Tag: UFC 166

Pics: Gilbert Melendez’s Battered Leg Is Disgusting

He may have lost a one-sided decision to Jeremy Stephens in his featherweight debut at last weekend’s (Sat., September 9, 2017) UFC 215 from Edmonton, but former Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez earned the respect of the MMA world when he fought through an absolutely destroyed left leg from an onslaught of vicious Stephens low kicks. […]

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He may have lost a one-sided decision to Jeremy Stephens in his featherweight debut at last weekend’s (Sat., September 9, 2017) UFC 215 from Edmonton, but former Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez earned the respect of the MMA world when he fought through an absolutely destroyed left leg from an onslaught of vicious Stephens low kicks.

Many wondered if “El Nino” was seriously injured in the bout, as the referee repeatedly stopped the aaction to check on the battered fighter, only to see him fight on when he could barely stand. Thankfully, however, Melendez has avoided serious injury according to his wife Keri, who thanked his supporters by posting an update online that Melendez had avoided knee damage and would heal up quick.

However, that doesn’t mean that he isn’t dealing with a nasty recovery, as she also posted some photos of his grotesquely swollen and bruised leg. Check them out:

Ouch.

Indeed Melendez is a soldier, as he had numerous chances to give up last weekend and no one would have blamed him. But he chose to fight on against one of the most powerful pure strikers at featherweight, and for that, he clearly deserves the respect of his fans and everyone else.

Yet it begs to be asked what battle that soldier is fighting, because after coming to the UFC as possibly the hottest fighter outside of the octagon, Melendez has gone a highly disappointing 1-5 with the world’s MMA leader, with his last win coming in an all-out battle with Diego Sanchez at October 2013’s UFC 166 that many still feel is one of the best MMA bouts of all-time.

That’s his only UFC win, however, and even reinventing himself at featherweight lead to defeat after more than a year off from his last loss, another one-sided affair with top-ranked lightweight Edson Barboza where he was again battered with low kicks. Training with the Diaz brothers, who are also susceptible to low kicks, it appears that’s become Melendez’ kryptonite of sorts, and Stephens clearly knew that on Saturday.

“El Nino” has hearts for days – that much will never be questioned. But just where does a 35-year-old “El Nino” go from here?

The post Pics: Gilbert Melendez’s Battered Leg Is Disgusting appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

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.)

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. 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

Jessica Eye’s Denial of Positive Marijuana Test is a PR Failure of Spectacular Proportions

(via MMAFighting)

Jessica Eye had four months to come clean about testing positive for marijuana following her UFC 166 win over Sarah Kaufman, yet she chose to deny, deny, deny and has arguably found herself in a worse place because of it.

Perhaps I should back up a bit. You see, although reports initially claimed that Eye had tested positive for prescription blood thinners stemming from a car accident she was involved in some 11 years ago, it was revealed yesterday that Eye did in fact test positive for marijuana post UFC 166. This was largely unearthed by BloodyElbow’s Brent Brookehouse, who correctly pointed out that a) no athletic commission in their right mind would license a fighter on blood thinners for obvious reasons (difficulty stopping cuts, increased risk of intracranial bleeding) and b) the Texas Athletic Commission did not conduct any blood tests at UFC 166, which would have been the only way that blood thinners would show up in a post-fight test.

And so, reports began to circulate that Eye’s test was actually for marijuana (Author’s note: Called it). Eye vehemently denied these rumors on yesterday’s The MMA Hour (see above) and even went as far as to attack Brookehouse’s credibility on her now deleted Twitter account. Unfortunately for Eye, Fox Sports published a piece containing “the agreed order as handed down from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation” shortly after her MMA Hour appearance that not only proved that Eye’s test was in fact for marijuana, but that Eye had known about this and waived her right to appeal in January.


(via MMAFighting)

Jessica Eye had four months to come clean about testing positive for marijuana following her UFC 166 win over Sarah Kaufman, yet she chose to deny, deny, deny and has arguably found herself in a worse place because of it.

Perhaps I should back up a bit. You see, although reports initially claimed that Eye had tested positive for prescription blood thinners stemming from a car accident she was involved in some 11 years ago, it was revealed yesterday that Eye did in fact test positive for marijuana post UFC 166. This was largely unearthed by BloodyElbow’s Brent Brookehouse, who correctly pointed out that a) no athletic commission in their right mind would license a fighter on blood thinners for obvious reasons (difficulty stopping cuts, increased risk of intracranial bleeding) and b) the Texas Athletic Commission did not conduct any blood tests at UFC 166, which would have been the only way that blood thinners would show up in a post-fight test.

And so, reports began to circulate that Eye’s test was actually for marijuana (Author’s note: Called it). Eye vehemently denied these rumors on yesterday’s The MMA Hour (see above) and even went as far as to attack Brookehouse’s credibility on her now deleted Twitter account. Unfortunately for Eye, Fox Sports published a piece containing “the agreed order as handed down from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation” shortly after her MMA Hour appearance that not only proved that Eye’s test was in fact for marijuana, but that Eye had known about this and waived her right to appeal in January.

Why Eye chose to outright lie with the evidence staring her directly in the face in anyone’s guess. Surely she knew that it was only a matter of time until her tests results came to light, so what was she hoping to gain by denying the facts until the very last minute? As Ben Fowlkes stated on the most recent edition of The Co-Main Event Podcast, Eye’s “probated suspension” and measly $1,875 fine was probably the lightest an MMA fighter has ever gotten off for a positive marijuana test. There’s also the fact that, well, MMA fans and media alike don’t really give a shit about weed anymore — there’s much bigger fish to fry.

The real irony of the situation is that, had Eye simply admitted to her mistake like Pat Healy before her, most of us would have shrugged our shoulders and moved on from the situation entirely. Instead, Eye’s denial of the claims against her (and subsequent Twitter rant) made a story out of nothing and has left her in a much worse standing with fans than any failed marijuana test ever could. Not to mention the fallout that could come from Eye’s admittal to being on blood thinners, which could make it incredibly difficult for her to secure a fight license moving forward. I guess that’s why they say “the truth shall set you free” and all that.

But as it stands, Eye will still fight Alexis Davis at UFC 170, and the Texas Athletic Commission might want to look into how they handle failed drug tests. Let’s just hope that Eye’s handling of this situation will serve as a “what not to do” blueprint to the Yancy Medeiros’ of the world moving forward.

–J. Jones

Jessica Eye Fails Drug Test, Receives “Probated Suspension” and Has UFC 166 Win Overturned to No Contest [UPDATED]


(Reports say Eye tested positive for over 4 times the legal amount of spinach. Photo via Getty.)

Late last week, reports started floating around that the Texas Athletic Commission had overturned Jessica Eye‘s controversial decision victory over Sarah Kaufman at UFC 166 to a “No Contest” without offering an explanation. Both Eye and Kaufman had been feuding over Twitter since the decision was announced but seemed as in the dark as the rest of us when the announcement was made. Clearly, Eye’s win was the result of a decades-long hoax involving herself, George W. Bush, and Eye’s native Ohio (a historically crucial swing state in Presidential elections) that was only recently exposed by a brash young reporter who dared risk everything in pursuit of the truth. In theaters this May.

However, new evidence surfaced just hours ago that bids to tear my latest conspiracy theory/movie pitch in twain. According to MMAJunkie’s Ben OldDad, “an administrative order from Jan. 22 states that Eye ‘tested positive for a prohibited drug,’ and was fined $1,875 and placed on a ‘one year fully probated suspension.’”

To clarify: “tested positive for a prohibited drug” = probably weed.


(Reports say Eye tested positive for over 4 times the legal amount of spinach. Photo via Getty.)

Late last week, reports started floating around that the Texas Athletic Commission had overturned Jessica Eye‘s controversial decision victory over Sarah Kaufman at UFC 166 to a “No Contest” without offering an explanation. Both Eye and Kaufman had been feuding over Twitter since the decision was announced but seemed as in the dark as the rest of us when the announcement was made. Clearly, Eye’s win was the result of a decades-long hoax involving herself, George W. Bush, and Eye’s native Ohio (a historically crucial swing state in Presidential elections) that was only recently exposed by a brash young reporter who dared risk everything in pursuit of the truth. In theaters this May.

However, new evidence surfaced just hours ago that bids to tear my latest conspiracy theory/movie pitch in twain. According to MMAJunkie’s Ben OldDad, “an administrative order from Jan. 22 states that Eye ‘tested positive for a prohibited drug,’ and was fined $1,875 and placed on a ‘one year fully probated suspension.’”

To clarify: “tested positive for a prohibited drug” = probably weed.

As for the “one year fully probated suspension,” well, according to both Fowlkes and the woman herself, Eye will still be allowed to compete in her scheduled fight against Alexis Davis at UFC 170 as long as she abides by the terms of her probation. A suspension-less suspension, if you will. It is interesting to note, however that Eye vs. Davis has been removed from the UFC 170 Wikipedia page (a great source, I know) as well as Eye’s personal page which states that Eye was “removed from the card due to her failed drug test.”

In any case, Sarah Kaufman responded to the news in the grateful yet complacent manner typical of a Canadian, stating:

It’s not a loss but also not a win. I hate to see our sport marred by athletes who can’t seem to control what substances they put in their bodies. It’s disrespectful to their opponents and employers.

Another interesting thing to note here is how differently Eye’s case is being treated than Ben Rothwell’s. Both fighters were popped by secondary athletic commissions in “fringe” MMA states (states that the UFC does not often visit), yet the UFC opted to suspend Rothwell for 9 months when he tested positive for elevated testosterone and, as of this write up, have done nothing to Eye. Not that weed should even be in the same ballpark as elevated testosterone — if the former even is what Eye tested positive for — but both are usually cause for lengthy suspensions in MMA, so what gives?

Is the UFC taking a pro-marijuana stance with its non-punishment of Eye? Or did Dana & Co. know that Jessica only got a *little* high before her fight and let her have a free pass? And can someone help explain THIS to me?

UPDATE

According to BleacherReport, the substance found in Eye’s system was “a blood-thinning medication used to treat a long-term issue stemming from an accident when she was hit by a drunk driver at 16 years old.”

–J. Jones

Jessica Eye vs. Sarah Kaufman Decision Overturned by Texas Commission

Odd news coming out of Texas, as it has been announced that the UFC 166 bout between Jessica Eye and Sarah Kaufman has been changed to a “no decision.” The bout originally ended in a moderately controversial split decision favoring Eye.
The story came …

Odd news coming out of Texas, as it has been announced that the UFC 166 bout between Jessica Eye and Sarah Kaufman has been changed to a “no decision.” The bout originally ended in a moderately controversial split decision favoring Eye.

The story came from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation and was first brought to light by Sherdog.com. The TDLR gave no reason for the move.

The bout was a hard-fought striking battle that saw both fighters wear the other down. While it seemed as though Kaufman edged out Eye, the Bellator import wound up getting the nod from the judges (the scores read 29-28, 28-29 and 29-28).

This is a strange hiccup in the thin UFC women’s division. Entering UFC 166, the fight had serious title ramifications, with Kaufman being a former Strikeforce champion while Eye defeated Bellator women’s strawweight champion Zoila Gurgel in 2012. Even with the less-than-decisive nature of her victory, Eye was within a fight or two of challenging for the women’s 135-pound belt.

It’s difficult to guess why the TDLR would take such action. Nothing strange or illegal happened in the cage, and the fight did not end in a controversial stoppage a la Jessamyn Duke vs. Miriam Nakamoto, which likely means something outside the cage prompted the move. 

Jessica Eye is yet to react to the news, but Sarah Kaufman made her feelings clear on Twitter:

Stick with Bleacher Report for more details as they become available, and stay right here as I bring you updates.

Update: 

Bleacher Report’s own Jeremy Botter broke some updates on Twitter. You can check out all his tweets here.

 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC: Josh Thomson Live Commentary on Diego Sanchez vs. Gilbert Melendez

For a long time now, fans have wondered what is on the minds of professional fighters as they watch their peers compete in the cage.
Case in point: Josh Thomson watching Diego Sanchez battling with Gilbert Melendez.
Of course, fans of the sport know th…

For a long time now, fans have wondered what is on the minds of professional fighters as they watch their peers compete in the cage.

Case in point: Josh Thomson watching Diego Sanchez battling with Gilbert Melendez.

Of course, fans of the sport know that Thomson and Melendez know each other very well. How could they not after battling each other three times for a total of 75 minutes on three different occasions? Their first bout saw Thompson victorious, while the following two fights saw Melendez emerge the victor.

But very rarely do we get this kind of insider’s view on a fight. We get commentaries in movies from the directors, producers and actors, but rarely do we see it in the combative sports, where the drama and the blood are real.

It’s a rare treat to see a fighter react to the action in the cage as a fan. It’s an even rarer prize to see the fan give us the learned perspective of an actual fighter.

In watching Thomson view the bout between Sanchez and Melendez, we see that all pulses are quickened by such high-action combat. Thomson’s appreciation for the efforts of both Sanchez and Melendez speaks volumes for the passion professional fighters have for their life’s vocation.

Of course, a fight like Sanchez vs. Melendez speaks for itself; it was an easy pick for Fight of the Year for 2013, given the desperation and drama displayed over the full three rounds.

But to see a fighter like Thomson enjoy it in much the same way as we, the casual fans do, is a rare treat.

Watch and enjoy; his is an expert’s perspective, after all.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com