Tag: Melvin Guillard

Diego Sanchez, Melvin Guillard Dispute Media Report About Past Sparring Sessions

Former MMA teammates under Greg Jackson, Diego Sanchez and Melvin Guillard, both have a bone to pick with a recent media report where “The Young Assassin” was asked his opinion on the recent thriller between Sanchez and Gilbert Melendez at UFC 166…

Former MMA teammates under Greg Jackson, Diego Sanchez and Melvin Guillard, both have a bone to pick with a recent media report where “The Young Assassin” was asked his opinion on the recent thriller between Sanchez and Gilbert Melendez at UFC 166. 

Speaking to MMA Junkie, Guillard apparently made a bold statement regarding the front-running “Fight of the Year” candidate and his old friend: 

“I would have dropped either one of them,” Guillard is quoted in the report. “I used to drop Diego Sanchez in practice all the time. When I hit people, I hurt people. That’s just what I do.”

This reporter/fan was intrigued by the statement, so I thought I’d tweet at “The Dream” for his side of the story. The over 11-year fight veteran was not amused by his ex-training partner’s alleged comment.

At a glance, it looked like a new feud was brewing in the UFC’s highly competitive lightweight division. However, Guillard responded early this morning stating he was misquoted in the interview in question. 

Guillard, who is just 2-4 in his past six bouts, has a chance to re-enter the 155-pound division’s top 15 with a decisive win over fellow slugger Ross Pearson this Saturday.

Meanwhile, Sanchez is 3-2 in his past 5 matchups inside the cage, the same record he’s compiled at lightweight, and has already expressed interest in a five-round fight with former UFC title challenger Nate Diaz.  

MMA Junkie did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment on the situation, though the story will be updated if a response is given at any point.  

UPDATE: 1:56 P.M. Eastern Time

MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn, a co-author on the original story, said in an e-mail that the quotes were obtained from a pre-UFC Fight Night 30 media scrum, providing an audio clip to back up his claim. 

The audio clip, which was provided to Bleacher Report, accurately reflects what Guillard was quoted as saying in MMA Junkie’s piece about Guillard.  

 

John Heinis is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA Editor for eDraft.com.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Melvin Guillard on Melendez, Sanchez: ‘I Would’ve Dropped Either One of Them.’

Hot off the heels of one of the greatest lightweight fights ever between Gilbert Melendez and Diego Sanchez, Melvin Guillard will be stepping into the cage to face Ross Pearson on the UFC Fight Night 30 card in the co-main event slot.
One would imagine…

Hot off the heels of one of the greatest lightweight fights ever between Gilbert Melendez and Diego Sanchez, Melvin Guillard will be stepping into the cage to face Ross Pearson on the UFC Fight Night 30 card in the co-main event slot.

One would imagine trying to follow that fight would be a great deal of pressure for any two lightweights; but if it is, Melvin Guillard isn’t feeling it. In fact, while not dismissive of either Melendez or Sanchez, he was “optimistic” about his chances against either man (h/t Mike Bohn and Matt Erickson at MMAJunkie.com).

“I would have dropped either one of them,” Guillard said. “I used to drop Diego Sanchez in practice all the time. When I hit people, I hurt people. That’s just what I do.”

While this might sound like hubris, Guillard does have proven KO power. The problem he has always seemed to have is that he never follows any kind of game plan and on the ground he’s highly susceptible to submissions; of his 12 losses, nine have come via submission.

Guillard has been an up and down fighter in the UFC. He’s incredibly experienced, with a record of 32-12-2, and he’s had 20 fights in the UFC; he’s just never managed to remain consistent enough to earn a title shot.

And in spite of all of that, Guillard’s enthusiasm for himself remains unabated as he heads into hostile territory against a gritty fighter in Pearson, who is on a two-fight win streak.

“Ross better worry about my hands,” Guillard said. “I am the hardest hitting ‘55er at 155. I’ve watched him bang with guys, I’ve watched him connect on good shots and not even drop people. Everybody I hit, I drop. Everybody I hit, I f**k them up.”

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Melvin Guillard vs. Ross Pearson Booked as Co-Main Event of UFC Fight Night: Bisping vs. Munoz


(NOW, MAC! USE YOUR BREAKDANCE-FIGHTING! / Photo via MMAFighting.com)

After saving his job by wrecking Mac Danzig at UFC on FOX 8, Melvin Guillard already has his next Octagon appearance booked. The Young Assassin will face off against fellow lightweight banger Ross Pearson in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night: Bisping vs. Munoz, October 26th in Manchester, England.

While Guillard’s win over Danzig marked his first KO victory since 2011, Pearson has been on a minor tear since returning to lightweight last year, with impressive TKO wins against George Sotiropoulos and Ryan Couture. We’d call this matchup a “guaranteed slugfest,” but we’ve been officially banned from using that phrase, following the passage of the MacDonald/Ellenberger Unfulfilled Hype Act of 2013. (THANKS OBAMA.) But yeah, it’s pretty likely that this one will end before the judges have a chance to screw it up.

In a semi-related story: Michael Bisping is now using Mark Munoz’s battle with depression as fodder for his trash-talk. Add another one to the pile…


(NOW, MAC! USE YOUR BREAKDANCE-FIGHTING! / Photo via MMAFighting.com)

After saving his job by wrecking Mac Danzig at UFC on FOX 8, Melvin Guillard already has his next Octagon appearance booked. The Young Assassin will face off against fellow lightweight banger Ross Pearson in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night: Bisping vs. Munoz, October 26th in Manchester, England.

While Guillard’s win over Danzig marked his first KO victory since 2011, Pearson has been on a minor tear since returning to lightweight last year, with impressive TKO wins against George Sotiropoulos and Ryan Couture. We’d call this matchup a “guaranteed slugfest,” but we’ve been officially banned from using that phrase, following the passage of the MacDonald/Ellenberger Unfulfilled Hype Act of 2013. (THANKS OBAMA.) But yeah, it’s pretty likely that this one will end before the judges have a chance to screw it up.

In a semi-related story: Michael Bisping is now using Mark Munoz’s battle with depression as fodder for his trash-talk. Add another one to the pile…

Melvin Guillard vs. Ross Pearson Co-Main Event for UFC Fight Night in England

Fresh off a win over Mac Danzig at UFC on Fox 8 in July, Melvin Guillard will get back in action when he travels to England to take on former Ultimate Fighter winner Ross Pearson in the co-main event for the upcoming UFC Fight Night event on Oct. 26.
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Fresh off a win over Mac Danzig at UFC on Fox 8 in July, Melvin Guillard will get back in action when he travels to England to take on former Ultimate Fighter winner Ross Pearson in the co-main event for the upcoming UFC Fight Night event on Oct. 26.

The new fight was announced on UFC Tonight on Tuesday night.

Following back-to-back losses as well as losing four out of his last five fights, Guillard finally got back on track with his last fight in Seattle.

The former Blackzilian fighter exited the camp earlier this year to find a new home, and he found it at the Grudge Training Center in Colorado, where he worked under the watchful eye of head coach Trevor Wittman.

The results showed in his performance, as Guillard fought a controlled, tactical fight countering Danzig’s every move until finally unloading a huge punch in the second round that sent his opponent crashing to the floor. Guillard followed with a few more strikes, but the fight was already finished; he walked away victorious and picked up a Knockout of the Night award for his efforts.

Guillard will likely find another standup fight awaiting him when he travels to Manchester, England for his next bout. There he faces a lightweight banger in his home country.

Ross Pearson will return home to England for a fight for the first time in nearly four years when he faces Guillard in the co-main event of the evening. A native of Sunderland, England, Pearson spent his formative years in MMA fighting in his home country before making it to the UFC by way of winning The Ultimate Fighter.

Spending most of his career at lightweight, Pearson briefly dabbled in the featherweight division before returning to 155 pounds, and the results have been much better. Pearson knocked out former Ultimate Fighter coach George Sotiropoulos with strikes in 2012 before doing the same to Strikeforce transfer Ryan Couture in his lone fight thus far in 2013.

Pearson is a fearsome striker with heavy hands, which mimics the skill set of Guillard, so it’s likely these two fighters will look to put on quite a show for the crowd in England.

The upcoming UFC Fight Night card on Oct. 26 has not been named or given an event number yet, but it will be headlined by England’s own Michael Bisping facing Mark Munoz. The card is expected to air on the new Fox Sports 2 channel (previously Fuel TV).

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Robbie Lawler, Melvin Guillard Top the UFC on FOX 8 Salary List


(Robbie’s body may have been in the Octagon at that moment, but in his mind, he was already making it rain at Little Darlings. / Photo via Getty Images)

According to figures released by the Washington State Department of Licensing, the UFC paid out $1,050,000 in disclosed salaries and bonuses to the 24 fighters who competed at UFC on FOX 8: Johnson vs. Moraga on Saturday, led by main card slugger Robbie Lawler, who took in $156,000 including his win bonus and Knockout of the Night bonus. Three other fighters broke into six-figure territory thanks to their end-of-night bonuses, including Melvin Guillard, Ed Herman, and flyweight headliner Demetrious Johnson.

Check out the full salary list below, courtesy of MMAJunkie. Keep in mind that the figures don’t include additional revenue from sponsorships or undisclosed “locker room bonuses.”

Demetrious Johnson: $108,000 (includes $29,000 win bonus, $50,000 Submission of the Night bonus)
def. John Moraga: $17,000

Rory MacDonald: $48,000 (includes $24,000 win bonus)
def. Jake Ellenberger: $52,000

Robbie Lawler: $156,000 (includes $78,000 win bonus)
def. Bobby Voelker: $12,000


(Robbie’s body may have been in the Octagon at that moment, but in his mind, he was already making it rain at Little Darlings. / Photo via Getty Images)

According to figures released by the Washington State Department of Licensing, the UFC paid out $1,050,000 in disclosed salaries and bonuses to the 24 fighters who competed at UFC on FOX 8: Johnson vs. Moraga on Saturday, led by main card slugger Robbie Lawler, who took in $156,000 including his win bonus and Knockout of the Night bonus. Three other fighters broke into six-figure territory thanks to their end-of-night bonuses, including Melvin Guillard, Ed Herman, and flyweight headliner Demetrious Johnson.

Check out the full salary list below, courtesy of MMAJunkie. Keep in mind that the figures don’t include additional revenue from sponsorships or undisclosed “locker room bonuses.”

Demetrious Johnson: $108,000 (includes $29,000 win bonus, $50,000 Submission of the Night bonus)
def. John Moraga: $17,000

Rory MacDonald: $48,000 (includes $24,000 win bonus)
def. Jake Ellenberger: $52,000

Robbie Lawler: $156,000 (includes $78,000 win bonus)
def. Bobby Voelker: $12,000

Liz Carmouche: $24,000 (includes $12,000 win bonus)
def. Jessica Andrade: $8,000

Jorge Masvidal: $66,000 (includes $33,000 win bonus)
def. Michael Chiesa: $15,000

Danny Castillo: $58,000 (includes $29,000 win bonus)
def. Tim Means: $12,000

Melvin Guillard: $134,000 (includes $42,000 win bonus, $50,000 Knockout of the Night bonus)
def. Mac Danzig: $30,000

Daron Cruickshank: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus)
def. Yves Edwards: $21,000

Ed Herman: $124,000 (includes $37,000 win bonus, $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus)
def. Trevor Smith: $58,000 (includes $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus)

Germaine de Randamie: $18,000 (includes $9,000 win bonus)
def. Julie Kedzie: $9,000

Justin Salas: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus)
def. Aaron Riley: $14,000

Yaotzin Meza: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus)
def. John Albert: $10,000

Underpaid: The end of a pioneering 16-year career, and Aaron Riley only made $14,000 to show. Jesus. We hope he was able to save some of his career earnings, instead of spending it all on ramen noodles. As for Michael Chiesa‘s $15,000 purse, well…it’s comforting to know that The Ultimate Fighter‘s wonderful “six-figure contract” hasn’t changed since season one.

Overpaid: Jake Ellenberger put in overtime hyping his fight against Rory MacDonald, but in terms of effort exerted in the Octagon, no, he didn’t earn that $52,000. And if we’re just going by merit, then Tim Means — who’s best known for losing a fight to a sauna and missing weight by five pounds — should probably be the lowest-paid fighter on this card, instead of Jessica Andrade, who flew halfway around the world just to get her ass kicked.

Robbie Lawler, Melvin Guillard Top the UFC on FOX 8 Salary List


(Robbie’s body may have been in the Octagon at that moment, but in his mind, he was already making it rain at Little Darlings. / Photo via Getty Images)

According to figures released by the Washington State Department of Licensing, the UFC paid out $1,050,000 in disclosed salaries and bonuses to the 24 fighters who competed at UFC on FOX 8: Johnson vs. Moraga on Saturday, led by main card slugger Robbie Lawler, who took in $156,000 including his win bonus and Knockout of the Night bonus. Three other fighters broke into six-figure territory thanks to their end-of-night bonuses, including Melvin Guillard, Ed Herman, and flyweight headliner Demetrious Johnson.

Check out the full salary list below, courtesy of MMAJunkie. Keep in mind that the figures don’t include additional revenue from sponsorships or undisclosed “locker room bonuses.”

Demetrious Johnson: $108,000 (includes $29,000 win bonus, $50,000 Submission of the Night bonus)
def. John Moraga: $17,000

Rory MacDonald: $48,000 (includes $24,000 win bonus)
def. Jake Ellenberger: $52,000

Robbie Lawler: $156,000 (includes $78,000 win bonus)
def. Bobby Voelker: $12,000


(Robbie’s body may have been in the Octagon at that moment, but in his mind, he was already making it rain at Little Darlings. / Photo via Getty Images)

According to figures released by the Washington State Department of Licensing, the UFC paid out $1,050,000 in disclosed salaries and bonuses to the 24 fighters who competed at UFC on FOX 8: Johnson vs. Moraga on Saturday, led by main card slugger Robbie Lawler, who took in $156,000 including his win bonus and Knockout of the Night bonus. Three other fighters broke into six-figure territory thanks to their end-of-night bonuses, including Melvin Guillard, Ed Herman, and flyweight headliner Demetrious Johnson.

Check out the full salary list below, courtesy of MMAJunkie. Keep in mind that the figures don’t include additional revenue from sponsorships or undisclosed “locker room bonuses.”

Demetrious Johnson: $108,000 (includes $29,000 win bonus, $50,000 Submission of the Night bonus)
def. John Moraga: $17,000

Rory MacDonald: $48,000 (includes $24,000 win bonus)
def. Jake Ellenberger: $52,000

Robbie Lawler: $156,000 (includes $78,000 win bonus)
def. Bobby Voelker: $12,000

Liz Carmouche: $24,000 (includes $12,000 win bonus)
def. Jessica Andrade: $8,000

Jorge Masvidal: $66,000 (includes $33,000 win bonus)
def. Michael Chiesa: $15,000

Danny Castillo: $58,000 (includes $29,000 win bonus)
def. Tim Means: $12,000

Melvin Guillard: $134,000 (includes $42,000 win bonus, $50,000 Knockout of the Night bonus)
def. Mac Danzig: $30,000

Daron Cruickshank: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus)
def. Yves Edwards: $21,000

Ed Herman: $124,000 (includes $37,000 win bonus, $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus)
def. Trevor Smith: $58,000 (includes $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus)

Germaine de Randamie: $18,000 (includes $9,000 win bonus)
def. Julie Kedzie: $9,000

Justin Salas: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus)
def. Aaron Riley: $14,000

Yaotzin Meza: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus)
def. John Albert: $10,000

Underpaid: The end of a pioneering 16-year career, and Aaron Riley only made $14,000 to show. Jesus. We hope he was able to save some of his career earnings, instead of spending it all on ramen noodles. As for Michael Chiesa‘s $15,000 purse, well…it’s comforting to know that The Ultimate Fighter‘s wonderful “six-figure contract” hasn’t changed since season one.

Overpaid: Jake Ellenberger put in overtime hyping his fight against Rory MacDonald, but in terms of effort exerted in the Octagon, no, he didn’t earn that $52,000. And if we’re just going by merit, then Tim Means — who’s best known for losing a fight to a sauna and missing weight by five pounds — should probably be the lowest-paid fighter on this card, instead of Jessica Andrade, who flew halfway around the world just to get her ass kicked.