Gilbert Melendez turned 40 earlier this year, and hasn’t fought in more than three years.
But given the right opportunity, the former Strikeforce lightweight champion and two-time UFC title challenger can’t rule out the potential for a comeback fight.
“I will always be a fighter, and I try to be as optimal as possible. I know I’m moving on as a professional fighter. I’m no longer focused on being a prizefighter. I’m focusing on my gyms and producing athletes and staying in shape,” Melendez recently told MMA Junkie Radio. “But of course, it’s hard to completely hang it up. If there’s a great opportunity out there and it’s the right fight – I’m not into fighting youngsters who want to stick and move and kick my leg and run, but I do love fighting and I could definitely be enticed to come back. There’s that fight in me.”
From 2009-2012 in a stretch of more than three years, Melendez won seven straight Strikeforce title fights that included victories over Jorge Masvidal, Josh Thomson (twice) and Shinya Aoki.
After Strikeforce was absorbed by the UFC, he moved over and had a title shot against then-champ Benson Henderson, but lost a split decision. After a bonus-winning decision over Diego Sanchez, he got a second UFC title shot against Anthony Pettis, but Pettis submitted him in the second round. On Melendez’s 30-fight MMA resume, Pettis remains the only fighter to stop him.
But that Pettis loss started a stretch of five straight setbacks to close out his career, and Melendez eventually quietly retired after his release from the UFC following a loss to Arnold Allen.
These days, along with running gyms and helping train a new generation of fighters, he’s been a regular in the announcing booth on LFA broadcasts. He seems to be OK if his fighting career indeed is over.
“I do recognize that time of my life is over, or damn nearly over,” Melendez said. “So I have been trying to move on and focus my energy in other places. My 100 percent focus isn’t my training. It was great when you could wake up, train, everyone takes care of you because you’re on this mission, you train again, and everyone takes care of you some more and they’re just supporting you along the way. Right now, it’s just like I’m getting my training in as much as possible and supporting everyone else and trying to run business and do a lot of other things.”
That said, if he made a comeback, he certainly wouldn’t be the first fighter to hang up the gloves and get talked into a return down the road.
Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Eagle FC promotion is out there, as is Bellator, which has as its president Scott Coker, his former boss at Strikeforce.
“I love fighting, and if I were to fight (again) … Eagle FC, great organization. I think if there’s anyone who really promoted me well, it was Scott Coker. And I am interested in maybe even boxing – some of that stuff does interest me. And I do get hungry,” Melendez said.
Check out the full “El Niño” interview with MMA Junkie Radio below.
