Penick's Take
PENICK: 5 Realistic UFC Crossover Opponents For Gilbert Melendez in Strikeforce
Dec 18, 2011 - 10:30:43 PM PENICK: 5 Realistic UFC Crossover Opponents For Gilbert Melendez in Strikeforce

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Gilbert Melendez won his sixth straight fight in Strikeforce on Saturday night, showcasing his striking game for 25 minutes against a tough opponent in Jorge Masvidal. After the fight, Melendez took to the microphone to call out fighters in the UFC and to have them come to "his" hexagon for a fight.

There's been some conversation in the last wake, and especially in the wake of another win, that Melendez "deserves" to be fighting UFC-level competition, but it should be made clear that Melendez's position in Strikeforce has come about by his own hand. He signed a contract extension prior to Zuffa's purchase of Strikeforce, and because of that the fights remaining on that deal held him in the organization.

With that said, the new television deal with Strikeforce and Showtime will see UFC President Dana White being very involved in the product, and he's promised some interesting things for fighters like Melendez in Strikeforce moving forward. Because of that, there is a belief, and a possibility, that some fighters currently on the UFC roster could be moved to Strikeforce. It won't be the Champions or fighters close to a UFC title shot, but with the UFC's lightweight field being very deep, there are some potential crossovers that could be seen. Here are the realistic options as I see them in no particular order:


Gray Maynard: After going to a draw and then getting stopped by Frankie Edgar in consecutive title fights in 2011, Maynard remains one of the top fighters in the world, but nowhere near getting another fight for the belt. If Edgar defeats Ben Henderson in February, Maynard's prospective title hopes are even further down the line, as the UFC isn't likely to hold up other challengers in the division for a fourth fight between the two anytime soon. Because of the very minute hopes of another title fight in the UFC, he's a perfect name to allow Melendez to prove himself as one of the two best fighters in the world. If Melendez defeated Maynard, he'd become the only other fighter outside of Edgar to do so in professional competition. If Maynard came to Strikeforce and defeated Melendez, he'd have a chance to hold that belt, and potentially use that to earn another UFC Title shot if Strikeforce is eventually merged.

Kenny Florian: Florian is another name that would work for many of the same reasons Maynard would here. Florian's lost in three title fights, so he's not sniffing another shot anytime soon, but he's only ever been beaten by top competition in the UFC. Against anything less he's picked up decisive wins, and remains a highly talented fighter despite those losses. A fight with Melendez would be a top opponent for Florian to take on in his return to lightweight, and for Melendez he could add his name to the "elites" that have defeated Florian in the past.

Jim Miller: Miller won seven straight fights in the Octagon without getting a title shot, so even if he defeats Melvin Guillard next month in Tennessee he's not going to be in consideration for a UFC shot anytime soon. He's another very good lightweight who has only been beaten by elite competition, and he'd be another very good test for Melendez and a better option than anyone Strikeforce could bring in from outside of the UFC. You'd think Guillard could work in this category as well, but he's more likely to be considered for a title shot than Miller if he can bounce back from his surprising loss to Joe Lauzon with a run.

Clay Guida: Guida's one of the less desirable options as he comes off a loss, not to mention the fact that Melendez has defeated him before. However, five years have passed since that fight, and Guida has emerged as a more difficult opponent to face in 2011. He's not as high up on the list as these others, but he certainly a viable opponent that, again, is higher up the ladder than anyone Strikeforce can find outside of the UFC.

B.J. Penn: This is the wild card name, and one that is potentially the least realistic of the others. This would be contingent on Penn's willingness to return to action, his willingness to return to lightweight, and his willingness to move over to Strikeforce for a fight instead of the UFC. Also, it would be his second fight against someone from Cesar Gracie's camp, and there could be some desire not to do that. However, if Penn were willing to go over, and the UFC wanted to give Melendez a big name opponent and get some more eyeballs on Showtime, Penn would be a huge fight for those purposes. He's lost three of his last five, of course, including two straight to Edgar, but Penn is the former UFC Champion and would easily be the biggest name Melendez has fought in his career.


Will any of these happen in 2012? Who knows. We don't know what the UFC's plan is for crossovers into Strikeforce, or if there's a plan at all in the first place. However, if it does happen, these are the best options Melendez and Strikeforce fans can hope to see.