http://www.yardbarker.com/mma/players/gilbert_melendez/58674 Recent articles about Gilbert Melendez en-us Gilbert Melendez is seen here at UFC 160 taking a pic with a JDS fan.  The Skrap Pack member could easily be the UFC champ right now but nice to see fans still want a piece of him. Gilbert Melendez gives his thoughts on fight with Benson Henderson UFC on FOX phantom cam highlights Wed, 29 May 2013 15:21:09 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/mma/article_external/gilbert_melendez_is_fan_friendly/13718849 http://network.yardbarker.com/mma/article_external/gilbert_melendez_is_fan_friendly/13718849 Gilbert Melendez Is Fan Friendly http://www.yardbarker.com/mma/articles/gilbert_melendez_is_fan_friendly/13718849 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Gilbert Melendez posted this picture on his Instagram page and it sums up how many people feel about his split decision loss to Ben Henderson.  Not sure what is next for the former Strikeforce champ but he proved without a doubt he is one of the best in the world if not the best. Gilbert Melendez is heartbroken over loss to Henderson Intravid.com tells us what’s next for Ben Henderson and Gilbert Melendez Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:00:42 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/mma/article_external/gilbert_melendez_gives_his_thoughts_on_his_fight_with_henderson/13465123 http://network.yardbarker.com/mma/article_external/gilbert_melendez_gives_his_thoughts_on_his_fight_with_henderson/13465123 Gilbert Melendez Gives His Thoughts On His Fight With Henderson http://www.yardbarker.com/mma/articles/gilbert_melendez_gives_his_thoughts_on_his_fight_with_henderson/13465123 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png It had been reported earlier that one of the judges for the UFC on FOX 7 main event had ties to fighter Gilbert Melendez.  The judge in question, Wade Vierra, and the California State Athletic Commission Executive Officer Andy Foster defended their decision to allow Vierra to judge the fight.  Vierra is an instructor at a Cesar Gracie affiliate school, Cesar of course coaches both Nate Diaz and Gilbert Melendez.  Vierra who has a relationship with Diaz informed the commission of that relationship and due to conflict of interest was not in the consideration to judge his fight.  Vierra however says he does not have any relationship with Melendez separate from the affiliation he has with his coach Cesar Gracie.  Andy Foster talks about the need to have qualified judges in MMA to avoid some of the bogus decisions we have seen in the past and with Vierra’s knowledge of both grappling and striking he fits that bill.  With MMA being such a small community people who are in the same region ... Tue, 23 Apr 2013 11:46:06 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/mma/article_external/csac_and_judge_who_scored_fight_for_melendez_defend_themselves/13463701 http://network.yardbarker.com/mma/article_external/csac_and_judge_who_scored_fight_for_melendez_defend_themselves/13463701 CSAC And Judge Who Scored Fight For Melendez Defend Themselves http://www.yardbarker.com/mma/articles/csac_and_judge_who_scored_fight_for_melendez_defend_themselves/13463701 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/5/c/5cb86c13bf9001d82987a9b2ce76758a0b293b6a/mini/6264888.jpg More controversy from an athletic commission.  One of the judges for the main event bout between Benson Henderson and Gilbert Melendez has ties to the ex Strikeforce champ as he is an instructor at one of Cesar Gracie’s affiliate schools.  If you are high up in the MMA scene and from the same area it is hard to have no relationships with others in the same field but what his judge and the athletic commission should have done is pull him from the main event fight.  The judge in question is Wade Vierra and he is the judge who scored the bout for Melendez.  That is hardly controversial since the fight was razor thing and deserving of a split decision.  Still this is not a good look for the athletic commission. Benson Henderson proposes inside the Octagon Watch all fighter video blogs at Intravid.com Mon, 22 Apr 2013 12:27:09 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/mma/article_external/judge_who_scored_the_fight_for_melendez_is_a_cesar_gracie_affiliate_instructor/13455754 http://network.yardbarker.com/mma/article_external/judge_who_scored_the_fight_for_melendez_is_a_cesar_gracie_affiliate_instructor/13455754 Judge Who Scored The Fight For Melendez Is A Cesar Gracie Affiliate Instructor http://www.yardbarker.com/mma/articles/judge_who_scored_the_fight_for_melendez_is_a_cesar_gracie_affiliate_instructor/13455754 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png (Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports) Benson Henderson's fiancée might be asking for a engagement ring upgrade soon.  After all, her future husband, after popping the question after his big win over Gilbert Melendez, was the top earner at Saturday's UFC on Fox: Henderson vs Melendez. Here is the reported purse info for the event, released by the California Athletic Commission (and first reported by MMA Junkie)   Read more ... Mon, 22 Apr 2013 08:27:24 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/ufc_on_fox_henderson_vs_melendez_fighter_salaries_attendance_gate/13454050 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/ufc_on_fox_henderson_vs_melendez_fighter_salaries_attendance_gate/13454050 UFC on Fox: Henderson vs Melendez Fighter Salaries, Attendance & Gate http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/ufc_on_fox_henderson_vs_melendez_fighter_salaries_attendance_gate/13454050 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png After dropping a highly controversial split decision loss to reigning UFC lightweight champ Benson Henderson, Gilbert Melendez (pictured) admitted he was “heartbroken.” What the 31-year-old must now live with is that he has nobody to blame but himself for the most devastating defeat of his life. Melendez convincingly won the opening round and arguably took the second stanza on Saturday, but for some precarious reason, the 11-year veteran chose to cruise in the middle frames. It was a decision that not only cost him UFC gold, but millions of dollars in future earnings. “I thought I won the first two and fifth [rounds], for sure,” Melendez stated at the post-fight press conference. “I took my foot off the gas a little bit after the second. The third was close, but I felt I came strong. I thought it was going to come down to the last round, and I thought I won the last round. “I gotta watch it [again]. Ben’s a stud. What can I say?” There’s really nothing more to say. However, Melendez summed i Sun, 21 Apr 2013 13:15:59 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/mma/article_external/gilbert_melendez_cant_blame_anybody_but_himself_for_loss_to_benson_henderson/13449430 http://network.yardbarker.com/mma/article_external/gilbert_melendez_cant_blame_anybody_but_himself_for_loss_to_benson_henderson/13449430 Gilbert Melendez Can’t Blame Anybody but Himself for Loss to Benson Henderson http://www.yardbarker.com/mma/articles/gilbert_melendez_cant_blame_anybody_but_himself_for_loss_to_benson_henderson/13449430 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/e/1/e1966ac2468f2997c9487034526434090ca42d3c/mini/6264686.jpg For you Gilbert Melendez (pictured) fanboys claiming your hero was robbed in a split decision (48-17, 47-48, 48-47) defeat to reigning UFC lightweight champ Benson Henderson on Saturday night, that’s not what the official box score reads. According to FightMetric, their 25-minute affair was in fact very tight to call, with three of the five rounds resulting in a draw on their stat sheet, but Henderson rightfully left the Octagon with his title in tow. The UFC’s official number crunchers report Henderson connected on 92 total strikes to Melendez’s 56. Furthermore, “Smooth” landed 68 significant strikes to the challenger’s 43. Meanwhile, Melendez successfully secured his lone takedown attempt. Henderson was 0-4 on his takedown tries. Neither fighter showcased their respective submission games. Just in case you were wondering, judge Derek Clearey gave Henderson the final three rounds, while Michael Bell handed him the middle three frames. Wade Vierra awarded Melendez with the first, fourth and fi Sun, 21 Apr 2013 11:55:42 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/mma/article_external/ufc_on_fox_7_benson_henderson_vs_gilbert_melendez_official_box_score/13449004 http://network.yardbarker.com/mma/article_external/ufc_on_fox_7_benson_henderson_vs_gilbert_melendez_official_box_score/13449004 UFC on FOX 7: Benson Henderson vs. Gilbert Melendez Official Box Score http://www.yardbarker.com/mma/articles/ufc_on_fox_7_benson_henderson_vs_gilbert_melendez_official_box_score/13449004 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Although it ended in controversial fashion, Benson Henderson took home the judges decision over Gilbert Melendez in the main event at UFC on FOX 7. The two combatants battered and bruised each other for the entire five rounds. The closely contested battle was back and forth with both men utilizing their skill-sets to their advantage. At the end of the day you have to beat the champ to be the champ and on two of the judges scorecards Henderson did enough to retain his title. Check out full highlights below. Video: UFC on FOX 7: Henderson/Melendez Sun, 21 Apr 2013 02:25:07 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/mma/article_external/video_benson_henderson_vs_gilbert_melendez_ufc_on_fox_7_fight_highlights/13447540 http://network.yardbarker.com/mma/article_external/video_benson_henderson_vs_gilbert_melendez_ufc_on_fox_7_fight_highlights/13447540 Video: Benson Henderson vs. Gilbert Melendez UFC on FOX 7 fight highlights http://www.yardbarker.com/mma/articles/video_benson_henderson_vs_gilbert_melendez_ufc_on_fox_7_fight_highlights/13447540 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Gilbert Melendez’s long awaited big league debut finally came to fruition Saturday night. Unfortunately for the former Strikeforce lightweight champion, reigning UFC king Benson Henderson (pictured) rained on his parade. The 155-pounders fought for 25 back-and-forth minutes in tonight’s featured attraction. When the dust settled in their hotly contested shootout, Henderson took home a razor-thin split decision (48-17, 47-48, 48-47) victory to retain his title. Judge Derek Clearey gave Henderson the final three rounds, while Michael Bell handed him the middle three frames. Wade Vierra awarded Melendez with the first, fourth and fifth stanzas. After the win, Henderson got down on one knee and proposed to girlfriend Maria Magana inside the Octagon. She said yes. UFC on FOX 7 took place inside HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. Please click the media player below to watch the highlights and Bendo’s proposal: Video: UFC on FOX 7: Henderson/Melendez Video: Henderson proposes after win Sun, 21 Apr 2013 00:37:29 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/mma/article_external/ufc_on_fox_7_benson_henderson_vs_gilbert_melendez_video_highlights/13447264 http://network.yardbarker.com/mma/article_external/ufc_on_fox_7_benson_henderson_vs_gilbert_melendez_video_highlights/13447264 UFC on FOX 7: Benson Henderson vs. Gilbert Melendez (Video Highlights) http://www.yardbarker.com/mma/articles/ufc_on_fox_7_benson_henderson_vs_gilbert_melendez_video_highlights/13447264 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png The lightweight title was on the line in the main event as Benson Henderson took on Strikeforce Champion Gilbert Melendez. Melendez was very calm in the first stanza of the championship fight. He landed nice leg-kicks and punches on the champion. Henderson however seemed fairly tentative to start the fight. At the end of round one Henderson had landed some nice kicks and according to the numbers on the screen he landed 20 in the very first round. Again Melendez pushed the pace to start the second. He landed some nice inside leg-kicks and continued to keep Henderson on the backpedal. Midway through the round, Henderson began to use his awkward technique of jabbing Melendez’s leg. On numerous occasions in the fight when Henderson would throw the leg kick, Melendez caught it and countered with either a takedown or a nicely timed punch. To finish the round the pace changed with Henderson pushing forward. The two exchange with nice shots to start the third. Henderson landed a beautiful l... Sat, 20 Apr 2013 22:25:49 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/mma/article_external/benson_henderson_defeats_gilbert_melendez_by_split_decision_and_then_proposes_to_girlfriend/13446661 http://network.yardbarker.com/mma/article_external/benson_henderson_defeats_gilbert_melendez_by_split_decision_and_then_proposes_to_girlfriend/13446661 Benson Henderson defeats Gilbert Melendez by Split Decision and then proposes to girlfriend http://www.yardbarker.com/mma/articles/benson_henderson_defeats_gilbert_melendez_by_split_decision_and_then_proposes_to_girlfriend/13446661 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Gilbert Melendez is seen here in his final sparring session in preparation for his long overdue UFC title shot this Saturday against world champion Benson Henderson.  Word out of El Nino’s camp is that this has been the best camp of the Strikeforce champions life and he is looking incredibly sharp.  Melendez has waited a long time for the chance to prove that he is the best in the world and that chance is finally happening.  Gilbert Melendez stretches before a workout Watch all fighter video blogs on Intravid.com Tue, 16 Apr 2013 13:44:05 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/mma/article_external/gilbert_melendez_has_his_last_sparring_session/13412251 http://network.yardbarker.com/mma/article_external/gilbert_melendez_has_his_last_sparring_session/13412251 Gilbert Melendez Has His Last Sparring Session http://www.yardbarker.com/mma/articles/gilbert_melendez_has_his_last_sparring_session/13412251 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Gilbert Melendez finally makes his highly anticipated big league debut on April 20th, and he’ll immediately be thrown right into the fire. The now-former Strikeforce lightweight champ challenges reigning UFC 155-pound king Benson Henderson (Pictured) for his crown at UFC on FOX 7. Henderson is pegged as slightly more than a 2-to-1 odds-on favorite to retain his title. Melendez, meanwhile, checks in as a +165 underdog. Melendez’s old Strikeforce stomping grounds at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California hosts the gig. Here are the early lines for Bendo vs. Melendez (Courtesy of BetUS): Favorites (-) Underdog (+) Gilbert Melendez +165 Benson Henderson -210 Gambling 101: Bet $100 on Melendez and he’s victorious, you win $165 Bet $210 on Henderson and he’s victorious, you win $100 Thu, 07 Feb 2013 10:00:58 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/ufc_on_fox_7_benson_henderson_vs_gilbert_melendez_betting_odds/12860734 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/ufc_on_fox_7_benson_henderson_vs_gilbert_melendez_betting_odds/12860734 UFC on FOX 7: Benson Henderson vs. Gilbert Melendez Betting Odds http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/ufc_on_fox_7_benson_henderson_vs_gilbert_melendez_betting_odds/12860734 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Benson Henderson of Glendale will defend his UFC Lightweight title against Gilbert Melendez on April 20 at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., in UFC on FOX 7. Henderson has an 18-2 record and 6-0 in UFC competition, while Melendez (21-2) will be making his UFC debut. Henderson will be the first UFC fighter to headline two UFC on FOX cards, after winning a unanimous decision over Nick Diaz at UFC on FOX 5 on Dec. 8 in Seattle. I am beyond thrilled to be competing again on network TV for the UFC on FOX 7 card against Gilbert Melendez," Henderson said. "It's an honor to be put in this position by both the UFC and FOX executives, who are placing trust in me to be able to deliver another exciting fight on live TV. The fans can expect to see a lot of action from two fighters who have aggressive styles. It should be a fun night. Gilbert Melendez is one of the toughest fighters on the planet. I've said over and over that I just want to fight the best in the world. I don't care in what order I Tue, 15 Jan 2013 19:00:51 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/henderson_to_defend_title_vs_melendez/12668836 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/henderson_to_defend_title_vs_melendez/12668836 Henderson to defend title vs. Melendez http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/henderson_to_defend_title_vs_melendez/12668836 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png It appears reigning Strikeforce lightweight king Gilbert Melendez (Pictured) has accepted the fact he won’t be transitioning to the UFC anytime soon. Now that all hope is lost in making the big leagues, at least until Strikeforce’s guaranteed one-year extension with Showtime expires this December, Melendez has been forced to find new sources of motivation. “I’ve kind of redone my goals a little bit,” Melendez shared during Thursday’s conference call. “Obviously to be the number one fighter in the world, you’ve got to be the UFC champ. It’s just the way it is. Right now, I’m just trying to put on shows and get better in this sport. “I’m trying not to look at that anymore, [I'm] just trying to find different motivation like the paycheck, my team and my family. I’m going to be doing this for a long time. If I’m going to do this, I’m going to have fun.” Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker was confident throughout today’s call that their partnership with Showtime will continue to be Thu, 10 May 2012 16:38:25 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/mma/article_external/gilbert_melendez_no_longer_motivated_by_joining_ufc/10764482 http://network.yardbarker.com/mma/article_external/gilbert_melendez_no_longer_motivated_by_joining_ufc/10764482 Gilbert Melendez No Longer Motivated by Joining UFC http://www.yardbarker.com/mma/articles/gilbert_melendez_no_longer_motivated_by_joining_ufc/10764482 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Cesar Gracie says that the UFC is considering moving fighters over to Strikeforce to matchup with Stirkeforce lightweight champion, Gilbert Melendez Fri, 16 Mar 2012 12:33:06 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/mma/article_external/cesar_gracie_says_the_ufc_considers_melendez_vs_pennpettis/10328548 http://network.yardbarker.com/mma/article_external/cesar_gracie_says_the_ufc_considers_melendez_vs_pennpettis/10328548 Cesar Gracie says the UFC considers Melendez vs. Penn/Pettis http://www.yardbarker.com/mma/articles/cesar_gracie_says_the_ufc_considers_melendez_vs_pennpettis/10328548 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png