFC Fail to Reach Agreement on New Contract, “El Nino” Told to “Start Looking Elsewhere”

(One day, you’re putting on one of the greatest fights in UFC History. The next, you’re fighting Ben Askren at a catchweight in One FC. *cries into whiskey glass* Photo via Getty.)

You guys remember Gilbert Melendez, right? You know, the Gilbert Melendez who was the final Strikeforce lightweight champion and one half of an amazing trilogy of fights with Josh Thomson? The Gilbert Melendez who came over to the UFC and beat then lightweight champ Ben Henderson but lost anyway because Ben Henderson? The Gilbert Melendez who put on a Fight of the Century performance against Diego Sanchez at UFC 166? Thought so.

Well hold onto those memories, Nation, because it looks like we should already start asking what could’ve been in regards to Melendez’s UFC career, young as it was. On last night’s edition of UFC Tonight, it was reported that, after months of attempting to negotiate a new contract with the promotion, Melendez’s management and Dana White have all but reached a stalemate. Said White:

I’m done. It’s not going well and I couldn’t care less at this point. I like Gilbert Melendez very much. I just don’t like his management. If Gilbert Melendez wants to fight in the UFC he better call Lorenzo Fertitta quickly, but he should also probably start looking elsewhere.

Two thoughts:

-At least DW managed to avoid calling anyone a “f*cking scumbag” or something of the like.

–This.

And now, a couple facts…

(One day, you’re putting on one of the greatest fights in UFC History. The next, you’re fighting Ben Askren at a catchweight in One FC. *cries into whiskey glass* Photo via Getty.)

I’m done. It’s not going well and I couldn’t care less at this point. I like Gilbert Melendez very much. I just don’t like his management. If Gilbert Melendez wants to fight in the UFC he better call Lorenzo Fertitta quickly, but he should also probably start looking elsewhere.

Two thoughts:

-At least DW managed to avoid calling anyone a “f*cking scumbag” or something of the like.

–This.

And now, a couple facts. Melendez was making $175K to show for his first two UFC fights, a figure that had carried over from his Strikeforce contract. He’s gone 1-1 in the UFC, with a controversial decision loss to Henderson at UFC on FOX 7 and the aforementioned FOTC against Sanchez at UFC 166. A fight, by the way, that Dana White lauded at the 166 post-fight press conference, stating “In the 13 years of being in this company, we’ve seen some amazing fights. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a fight like that. That fight was insane.”

It should also be noted that Melendez is currently ranked 2nd at lightweight and 14th pound-for-pound on the UFC’s website. If you’re into that sort of thing (in which case, take it away Nelson).

While details are scarce on the figure Melendez was offered, you could probably guesstimate the UFC’s offer through simple compare and contrast. Let’s see…1-1…Strikeforce champ…how about Luke Rockhold? The final Strikeforce middleweight champion was making nearly $100K a fight until signing with the UFC, where his value was immediately downgraded to a $40K/$40K split.

It’s a significant pay cut for sure, and Rockhold is in arguably the same position as Melendez. Both are better known, marketable Strikeforce champs batting .500 in the UFC, so one would expect that they would be treated similarly in terms of salary. Even if Melendez was valued at $60K/$60K, that would still be over a 30% cut from his norm. Dan Henderson may have had to swallow his pride and accept such a deal, but Melendez is arguably in the prime of his career and might not be so willing to do the same.

It’s speculation at this point, I know. And personally, I say Melendez is worth whatever he’s asking regardless of the figure. But for now, let’s just hope that Melendez and the UFC are able to reach some sort of agreement, because you just know that if Bellator gets ahold of “El Nino” they will find some way to fuck it up.

–J.Jones

War No More: Josh Barnett Rejects UFC Contract

(“Don’t worry about me, Josh. I’ll be telling the media how much of a fucking joke you were to begin with by this time tomorrow.”)

It is being reported by multiple sources that Josh Barnett has officially turned down a UFC contract, despite the fact that we did literally everything within our power to hype up his return. The ~~ungrateful son of a bitch~~ former UFC heavyweight champion has been in negotiations with the organization to rejoin their ranks after his most recent home, Strikeforce, exited the fight game with a whimper last month.

Barnett’s manager, Leland LaBarre, seemed to suggest that show cash was not their issue with the UFC’s offer, which is pretty surprising considering the ridiculous rate Barnett was receiving over at Strikeforce. According to LaBarre, there were other, undisclosed issues between Barnett and the UFC that simply could not be worked out:

We agreed on guaranteed compensation.In fact, we never even countered. We accepted their original offer. There are some outlying issues – one in particular – that as of this point we were unable to agree on.

(“Don’t worry about me, Josh. I’ll be telling the media how much of a fucking joke you were to begin with by this time tomorrow.”)

We agreed on guaranteed compensation.In fact, we never even countered. We accepted their original offer. There are some outlying issues – one in particular – that as of this point we were unable to agree on.

It is interesting that LaBarre felt comfortable making public what could very well have been a private development in contract negotiations, but would not detail what the sticking point is. Our guess: The UFC wouldn’t let Barnett go overseas on occasion to wrestle the likes of Bob Sapp. That, or they placed a special stipulation in his contract that forbid him from using a post-fight interview as a platform to quote biblical scripture or whatever the hell he was talking about at the final Strikeforce event.

Barnett’s professional record currently stands at 32-6. He has dropped only one of his ten MMA contests in the last six years — to Daniel Cormier in the finals of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix last May. What do you think the one issue that kept Barnett from signing could be, Nation, and do you think he’s pushing his luck turning down a UFC contract at this point in his career?

– Elias Cepeda

Mamed Khalidov Has Been Offered a UFC Contract That Apparently Ain’t Worth Diddly Squat

(Khalidov’s most recent bit of UFC-washout dispatching handiwork at KSW 19.)

If you’ve even been a semi-regular reader of this site over the past few months, then you are probably familiar with our nuthuggery when it comes to Polish powerhouse Mamed Khalidov. With a record that currently stands at 25-4, Khalidov has made a name for himself as of late by quickly and violently decimating any challenge placed before him under the KSW banner. His diet has consisted mainly of ex-UFC talent including James Irvin, Jesse Taylor, Jorge Santiago, and Matt Lindland, and he has not lost a fight since March of 2010 (in a rematch with Santiago). In those fights, Khalidov has proven to be as dynamic and powerful a striker as he is a lethal submission savant, and with the Biblical-scale plague of injuries currently sweeping through the UFC’s roster, now seems like a better time than any for Khalidov to test himself in the sport’s highest promotion, don’t you think?

Well, even though it is being reported that Khalidov has in fact been offered a contract by Dana & Co, the jury is still out on whether or not we’ll actually be seeing him stateside anytime soon. The reason, as it always is, boils down to simple dollars and cents. Or lack thereof.

(Khalidov’s most recent bit of UFC-washout dispatching handiwork at KSW 19.)

Even though Khalidov hasn’t faced a legitimate test since his aforementioned rematch with Santiago (who, let’s face it, has proven to be less than UFC material), he is looking to prove himself to a whole new audience, and the UFC would obviously be the best place to do so. The initial contract Mamed was offered, however, is apparently so “laughable” that he is turning it down because he makes a great deal more competing under the KSW banner. That’s right, the same promotion that can’t even afford to hire ADHD-free judges can somehow manage to outbid the promotion that is willing to pay Nick Diaz three hundred thousand dollars just to show up to a press conference. You gotta love the places incompetence can bring you in today’s society.

According to FightersOnly, Khalidov currently makes around $30,000 a fight under his current KSW contract, which isn’t bad at all. When you consider that less than half of his fights under the promotion have lasted over two minutes, it makes that number look even more better. But if the UFC isn’t even coming close to matching that offer, Khalidov might as well plow through the next season of The Ultimate Fighter scrubs and get locked into one of their paltry contracts. The fact that he is considering turning down the contract must mean that the number offered is far below the 30K he makes a fight over in his native Poland, which is pretty sad considering his skill set and record.

But looking at things from the UFC’s perspective, Khalidov is a generally unknown (even to some more knowledgeable fans) prospect who hasn’t been legitimately tested in a couple of years. He lacks the drawing power, and could, like his Sengoku counterpart in Santiago, prove to simply not be at UFC level within just a couple fights. But that’s why they’re called gambles.

Personally, I think Khalidov will fair quite well in the UFC’s middleweight division, and should be offered a contract that reflects a good degree of confidence in his abilities. Check out a few of his most recent performances and give us your assessment.

Khalidov vs. Santiago 1 (unfortunately, we cannot find a video of this fight that doesn’t include some crappy European techno in the background, so just turn off your speakers for this one.)

Khalidov vs. Taylor

Khalidov vs. Lindland

–J. Jones

No Fedor at January Strikeforce Show, M-1 Killjoys Say

(Uh-oh, I think we’ve got a workout video on our hands. Somebody get Jay Glazer on the horn, STAT. PicProps: Connect.in)
If you looked at yesterday’s reports that a bout between Fedor Emelianenko and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva was being …

(Uh-oh, I think we’ve got a workout video on our hands. Somebody get Jay Glazer on the horn, STAT. PicProps: Connect.in)

If you looked at yesterday’s reports that a bout between Fedor Emelianenko and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva was being considered for Strikeforce’s Jan. 29 show and thought to yourself, “Self, that seems awfully soon. Almost too soon,” well, you were right. We hate it when you’re right. Anyway, it turns out the aforementioned January date is “not on the table” for Fedor’s next yawn-worthy matchup in the Strikeforce cage, M-1 Global spokeshipster Evgeni Kogan said on Friday. As reported by MMA Junkie, Kogan wouldn’t elaborate further on the matter except to say that everybody involved has “been steadily working toward an agreement.”

The Junkie also notes that a couple months back M-1 boss Vadim Finkelstein said the rent-a-Fedor outfit was “negotiating primarily with Showtime to secure Emelianenko’s return.” Not to read too much into that, but it pretty much makes it sound like Strikeforce itself is the least important party in these talks. It also indicates that maybe Kogan wasn’t just blowing smoke recently when he said M-1 was trying leverage its own live fight events onto Showtime. If they can pull that off, well, I wonder if they could also speak to my mortgage lender.