"I am the best 155-pounder," Guillard told www.mmajunkie.com. "I'm a finisher. No disrespect to Frankie Edgar or Gray Maynard, but they proved it in the last fight when they fought each other. Gray had him on his heels and didn't finish. I'm a finisher. I go in for the kill. I smell blood.
"I guess you could say I've been through so much in my life, getting in the cage and swinging hands and putting people away, that's easy for me. Growing up with a mother that was a Baptist minister whipping me all the time, that's the stuff I'm afraid of. I can get in there and throw hands with anybody. It's just all about the organization and the bosses giving me my opportunity."
Who's next for Melvin is up in the air. Names have been suggested like Jim Miller (currently scheduled to face Ben Henderson at UFC on Versus 5) and fellow UFC 132 winner Dennis Siver in a rematch, but one guy Guillard says he won't face is teammate Clay Guida, unless there are some very special circumstances:"I guess you could say I've been through so much in my life, getting in the cage and swinging hands and putting people away, that's easy for me. Growing up with a mother that was a Baptist minister whipping me all the time, that's the stuff I'm afraid of. I can get in there and throw hands with anybody. It's just all about the organization and the bosses giving me my opportunity."
"The only way I would fight a teammate is for the title," Guillard said. "At the end of the day, we all have this understanding. I'm not going to fight my teammate for nothing when there's all these [lightweights]. It just doesn't make sense to me. But we're all in here for one thing.
"I want to have a kid one day, and I tell my kid, 'Your dad would have been a great champion, but I let Clay Guida have my spot.' I can't live like that. That will ruin my legacy.
"We're all here for one reason. This is business. I'll fight my brother for that UFC title. I'll fight my mother for that UFC title. I mean that, and that's from the heart. When that time comes and I have to fight a teammate, we have to sort out how we're going to do the training camps, but may the best man win. I will be the better man that day."
Leland Roling suggests in his piece earlier today that Siver vs. Guillard is the most intriguing option going forward and while that definitely sounds good, I personally would like to see Guillard face Sean Sherk next. I know that's out in left field a bit, but I think they're the only two guys to hold wins over Evan Dunham and it's a logical next matchup for Guillard in a crowded division."I want to have a kid one day, and I tell my kid, 'Your dad would have been a great champion, but I let Clay Guida have my spot.' I can't live like that. That will ruin my legacy.
"We're all here for one reason. This is business. I'll fight my brother for that UFC title. I'll fight my mother for that UFC title. I mean that, and that's from the heart. When that time comes and I have to fight a teammate, we have to sort out how we're going to do the training camps, but may the best man win. I will be the better man that day."
