Gilbert Melendez Has Worn Out His Welcome

By Raphael Garcia

Dominance is something that athletes should chase after. Being able to sit atop the pile of competitors and consider yourself the best is a treat that many individuals seek but never achieve. Gilbert Melendez finds himself in such a situation; however you can’t help but wonder if that is such a great position for him. After scoring yet another decisive victory in defense of his Strikeforce lightweight crown, Melendez is in a position that continues to worsen the longer he remains there.

On Saturday night, Melendez was able to walk through the highly-touted boxing of Jorge Masvidal and take the victory at Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal. What was interesting after the bout is that Melendez talked about staying in Strikeforce and continuing to hold the title there. He also stated that he considers himself the best lightweight in the world. That, I believe, is stepping a bit too far. Yes, he has been able to win fights handily for the better part of a two, almost three, years. Yes, he does have wins over top competitors such as Shinya Aoki. But you still have to wonder how he would fare in the shark-infested waters of the UFC’s 155-pound weight class.

Even looking beyond the current champion in Frankie Edgar, you can’t ignore fighters such as Gray Maynard, Jim Miller, Benson Henderson, and others who call the UFC’s 155-pound weight class home. If you looked at the top five fighters in the division you could easily have a debate about how any of them would fare if matched against Melendez. Given that fact, he needs to be moved over to the biggest stage in the sport.

I understand why Melendez is being kept where he is. Melendez is locked down under Strikeforce contract, and Zuffa needs someone to stay put in the promotion, and hopefully draw eyes to the hexagonal cage. But in doing so he, along with the fans of MMA, are squandering time which could be spent finding out which fighter really is the best in the weight class. It is extremely hard to validate moving over Strikeforce fighters such as Nick Diaz or Alistair Overeem, when Melendez may be better known than both of them. Rumor has it that the UFC has even taken Tim Kennedy from Strikeforce, so why can’t they snatch out one of the last two male titlists? Furthermore, when you consider what Melendez has done in the cage in the past, he has been known to put on the type of fights that mainstream fans have grown to love.

This situation may be the closest that mixed martial arts will come to a Floyd Mayweather versus Manny Pacquiao type of ordeal. Both Edgar and Melendez have proven they are at the top of the weight class, yet politics keeps the fight out of reach. Both fighters are 29 years of age, so you have to wonder how much longer they can be forced to dance around this situation before it becomes more irrelevant.

From the way he fights you can tell that Melendez believes he is, and wants to be considered, the best lightweight fighter in the world. There are many people who thoroughly believe he holds that mantle. However, as long as he is forced to remain the extremely big fish in an ever shrinking pond, many others will question his credentials, until he can prove his mettle in the lightweight shark tank that can only be found under the bright lights of the UFC.

Click here to rate the fights from Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal.