Gilbert Melendez Replaces Bobby Green, Faces Al Iaquinta at UFC Fight Night 71

Gilbert Melendez apparently needs to get the taste of his loss to Eddie Alvarez at UFC 188 out of his mouth.

Just four days after losing a split decision to Alvarez in Mexico City, Melendez agreed to step up and replace an injured Bobby Green (h/t Bloody Elbow) against Al Iaquinta at UFC Fight Night 71 in San Diego, according to MMAFighting.com's Ariel Helwani.

The event takes place on July 15 and features a main event between heavyweights Frank Mir and Todd Duffee.

While Melendez and Iaquinta are enjoying opposite runs in their careers, this matchup makes a whole lot of sense from a rankings standpoint.

Despite the fact that Melendez dropped his last two contests, he's a former title contender who is ranked No. 5 in the 155-pound class. He's a big name and a Fox Sports analyst and has been around the game for more than a decade.

He will be Iaquinta's toughest test to date.

Ranked No. 13 in the lightweight division, Iaquinta is on an absolute tear, winning his last four fights (three via knockout).

The Team Serra-Longo product faced some adversity in his most recent bout against Jorge Masvidal, though, narrowly squeaking out a split-decision win. The result sparked controversy inside the cage.

Against Melendez, he'll likely need to fare better if he wishes to exit the cage with his fifth straight win.

That's the beauty of this matchup. On one hand, a longtime veteran gets the chance to snap a losing streak and re-establish himself as a threat for the title in the lightweight division. Melendez has been to the top before, and a win over Iaquinta would tell the world he may get there again.

Iaquinta, meanwhile, can silence the critics of his last outing and prove he is ready for the big show. If he finishes Melendez or whoops him for three solid rounds, he'll rocket up the rankings and thrust himself into the title picture at the ripe age of 28.

This, more than the fight with Green, affords him the opportunity to make a name for himself.

The risk for him is that Melendez is a tough, well-rounded opponent who has seen and done it all inside the cage. This will not be a gimme by any means.

For Melendez, meanwhile, a loss to Iaquinta could shut the door on any possibility of him ever ascending to the lightweight throne again.

This is why we watch. While losing a fighter to injury is never ideal, Melendez vs. Iaquinta is an intriguing matchup with plenty at stake.

The UFC Fight Night 71 card is as good as or better than before, indicating the depth of talent the UFC has to offer.

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