5 Fights for Gilbert Melendez
Gilbert Melendez has long been a staple in the lightweight division. For years, he was considered one of the best fighters of any weight class outside of the UFC. When he finally made his first Octagon appearance in 2013, it was clear that he was going to be in the title picture for a time to come. However, in his second bid for the 155-pound title, he was unable to capture the belt from Anthony Pettis. With his fourth defeat in his 12-year career, these are five fight suggestions that could be used to move his career forward.
Eddie Alvarez
1 of 5
Melendez and Eddie Alvarez had built a feud long before either man became a part of the UFC's roster (via MMA Fighting). When Alvarez was holding a title in Bellator and Melendez was a champion in Strikeforce, there were rumors that the organizations would like to pair the two against each other in a co-promoted show. That would never come to be, but the opportunity to put these two men in the cage together is now present within the Ultimate Fighting Championship. If Alvarez can get past Benson Henderson on January 18, this could be a fight to make for both of these men.
Benson Henderson
2 of 5
Smooth gave Melendez a controversial welcome to the UFC when they met at UFC on Fox 7. They had a back-and-forth battle that resulted in a split-decision win for Henderson, who at that point was the lightweight champion. Melendez could have been awarded an immediate rematch after that fight; however, the UFC would take both fighters in different directions. Now that they are each out of the title picture but still highly ranked in the division, this would be a good time to place the two men against each other in a return bout.
Bobby Green
3 of 5
Bobby “King” Green had put together a strong amount of momentum before running into Edson Barboza at UFC Fight Night 57. After suffering his first defeat in three years, Green is in need of a key fight to see just how much of a contender he really is. Before being defeated by Barboza, he was making a strong push towards the title. If he could defeat Melendez, he would immediately become a name to watch on the short list of lightweight contenders.
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Myles Jury
4 of 5
Myles Jury may be one of the most overlooked individuals in the company at this time, but that can all change with his upcoming fight against Donald Cerrone. If Jury pulls out a win to start his 2015, placing him against Melendez would be a great move to see if he truly is more than just a prospect. At 26 years old and 15-0, Jury is looking better and better since coming off of The Ultimate Fighter. If he can get past Cerrone and then face Melendez, that would truly become Jury's coming-out party.
Josh Thomson
5 of 5
Melendez and Thomson are very familiar with each other. The two men have fought three times, Thomson taking one win and Gilbert securing two of his own. Still, each fight has been very exciting and is the exact type of bout that mainstream MMA fans have come to enjoy. Thomson and Melendez could easily work as a co-main event for a show presented in California, where they are both very popular fighters.
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