This Saturday night in Mexico City, hardcore mixed martial arts fans will finally get a matchup that they have long wanted to see — Gilbert Melendez will step into the cage to face Eddie Alvarez. The co-main event of UFC 188 will feature two of the most prominent MMA competitors who built their legacies outside of the Octagon. But now that this fight is finally occurring, one must wonder if this is a bit too late to rouse the same type of excitement it would have years ago.
Let’s take our MMA time machine back to a point when a matchup between Alvarez and Melendez would have been the biggest news in the industry. In 2011, Melendez and Alvarez were two of the most important lightweights in the sport. Frankie Edgar was ruling the weight class in the UFC, but both Melendez and Alvarez were nipping at his heels when it came to being considered the best 155-pound fighter on the planet. And while it was impossible to get all three men into the cage and let them sort it out at once, behind-the-scenes rumblings suggested that Melendez and Alvarez would agree to face each other in the cage.
Eddie Alvarez was Bellator’s lightweight king, while Gilbert Melendez held Strikeforce gold, and both promotions seemed willing to do nearly everything they could to garner attention in the sport. One of those efforts was the suggestion of a co-promoted event that would feature stars from both promotions. The main event of said card would pit Melendez and Alvarez against each other.
Melendez was well in control of the Strikeforce lightweight division. Other than Josh Thomson back in 2008, no man was able to defeat him in the organization’s hexagonal cage. With no interesting contenders on the horizon, many observers wondered whether “El Nino” was wasting away inside of the organization. At the time, it looked like this potential superfight would be the biggest moment of his career.
Alvarez was equally dominant in Bellator. Before losing to Michael Chandler at Bellator 58, he had solidified himself as the face of that organization. Most mainstream media outlets ranked Alvarez right behind Edgar and Melendez in the top three in the division. That wasn’t good enough for Alvarez, however, as he wanted to defeat Melendez and eventually make his way to the UFC.
Unfortunately, that fight never materialized. Thankfully, both men would years later join the UFC and place themselves in a position to create this long-awaited bout. However, heading into the fight, neither man is in the position in his career that he was four years ago. Melendez is coming off of a stoppage loss to Anthony Pettis at UFC 181, while Alvarez is hoping to rebound from a defeat at the hands of Donald Cerrone at UFC 178. Neither would be one of the first names brought up when talking about who should get a shot at the current champion, Rafael dos Anjos, but this is the type of matchup that could immediately catapult the winner back into that discussion.
Gilbert Melendez versus Eddie Alvarez is the type of battle that can appeal to both hardcore fans and the Mexican fans in attendance. After years of smack-talking and fighting away from the grandest stage of them all, two of the best lightweights to grace the sport will finally meet in the Octagon. While newer fans will not recognize this fight’s significance, longtime fans do, but regardless, this is a fight that should not be missed.
• Eddie Alvarez vs. Gilbert Melendez
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UFC 188: Velasquez vs. Werdum takes place on June 13, 2015 at Arena Ciudad de Mexico in Mexico City, Mexico.
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