Melvin Guillard: Slumping Contender or Scatterbrained Underachiever?

Melvin Guillard isn't that good.

Doesn’t that seem impossible? Melvin’s hands are cocked and loaded—certified weapons. The former cokehead possesses blinding speed and pinpoint accuracy with his striking, a rare mix that reminds me of a certain arachnid in the middleweight division.

But Melvin Guillard will never seriously contend for a title, let alone garner the success Anderson Silva has. Despite his God-given athleticism, “The Young Assassin” is resigned to mediocrity.   

Guillard has amassed 11 wins in the octagon against six losses, a “good” record. People with the athletic talent of Melvin Paul Guillard Jr. are supposed to do better than “good."

At times, he channels his inner beast: He’s finished 19 of his 29 victories by (T)KO. Frankly, he makes fighters who try to stand with him look meek and stupid. But if the UFC was an idiot contest, Melvin would win. Hands down.

All six of Melvin’s defeats in the UFC have come by way of submission. He’s just not up to par with his ground skills. He looks like a child when his fights hit the mat, even after 17 UFC bouts. He serves his neck and limbs on a platter to hungry submission sharks, without fail.

Okay, so he’s not especially well-rounded, but he even sets the table for his limb-hungry foes. In his last fight with Jim Miller, he attempted three telegraphed flying knees in the first round, begging to be taken down, and choked. Miller obliged after being lit up like a lamp the entire first round.

Melvin, learn how to win. You don’t need a highlight-reel KO to move up the lightweight ladder.

Guillard is booked for a fight with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt/gorilla Fabricio Camoes at UFC 148, on the undercard. UFC executives are implicitly begging him to train his submission defense.

Melvin has the gifts needed to shine in the octagon. But until he trains his grappling or learns to avoid his weaknesses, Melvin will never reach UFC gold.