Gilbert Melendez Fighting May 19th, Coach Wants BJ Penn Or Anthony Pettis

[No More Sorrow]

Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez (20-2 MMA, 10-1 SF) will fight at the organization's recently announced May 19 event.

Against whom? That's a good question.

However, one of Melendez's coaches, Cesar Gracie, has two suggestions: current UFC fighters B.J. Penn or Anthony Pettis.

However, multiple sources told MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps | MMAjunkie.com) no opponent has been determined as of yet. Additionally, the champ's manager, Gil Melendez Sr., declined comment. But today on Twitter, Gracie stated, "I hope (it's) Penn or Pettis."

UFC president Dana White recently opened the door for the possibility of current UFC fighters moving to their sister promotion, but as of now, no major names have joined Strikeforce. Pettis recently saw a planned title fight with new champ Benson Henderson instead given to Frankie Edgar, and Penn hinted at retirement following a welterweight loss to Nick Diaz in October that moved him to 1-3-1 in his past five fights.

Additionally, there are some deserving contenders already under Strikeforce contract. For example, Josh Thomson recently defeated K.J. Noons in what many believed was a No. 1 contender's fight, and Pat Healy has moved into contention with four consecutive Strikeforce wins. However, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker wouldn't confirm after the fighters' March 3 wins that either is next in line for a shot at Melendez's belt.

As MMAjunkie.com recently reported, the May 19 Strikeforce event is likely to take place at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. Melendez's title fight would be part of the Showtime-televised main card that also includes the Daniel Cormier vs. Josh Barnett heavyweight-grand-prix finale.

Melendez, who's one of the top fighters not currently fighting in the UFC, made his third consecutive title defense with a unanimous-decision victory over Jorge Masvidal in December. He's now 7-1 in his past eight fights. The lone loss came in a 2008 title fight with Thomson, though Melendez avenged the defeat a year later as part of his current six-fight win streak.

Melendez/Penn would be great but Melendez/Pettis makes more sense, That way the Lightweight title situation in the UFC is easier to work around and to be able to fight somebody like Gil would be awesome for anybody to expirence, the guy is so good. Also i have to say that the May 19th Strikeforce event is shaping up to be one of the best ones in a long while

 

[The Cork]

Josh Thomson would be as underwhelming as expected, so I'll go with him.

UFC president Dana White recently opened the door for the possibility of current UFC fighters moving to their sister promotion

When did he say this?

I haven't seen anything about it, good news if true though obvs, means Gib and Rockhold will finally get some competition.

 

[No More Sorrow]

Think that was like a week or so ago that he said that, hopefully until Gil can actually join the UFC they'll send a few legit guys over and they're not just saying they're going to send guys.

 

[The Cork]

Hopeful my man Melvin gets his fully deserved crack at the belt :

 

[No More Sorrow]

:

Wouldn't mind it, but he's going to have to work his way back up the ladder and improve his sub defense because Aren't all of his loses by submission?

 

[Kiffy Lube]

[video=youtube;3r-9f9mfvlk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3r-9f9mfvlk[/video]

 

[Troy]

???

I can see them offering up BJ Penn for the fight. I just don't know if Dana really will send over some of the top fighters so I don't know if he will give Pettis to Strikeforce. Penn is pretty much done with UFC so it wouldn't be a risk for UFC to send him across to Strikeforce to challenge Melendez.

 

[No More Sorrow]

Well now i don't think Pettis is going to move because he's considering the drop to featherweight to challenge Jose Also, and i don't think they'll send Penn because they're going to try and get him to main event the Hawaii show that they're doing later this year.

So with that said, Gil will likely fight Josh Thomson or something and yeah.

 

[The Cork]

It's been rumoured that Eddie Alvarez, the Bellator lightweight, is close to signing with UFC.

I wonder if they'll put him and Lombard in Strikeforce first.

 

[No More Sorrow]

Never thought about that possibility, i could see that happening actually.

 

[The Cork]

Lombard v Rockhold would be big because its technically a unification fight, Lombard is leaving Bellator as their current MW champ. Kinda like when Shields fought GSP while he was still Strikeforce champ.

No idea what Alvarez is like, I know he has some good wins including Huerta but dunno if he'll be a test for Melendez.

 

[No More Sorrow]

It would be a step up in competition for sure for Melendez compared to who he's being offered to fight right now, but it still would likely end with Gil picking up the win.