With two of the most devastating heavyweights completing their trilogy at UFC 166 on Saturday, it’s hard to look past the main event as the highlight of the show. But when you look further down the card, one other fight promises more fireworks.
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With two of the most devastating heavyweights completing their trilogy at UFC 166 on Saturday, it’s hard to look past the main event as the highlight of the show. But when you look further down the card, one other fight promises more fireworks.
In the third bout from the top, Diego Sanchez returns to lightweight for the second time this year against the man whom many consider to be the rightful 155-pound champion, Gilbert Melendez. This match has “Fight of the Night” written all over it, and not only because Sanchez has achieved that honour in five of his last eight fights.
Melendez brings a pace and ferocity to the table that none of Sanchez’s recent opponents have brought. He’s a 24-fight veteran of the sport and a former WEC and Strikeforce champion who isn’t afraid to fight in the pocket. As a result, we’re likely to see plenty of that action this weekend.
Of course, they will have their work cut out for them, especially considering the four heavyweights colliding above them on the card.
Roy Nelson and Daniel Cormier’s fight in the co-main event is full of potential, too. Nelson throws bombs, and some of Cormier’s fights, particularly in Strikeforce, were barn burners.
Who can forget how he brutally dismantled the giant Antonio Silva? Fresh off his victory against FedorEmelianenko, Cormier TKO’ed the Brazilian inside the first round.
Or how he threw the veteran Josh Barnett around like a rag doll during Strikeforce’s Heavyweight Grand Prix final?
But then again, Cormier’s UFC debut against Frank Mir earlier in the year was a snoozefest, and there’s every chance we could be treated to more “humping” against the cage when he faces Nelson, considering “Big Country’s” punching power and his submission game.
The only other fight that could steal the show is the Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos main event.
Both their previous encounters were thrilling affairs for different reasons. The first fight featured Dos Santos’ flash knockout of the champion, and in the second one, Velasquez mauled “Cigano” for five rounds.
The lower weight classes may provide pace and aggression, but nothing can compare to watching two behemoths clash like wild beasts.
Whether we’ll be treated to a primal encounter remains to be seen, and the chances of Sanchez claiming his sixth Fight of the Night award in the UFC against Melendez are up in the air as well. But considering the two lightweight talents going head-to-head at UFC 166, they’re the likeliest to steal the show from the heavyweights.
The team of analysts for the UFC on Fox Sports 1 and Fox broadcasts have been providing the most in-depth coverage mixed martial arts has seen in its 20 years of existence.
With a collection of seasoned fight veterans and a handful of well-versed hosts…
The team of analysts for the UFC on Fox Sports 1 and Fox broadcasts have been providing the most in-depth coverage mixed martial arts has seen in its 20 years of existence.
With a collection of seasoned fight veterans and a handful of well-versed hosts at the helm, the people working the pre- and post-fight shows for the UFC have consistently raised the bar.
For the next installment of “Dropping Knowledge,” former multi-divisional contender Kenny Florian sits in to give his thoughts on the upcoming card for UFC 166.
“Ken Flo’s” resume speaks for itself, as the fighting pride of Massachusetts created his fair share of memorable performances inside the Octagon. The 33-year-old faced a collection of pound-for-pound greats throughout his career and traded leather with everyone from then-reigning lightweight king B.J. Penn to featherweight phenom Jose Aldo.
As the co-host of UFC Tonight on Fox Sports 1, Florian brings his analysis to the masses on a weekly basis. That said, he’s also a veteran of this particular series where he’s been known to kick the interview Kung Fu like nobody’s business.
This is what Florian told Bleacher Report about Saturday night’s UFC 166 in Houston.
Plenty has been made of the rivalry between current heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and former title holder Junior dos Santos and what each needs to do in order to win their trilogy bout at UFC 166. Do you believe this fight is crucial for both because it has the potential to somewhat invalidate one of their title reigns?
It’s always better to get the two wins over just the one in a trilogy. I think both of these guys understand their vulnerabilities and what the other man can do to them now. With that comes a very healthy respect and a very serious training camp to prepare. Both of them fear the other, and both have the capability to win this fight. I believe we are going to get a good fight because of it.
We saw what the last fight did to Junior dos Santos. That was his first loss inside the Octagon, and in all of his interviews and on the Primetime specials that ran, it is obvious that fight has motivated him a tremendous amount.
Dos Santos has talked a lot about the spacing in this fight in the lead up to Saturday night. Cain is going to come forward with non-stop pressure. We know this, and JDS absolutely knows this as well. Do you believe dos Santos can still generate his knockout power moving backward, and if not, how does he change that tide?
Without a doubt it is something he can do. I think if he is able to land something big, it will probably be the left hook going backward. Those are devastating punches. The shots you don’t see are always the most dangerous ones. He’s going to have to get a funny angle—step off with a left hook—to land that power shot as Cain is coming in. But anytime you hit a guy who is coming forward with the kind of pressure Cain Velasquez brings has to be timed just right.
Velasquez moves his head a ton, and it’s going to be important that dos Santos finds the right range. If he does catch Velasquez coming in, it will be a devastating punch. With that forward momentum, it becomes almost like a head-on collision when two cars collide. That will probably be the case if dos Santos can connect as Cain comes forward. So, it is possible, it just takes a hell of a lot of timing.
The co-main event between Daniel Cormier and Roy Nelson is serious business, as these two men have a score to settle. Yet, there is somewhat of a strange feel surrounding the bout. While a victory could launch the winner into potential title contention, both fighters seem to be heading into different waters. Cormier is looking to drop down to light heavyweight after this fight, and “Big Country” has also suggested he will do the same. What do you make of the unusual spin that seems to be surrounding this fight?
It is a little bit different, but it’s still an important fight nonetheless. Daniel Cormier wants to stay undefeated. This is a guy who has not lost a single round in his mixed martial arts career. That is tremendously impressive. He wants to continue with that momentum and go into the 205-pound division undefeated. He wants to put everyone in that division on notice…especially Jon Jones. It is always interesting when a guy is undefeated and drops down into a division he probably should have been fighting in all along. I think it makes him that much more dangerous.
This is also a very important fight for Nelson. He can’t afford setback here against Cormier, and if there is any pressure in this fight, it has to be on Roy Nelson. He is kind of in a lose/lose situation here in some ways. If he beat Cormier, he beats a guy who was on his way down to 205-pounds and was focused on that drop. If he loses, it clearly puts him in a bad spot in the heavyweight division. He would really have to work his way back up in a bigger way than he’s ever done before.
Cormier’s wrestling is an undeniable strength, but Nelson is a different type of animal. When he doesn’t have to worry about being submitted, or even in cases like his fight against Frank Mir where that threat was certainly possible, he’s been able to get up when taken down. Do you believe Cormier can keep Nelson on the ground, and if not, what does he have to do on his feet to get the victory?
I think he does have the ability to keep him down. It is going to be a difficult thing because Nelson is way more athletic than people give him credit for. I always compare him to the Kung Fu Panda because he’s flexible, very strong and deceptively fast. Cormier is going to have to work for it, but what I think is more important will be his ability to just take him down and get some respect in that department.
If Cormier can score some points with his takedowns, it is going to open up his hands and vice versa. He’ll have to play off of that in a similar way as to what Cain Velasquez had to do against Junior dos Santos in their rematch. It’s definitely going to be important that Cormier gets in and gets out without taking too many shots because Nelson can obviously end the fight with just one.
The lightweight bout between Gilbert Melendez and Diego Sanchez is building a strong amount of buzz and is almost certain to be a “knock down drag out” brand of scrap. How crucial is this fight where their title hopes are concerned?
Diego Sanchez has been very vocal about wanting to get a shot against Anthony Pettis, and beating a guy like Melendez would certainly make that much more of a possibility. I still think he’s probably one or two fights away from that, but a win would definitely provide a push.
For Melendez, he’s still trying to get his first win inside the Octagon. He understands that Diego Sanchez is a big name and to have a name like that on his resume will look very good. He wants another shot at the title, and it starts with Sanchez. It’s a great way for Melendez to get a lot more fans in the UFC, and for Sanchez, it could be a real turning point in his career.
It seems like a lot of people have forgotten about him and written him off. Especially in his last fight against [Takanori] Gomi. It wasn’t the most impressive fight for Diego. A lot of people, myself included, believe Gomi won that fight, but a win over Melendez erases all doubt.
It’s never an easy thing to cast a fighter who has competed at championship levels of the sport into limbo or irrelevancy, but do you believe Sanchez absolutely has to win this fight to keep any title hops he has alive?
I would agree with that. A loss here really hurts Diego, even more than it would hurt Melendez because he is still ranked highly in the division, whereas Diego is not. I think there is a lot more on the line in this fight for Diego Sanchez.
When a fighter goes through what dos Santos experienced against Velasquez at UFC 155 and what happened to “The Dream” against B.J. Penn at UFC 107, it seems as if a beating of that severity can change a fighter for the rest of their careers. In the aftermath of the Penn fight, Sanchez went on a downward spiral, losing fights and switching divisions, and it’s arguable if he’s ever returned to the form he was in before his bout with “The Prodigy.” What is your take on how a fighter bounces back from those circumstances?
It can have a big impact, especially when you have a guy who hasn’t experienced that before. When you are on top of the world and everyone is telling you that you are the best, then you go in there against a former champion who you’ve defeated pretty quickly and get dominated for five rounds; that can have an impact on you. In the rematch, Cain Velasquez had an answer for everything Junior dos Santos was trying to do. That can really be demoralizing for a fighter. It’s humbling.
You look at the way dos Santos responded in that beating and never gave up, those are the kind of fighters who are really going to be motivated and driven to new levels in their game, win or lose. He learned there were things he needed to change and that he wasn’t the best in the world on that night. And that is what it comes down to a lot of times. It’s not who the best fighter is. It’s who is the best fighter on that night. It made dos Santos take a hard look at his game and analyze where he went wrong. That can be a difficult thing for a fighter. It can be both negative and positive.
Another interesting fight on the card is set to go down between former heavyweight No.1 contender Gabriel Gonzaga and prospect looking to make good Shawn Jordan. In the past few years, we’ve seen a group of ex-football players look to make an impact at the highest level of MMA. Is it possible the former LSU standout could be the best of the bunch?
Jordan is a tremendously athletic guy. He’s shown heart where he’s been rocked and came back to win. I think a knockout win over an excellent striker like Pat Barry had to do wonder for his confidence. He’s with a great camp, and I think he’s leading the pack right now in that regard. A win over Gonzaga would probably cement that.
This weekend, the be all end all title fight between Junior Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez is going down at UFC 166, so to ring in this special occasion, we’ve decided to switch things up for this edition of the Gambling Addiction Enabler. Not only will you be receiving the trusted, well-researched advice of Dan “Get Off Me” George, but additionally, CagePotato staff writer (and former GAE master-picker) Jared Jones will be jumping in to deliver the onslaught of gifs and contradictory advice that you all know and love.
Without further ado, let’s get to the fights in question…
DG: This fight should be at pick’em odds — proposing either fighter as a clear favorite is simply reckless and ignorant of the fact that both fighters have been prone to shockingly inconsistent performances as of late. On any given night, these guys can end a fight in spectacular fashion. Does Nate “The Great” show up and fight the Lombard we saw against Okami and Boetsch, or does he meet the man they call Shango and fight like he did against Saffiedine and Ellenberger? I’ll tentatively pick Marquardt here.
JJ: Well, if it’s “reckless and ignorant” that you want, you’ve come to the right source. (*sets fully-loaded revolver on table and spins it*)
I’m surprised you neglected to mention that Lombard will be fighting at welterweight for the first time in his UFC career, in what is one of the most transparent “Dropping a weight class to save your career” bouts in MMA History. Also, Lombard’s weight cut is going so poorly that he’s already talking about moving back up to middleweight. He’s assuming, of course, that the UFC won’t sever their ties with someone as overpaid as him following this weekend, which is wishful thinking in my opinion. Lombard is basically Rousimar Palhares + striking and since Marquardt already beat Palhares, MMAMath predicts a dominant victory for Marquardt 9.9 times out of 10. Reckless? Yes. Ignorant? Yes.
By Dan “Get Off Me” George and Jared Jones
This weekend, the be all end all title fight between Junior Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez is going down at UFC 166, so to ring in this special occasion, we’ve decided to switch things up for this edition of the Gambling Addiction Enabler. Not only will you be receiving the trusted, well-researched advice of Dan “Get Off Me” George, but additionally, CagePotato staff writer (and former GAE master-picker) Jared Jones will be jumping in to deliver the onslaught of gifs and contradictory advice that you all know and love.
Without further ado, let’s get to the fights in question…
DG: This fight should be at pick’em odds — proposing either fighter as a clear favorite is simply reckless and ignorant of the fact that both fighters have been prone to shockingly inconsistent performances as of late. On any given night, these guys can end a fight in spectacular fashion. Does Nate “The Great” show up and fight the Lombard we saw against Okami and Boetsch, or does he meet the man they call Shango and fight like he did against Saffiedine and Ellenberger? I’ll tentatively pick Marquardt here.
JJ: Well, if it’s “reckless and ignorant” that you want, you’ve come to the right source. (*sets fully-loaded revolver on table and spins it*)
I’m surprised you neglected to mention that Lombard will be fighting at welterweight for the first time in his UFC career, in what is one of the most transparent “Dropping a weight class to save your career” bouts in MMA History. Also, Lombard’s weight cut is going so poorly that he’s already talking about moving back up to middleweight. He’s assuming, of course, that the UFC won’t sever their ties with someone as overpaid as him following this weekend, which is wishful thinking in my opinion. Lombard is basically Rousimar Palhares + striking and since Marquardt already beat Palhares, MMAMath predicts a dominant victory for Marquardt 9.9 times out of 10. Reckless? Yes. Ignorant? Yes.
JJ: Roy Nelson is coming off one of the worst beatdowns of his career and the self-admitted “crappiest camp of his career.” The latter statement might just be “Big Country’s” way of lamenting his recently instilled Whopper-free diet, but in any case, you’d have to be a fool to place an outright bet on either of these guys.
DG: -165 that this fight goes to decision is the only action this fight merits. Cormier should be able to keep Roy guessing, and when Roy’s guessing he’s losing fights. When Roy loses fights, he loses by decision, as weapons are still not allowed inside the cage. Cormier is the heavy favorite but Roy has only lost by decision in the UFC so far and should keep that stat alive this weekend.
DG: Amagov is coming off a successful UFC debut as the favorite here, but T.J. Waldburger is a live dog as many believe Adlan will look to take this fight to the ground. Waldburger has managed to receive a SOTN bonus in 2011 and 2012….2013 is almost over and T.J. may be able to keep his streak alive by finding a way to catch Amagov from his guard. Waldburger will not go away easily in his own backyard and if the fight goes to decision, those who took the plus money option may be pleasantly surprised.
JJ: Who in their right mind thinks Adlan Amagov is going to take this fight to the ground? Against a grappling wizard like Waldburger?! With two SOTN bonuses in his past four fights?!!
DG: Pop quiz time: Who is the only fighter (other than Vitor Belfort) to have all of their UFC wins come inside the distance? It’s none other than +300 to win inside the distance on Saturday night, Gabriel Gonzaga. The prospective profit almost doubles simply picking Gonzaga to win inside the distance vs. simply winning the fight, risk reward makes this a good dog pick by default.
JJ: Wait, so all of Gonzaga’s wins have come inside the distance, yet he’s facing 3-to-1 odds to beat Shawn Jordan inside the distance? Prop bets are for the weak: All my monies on Gonzaga by Grape Ape Rape inside the first. Joke, you are a bad.
JJ: Dan is going to suggest that you place your money on Sanchez or some weird-ass prop bet that most of our bookies don’t even offer. Just watch. My reaction to this advice is as follows:
DG: This bout is far more competitive than the line suggests (Ed note: TOLD YOU SO). That line is Jones vs. Sonnen territory and while Melendez is the right favorite, he pays next to nothing as an outright pick (even to win by decision at -175 is a worthwhile pick but still not a plus money option). So where can you find the opportunity to make over 4-to-1 on your investment in this fight without predicting a winner or loser? Melendez vs. Sanchez for FOTN. Looking at the fights on paper, this fight stands out above the rest and should be selected at the end of the night by Dana for the honors.
DG: Cain put on a clinic during his second bout with Dos Santos to take back the HW title, surprisingly out-striking the man who KO’d him only five months prior. The belief that the real Cain was not available for Zuffa’s FOX debut was supported with every jab and overhand right that the champ landed against JDS the second time around. Regardless of what the Brazilian will tell you, overtraining was most likely not the culprit for Dos Santos losing the rematch — it is far more likely that Velasquez is simply better in the long run. That said, JDS is a live dog because he is fighting an opponent he has beaten before and his price tag is paying out the highest return in his career. The prop that JDS wins via KO/TKO at +255 is the good dog pick, as it is rather clear Junior will not win any cardio races with Cain or steal any rounds along the way to a decision win. It’s all or nothing and it’s 2.5x your money if Cain gets caught again.
JJ: How quickly you forget UFC 90, Dan. Had any of us predicted that Dos Santos would treat Fabricio Werdum‘s face like a door on the TUF set at that event, we would have made 8 times our wager back. But you’re right about one thing, Dos Santos needs to catch Velasquez in the opening rounds if he hopes to hear a Brazilian mariachi version of “Gonna Fly Now” upon his return trip home. His takedown defense, however, is going to have to be impeccable for this to happen. I see this fight going down a lot like the second incarnation, with Velasquez wearing JDS down and potentially finishing him with GnP sometime in the championship rounds. But hey, there’s always the Klitschko’s, right Junior?
Earlier this week, Nick Diaz friend and teammate Gilbert Melendez (who fights Diego Sanchez this Saturday at UFC 166) offered his opinion that “I think with the right opportunity, for the right thing, [Diaz will] come out [of retirement].”
One-eyed British superstar Michael Bisping then shouted out on twitter that “if Diaz wants a fight at 185 I would happily welcome him to the division.”
With that, the rumor ball got rolling about a possible middleweight match up between Bisping and Diaz, who has not fought since March and who has not won since 2011. Bisping is currently sidelined by a serious eye injury. Nick, of course, has thus far stayed silent on the possible matchup with Bisping and is also in the midst of his second fake retirement.
The first came after he lost a close decision to Carlos Condit and was then suspended for a failed drug test, and the second and current one came after he lost a tough decision to welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre last March. Diaz is only thirty years old but has been fighting professionally since he was a teenager and appears weary of taking part in anything short of mega-fights at this point in his career.
So, there’s really no new developments in this story yet until Nick himself comes out and…no, wait, Mike Bisping wants to tell us all something and he wants to do it while cooking steaks in his home.
In the above video, Fighters Only magazine visits with their countryman Bisping at home while the cocky Brit cooks dinner for his family. Bisping once more accepts the theoretical fight with Diaz and also talks about several other issues. Highlights after the jump.
Earlier this week, Nick Diaz friend and teammate Gilbert Melendez (who fights Diego Sanchez this Saturday at UFC 166) offered his opinion that “I think with the right opportunity, for the right thing, [Diaz will] come out [of retirement].”
One-eyed British superstar Michael Bisping then shouted out on twitter that “if Diaz wants a fight at 185 I would happily welcome him to the division.”
With that, the rumor ball got rolling about a possible middleweight match up between Bisping and Diaz, who has not fought since March and who has not won since 2011. Bisping is currently sidelined by a serious eye injury. Nick, of course, has thus far stayed silent on the possible matchup with Bisping and is also in the midst of his second fake retirement.
The first came after he lost a close decision to Carlos Condit and was then suspended for a failed drug test, and the second and current one came after he lost a tough decision to welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre last March. Diaz is only thirty years old but has been fighting professionally since he was a teenager and appears weary of taking part in anything short of mega-fights at this point in his career.
So, there’s really no new developments in this story yet until Nick himself comes out and…no, wait, Mike Bisping wants to tell us all something and he wants to do it while cooking steaks in his home.
In the above video, Fighters Only magazine visits with their countryman Bisping at home while the cocky Brit cooks dinner for his family. Bisping once more accepts the theoretical fight with Diaz and also talks about several other issues. Highlights after the jump.
0:05: Bisping describes some good-looking food that he begins to prepare in an accent that makes it all sound somehow disgustingly bland.
1:30: Bisping gives the camera a gross close-up look at his injured eye and then explains the details of his injury.
2:51: Bisping gives his take on the replacement fight between his originally scheduled opponent UFC Fight Night 30 opponent Mark Munoz and Lyoto Machida.
4:05: Bisping talks about Machida dropping down in weight from light heavyweight to middleweight as he himself did years ago.
4:52: Bisping gets around to the topic of Nick Diaz and his possibly moving up in weight to 185 pounds. “If that’s what he wants to do, great. I have nothing against Nick Diaz…I enjoy watching his fights.”
This unrecognizable, classy Bisping slowly makes his turn to the trash-talking, arrogant guy we’ve all come to love, and then, with either sarcasm or an astounding lack of self-awareness, says how much he hates trash talk.
“It is a terrible fight for him, great fight for me,” Bisping says of a match up with Diaz.
“I’m certainly not going to turn down a petulant child of an MMA fighter.” And, there it is.
“I’m not going for this whole trash-talk phenomenon,” says one of the most successful trash talk phenomenons in all of MMA.
7:20: Bisping gives his take on Weidman vs. Silva I and II.
What do you think, nation? Is this all just the latest in a string of Nick Diaz teases or will the Stockton warrior indeed come back to the fighting and make Bisping his first victim?
(“If I could tell that young Diego Sanchez anything…anything…it wouldn’t matter because he wouldn’t have listened anyway.” Props: YouTube.com/UFC)
Thanks to his 2009 beating at the hands of BJ Penn and a shaky 2-2 stint at welterweight, UFC fan-favorite Diego Sanchez has lost a great deal of the “perennial contender” aura that he’d held during his early ascension. So is The Nightmare Dream still relevant in the year 2013? The jury is still out on that question: Sanchez made his return to lightweight earlier this year in Japan, missed weight by three pounds, then barely snuck off with a split-decision win against Takanori Gomi.
Still, Sanchez has a massive opportunity to redeem himself next month at UFC 166 when he faces former Strikeforce champ/UFC lightweight title contender Gilbert Melendez. In this new profile video, Sanchez explains how some poor personal decisions left his MMA skills fading and his bank account drained, leading to some rough times in his career. Now, he’s reunited with Greg Jackson, focused and humble, and has a wife and son to fight for. It’s the set-up to a Cinderella story. Can he scrap his way to a happy ending?
(“If I could tell that young Diego Sanchez anything…anything…it wouldn’t matter because he wouldn’t have listened anyway.” Props: YouTube.com/UFC)
Thanks to his 2009 beating at the hands of BJ Penn and a shaky 2-2 stint at welterweight, UFC fan-favorite Diego Sanchez has lost a great deal of the “perennial contender” aura that he’d held during his early ascension. So is The Nightmare Dream still relevant in the year 2013? The jury is still out on that question: Sanchez made his return to lightweight earlier this year in Japan, missed weight by three pounds, then barely snuck off with a split-decision win against Takanori Gomi.
Still, Sanchez has a massive opportunity to redeem himself next month at UFC 166 when he faces former Strikeforce champ/UFC lightweight title contender Gilbert Melendez. In this new profile video, Sanchez explains how some poor personal decisions left his MMA skills fading and his bank account drained, leading to some rough times in his career. Now, he’s reunited with Greg Jackson, focused and humble, and has a wife and son to fight for. It’s the set-up to a Cinderella story. Can he scrap his way to a happy ending?
Gilbert Melendez is the definition of quiet intensity.
In a profession filled with individuals who posture and boast about their toughness, or jaw themselves into self-constructed grudge matches, Melendez is simply a different type of animal. He doesn’…
Gilbert Melendez is the definition of quiet intensity.
In a profession filled with individuals who posture and boast about their toughness, or jaw themselves into self-constructed grudge matches, Melendez is simply a different type of animal. He doesn’t use words or the ever-popular mean mug to represent his craft because the passion to scrap is coursing beneath the surface, always there at the ready, waiting to be tapped into when the moment arises.
In fact, it his “knowing” that allows the 31-year-old Santa Ana native to carry such a stoic confidence.
The Team Cesar Gracie fighter is fully aware of what he’s capable of, just as much as he knows he’s one of the best 155-pound fighters in the world. Melendez has been a champion multiple times in the past and recognizes the potential to become one again—this time on the biggest stage in MMA—is still on the horizon.
Yet, talking to the man, it is entirely possible those issues would never arise.
If bystanders are unaware of his accomplishments as a fighter or happen to miss the cauliflower ears he’s earned from years in wrestling rooms, the laid-back sway that comes from a lifetime spent in northern California allows Melendez to relate to the same people he set out to entertain over a decade ago.
Yet, his easy nature outside of the cage is a stark contrast to the fighter he becomes when the time for ruckus draws near. When the cage door closes and the referee steps aside, the release of his quiet storm is signaled, and the unique mixture of aggression, savvy and natural toughness he possesses becomes a treacherous obstacle to overcome.
Of the 24 times “El Nino” has entered the live-fire environment of combat, there have only been three instances where his hand was not raised upon the fight’s conclusion. The Skrap Pack leader was able to bounce back and best Mitsuhiro Ishida and current UFC title contender Josh Thomson in their rematches, but his most recent setback against then-lightweight champion Benson Henderson at UFC on Fox 9 in April, is a loss that still lingers and resonates in the back of his mind.
He nearly had the most coveted lightweight crown in MMA in his possession, but a razor-thin split-decision on the judge’s scorecards forced him to endure a reality he hadn’t faced in over six years. Not only had he lost his first fight since 2007, but exiting the cage in San Jose would mark the first time over this stretch he would have to do so without championship gold around his waist.
Coming up short in the biggest fight of his life would be enough to push most fighters off their pivot, but Melendez isn’t most fighters. Rather than dwell on an opportunity missed and what might have been, Melendez ground the setback into usable fuel and hit the comeback trail with ferocity.
While his dream of becoming a UFC champion is still burning inside, Melendez is a realist through and through. He knows he will have to defeat at least one of his peers in the elite tier of the lightweight division to earn another shot at the 155-pound strap, and work of that variety is a challenge he is looking forward to.
With that in mind, the former No. 1 contender will not have to wait long. He will lock up with another former title challenger in Diego Sanchez on Oct. 19 at UFC 166. The showdown between the two hard-charging scrappers is one of the most highly-anticipated bouts on the lightweight docket, and Melendez believes he can take a thunderous step back toward the throne by defeating “The Dream” in definitive fashion.
Nevertheless, besting Sanchez is one thing, but doing it in impressive fashion is challenge of a different variety. Yet, Melendez believes he has what it takes to get the job done.
“I do believe an impressive win over Diego could earn me another title shot,” Melendez told Bleacher Report. “But I also think he could come into this fight in the best shape of his life and it could be a battle.
“I take a deep breath when I say it, but I tell myself if we’re looking sharp and looking as good as we can be, I think we can control and dominate this fight and really send a message. Then there are other parts of me that say this guy may come in better than ever because this is his opportunity to get back into the title race. That is why I make sure to keep my focus, be ready for that war and be ready to go out there and perform. I think if I come in ready I should win and do so in impressive fashion.
“At this point right now, I’ve become a better fighter, and I’m still on the mission to become champion,” he added. “I’m still on the path but I’m trying to have a more focused mentality. I put in the hard work. I’m focused on the road ahead, and it’s time for me to go out there and display my skills now. The title is definitely my goal and my vision, but I’m really proud right now of how I’m putting everything together. I’m making this transitions and I believe I’m becoming a different fighter right now and I can’t wait to go experiment out there.”
In addition to what is at stake in his matchup with Sanchez next month, another interesting angle surrounding the fight involves the location in which it will take place. UFC 166 is set to go down in Houston, a city with a large Latino population. With both Melendez and Sanchez being of Mexican heritage, the lightweight showdown promises to be a popular draw within the Latino demographic.
The UFC has made no secret about their intention to break into the Mexican market. With heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez headlining the card and Melendez versus Sanchez also on the pay-per-view portion, the promotion is putting the proper pieces in place to deliver an exciting product.
Any time the UFC pushes into a new market, the fighters at the front of those waves have the potential to become stars in a different variety. While that scenario can create pressure for those involved, it is the type of charge Melendez has been fighting to obtain for years. He would love to be an anchor for the UFC’s push into Mexico and believes the heart and tenacity he displays inside the cage is exactly the brand of scrap the passionate combat sports fanbase in Mexico can get behind.
“I embrace that and I’ve been asking for this for a long time,” Melendez said. “You always put more pressure on yourself because of it, but it’s part of the game and I’m looking forward to it. It is fun to try to be the toughest Mexican in the MMA game. I’d love to be that guy. I know I have to keep working on my Spanish and I’m working on it more and more, but I fight like a Mexican. Everyone knows that and they embrace me for it and I love it.
“I’m ready for this, and the whole thing is whether you can back it up or not. I know I can back my sh** up. When you put a lot of pressure on yourself, you have to be prepared. The worst thing is feeling like you’re not prepared and not feeling confident when so much weight is on your shoulders. You have to feel confident that you are going to be able to deliver and I’ve felt that way for the past five years of my career. I’m ready for whatever comes my way.
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To better understand who Melendez is as a man, it’s important to get a clear picture of who he is as a fighter. Typically, in combat sports, an athlete goes to great extents to keep those elements in their lives separate, but for Melendez, the parallel being drawn between the two has little to do with ability and everything to do with growth.
Complacency and the nudging of close friend Jake Shields prompted him to start down the path of becoming a mixed martial artist back in 2002. Now, 11 years and several championships later, the thrill of the moment perception of a 20-year-old kid has given way to the life of a family man who is sharpening his craft on a quest for greatness.
“It’s been up and down,” Melendez said in regard to his journey. “Initially, my mindset was to walk into this cage and test myself. That was my young, 20-year-old mentality. I just wanted to go in there and fight and see what I could do. I liked the idea of getting in a real fight but without getting in trouble or getting the cops involved, you know?
“The next thing you know, I’m getting fights that come with a free trip to Hawaii. I’ll take a free trip to Hawaii and some rent money. It became like a vacation in my mind. Then my next vacation came with a trip to Japan and the opportunity to make $10,000 a fight. That’s a lot of money for kid in his 20s. But after you have some success, you reach a point where you realize you can be really good at this and your commitment level changes. That was the point in my career where it happened for me and I started to envision bigger things that could come. But those were great times for sure.
“But at the beginning, when I won the WEC title, it was just something fun to do,” Melendez said. “When I first won that I felt like I was maybe the toughest kid in California. Honestly, I had a lot of those same feelings the first time I won the Strikeforce title when I beat Clay Guida. Things changed when I started fighting on Showtime and defending the belt because I felt like I brought some prestige to the title.”
While earning the recognition of being regarded as the best lightweight fighter in the world is high on his list, what is perhaps the most intense drive pulsing through Melendez is his mission to earn the level of respect he believes he’s due.
He’s spent the large majority of his career fighting outside of the UFC banner, and that was a condition that came with a stigma. Melendez may have been the best lightweight fighter in Strikeforce, but in the eyes of the fighting faithful, being a champion in the San Jose-based promotion created a “second class” perception that could never be toppled by fighting alone.
Those variables were altered when he made his long-awaited UFC debut at UFC on Fox 7. While he was no stranger to the atmosphere of a UFC event, the reality of the changes that were about to take place, exceeded every expectation he set.
“It was something I’ve always known, but to experience it, I know it’s a different animal,” Melendez said. “It’s a marketing machine, and I know you have to give to get. I feel like I’m going to be able to give a lot and I’m going to embrace that. I can feel the branding difference even in a loss.
“I haven’t lost in a long time, and, even with the loss, my brand went up as well as my recognition and my legitimacy just because I’m with this organization. It’s great, and I’m enjoying it. I feel like they are already giving me opportunities, and it’s great to be a part of the UFC. I feel like I’m certified in this sport because of it.”
The hovering circumstance of success and the pressures created by a rising profile forced Melendez to grow in every aspect of his life. Where slinging leather and elbows for damage inside the cage kept his career moving forward, it wasn’t going to be enough to navigate the unforgiving terrain of a rapidly moving sport.
Melendez realized he needed to increase his brand and visibility, but as a veteran of such a taxing trade, he was well-aware of the pitfalls that come from doing so without a calculated game plan in place. With that in mind, one of the biggest assets Melendez had in his corner came in the form of a tight-knit support system comprised of family and friends.
That element helped to keep him grounded and allowed him to continue his personal evolution. While it hasn’t been a flawless process, Melendez has endured and thrived despite the chaos of having a profile on the rise in a sport that continues to grow at a rapid rate.
“I feel like I’m growing as a fighter and a man as well,” Melendez said. “It is a lot to juggle, but it has helped me become a better fighter and handle everything in stride in my personal growth as well. It has helped my mentality as I mature in every aspect of my life, professional and personal.
“But it is a little difficult trying to mange this, doing what I’m doing, and having a family. You wish you could dedicate your entire life to training, but that’s just not possible when you have a family. Growing as you go along and the maturity I’ve experienced in the process has definitely helped me improve my fighting skills and the mental aspect of my game as well.
“Fighting does define me because, if I perform there, it is because I’m performing in the other important aspects of my life. Also, the more success I have as a fighter, the more it is going to improve the other areas. It all connects and trickles down.”
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With his bout against Sanchez less than a month away, Melendez is putting the final pieces of the puzzle together. His fight against the TUF winner will be his first in seven years where there isn’t a title on the line, but it will also mark the first time in that stretch where he will have to do his work inside of a 15-minute time limit.
This is a huge factor in Melendez’s opinion because he knows the impact those circumstances will have on the pace of the fight. Both he and Sanchez are notorious for setting a furious pace, and Melendez is expecting an all-out war in Houston.
When it comes to grueling battles inside the cage, Melendez is no stranger. His trilogy with Josh Thomson was one of the most impressive series in MMA history as the two champions fought tooth and nail to determine lightweight supremacy under the Strikeforce banner.
While he doesn’t necessarily subscribe to the notion Thomson is the toughest 155-pound fighter in the world, he certainly acknowledges how their respective styles and willingness to scrap brought the best out of one another.
“Every fighter will face an opponent that defines them or brings out the best of them at a certain point in their career,” Melendez said. “In the case with Josh Thomson and I, everyone was waiting for that fight to happen, and it’s great to have that opponent that brings the best out of you.
“MMA has so many dimensions. It’s not just boxing, wrestling, or jiu-jitsu. You have to be able to beat your opponents with your particular style. But there is that one matchup where the guy is almost like your kryptonite. He can do the same things you can do but it’s just a little bit different where it makes the fight competitive. It could be the hardest guy you ever fight in your life but may not be the toughest guy in the division.
“What happened between Jon Jones and Alex Gustafsson on Saturday night was some seriously undeniable magic out there. It was amazing to see Jones rise to the occasion and battle through adversity. I think even people who don’t know what the sport is would be intrigued by that. When two fighters match up in that unique way, and bring the best out of one another, special things can happen.”
To prepare for what Sanchez could bring to the table, the former Strikeforce champion has looked to his past for elements he can bring to his present game. Where Melendez has always displayed determination and toughness, those raw elements steadily take a back seat as his progression in the more technical aspects of his craft continues.
Nevertheless, it was that fire and love of the scrap that set him on the path to becoming what it is today. Rather than turn his back on what has fueled the journey thus far, Melendez has found away to harness those attributes and use them to elevate his abilities at this stage of his career.
“The toughness and that fire is definitely there,” Melendez said. “It’s almost something you keep trying to reach back into as you try to become this technical and perfect fighter because the beast is what brought you there. Trying to maintain both of them is difficult. You want to fight technical and with finesse at the same time as tap into that toughness, but it’s a hard thing to do. I always try to go back to my younger years and try to keep some of that same mentality, but as time has gone on, it is difficult to summon the beast everyday for training.
“That being said, I do know how to summon that beast. I know how to peak out at the right time. I am passionate about this sport. I’m passionate about the way I perform and I will always come in prepared. The beast will always come out because of it.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
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