Strikeforce
STRIKEFORCE QUOTABLES: Gilbert Melendez says Eddie Alvarez fight is dead; doesn't feel he has much left to prove in Strikeforce's lightweight division
Dec 18, 2010 - 9:00:19 PM STRIKEFORCE QUOTABLES: Gilbert Melendez says Eddie Alvarez fight is dead; doesn't feel he has much left to prove in Strikeforce's lightweight division

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

"I don't feel like there is too much left to prove at lightweight. I mean...there are things that can be done and I'm willing to prove whatever I need to. I'm willing to fight Billy Evangelista. I'm willing to fight Lyle Beerbohm. I'm willing to fight Justin Wilcox and these up and comers but they're not giving me an opportunity. Like I said man...everybody is calling out everyone else but me and I'd love to check these guys and defend my title against them but apparently Strikeforce either doesn't think they are ready or are not worthy. I'm their champ, get me a fight and put me to work. I do feel they could put in a little more effort into getting me something going and I think Josh is the most worthy opponent right now. I would love to fight JZ before him but that doesn't look like that's going to happen. Overall you are right though...Strikeforce does have a lot on their table and they do need to focus on everybody and not just beefing up the heavyweight division. Once again I am happy with Strikeforce but any fighter would get eager or aggravated with sitting idle. I'm trying to get some new things going here and brand myself in this sport and I need their help in doing it...

I think the [Eddie] Alvarez fight is dead for now. It had more to do with business and I know Eddie was definitely down just like I expected him to be and I was trying to pump something up that I believe would be the biggest fight outside of the UFC, maybe the biggest fight in MMA right now. I think that Eddie and I are two of the most electric fighters in the game and that's why I wanted the fight and tried to make it happen. But for now it seems like a business thing so I'm going to pull back from that and I want to apologize to Eddie and all of the fans out there for getting everyone hyped up. Maybe I jumped the gun a little bit early so for now I'll stick to fighting and not being a promoter. I did want to fight him and he wanted to fight me so it would have been exciting but that's that. I'm hoping that down the road we will get to do it but that's the sh***y thing about this sport where sometimes you can't make those things happen."

-Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez talks to BloodyElbow.com about the lack of credible lightweight challengers in Strikeforce and the proposed fight with Bellator's Eddie Alvarez.

Penick's Analysis: There's much more in the interview that is definitely worth the read, but both of these statements are very telling. Melendez is looking to get a fight with Paul Daley now because he doesn't think Strikeforce has the lightweights for him to face; and while it's the move he thinks he needs to make right now, it's a sign that he may be looking for a way out before too long. After watching teammate Jake Shields make his way to the UFC, it's starting to sound like he'll want to do the same to face the level of competition that would allow him to claim the spot as #1 lightweight in the world. With the back and forth between Bellator and Strikeforce earlier this year, the bout with Alvarez was seemingly not going to be an option, but this is the most definitive answer to date on it, with Melendez putting the kibosh on it after being the one to call Alvarez out in the first place. It would have been a great fight, but it's not something Strikeforce needed to put together, and not something they were ultimately going to put together.