Roundtables
ROUNDTABLE: If the UFC does send someone to Strikeforce to face Gilbert Melendez, who would it be, and who should it be?
Dec 21, 2011 - 6:45:12 PM ROUNDTABLE: If the UFC does send someone to Strikeforce to face Gilbert Melendez, who would it be, and who should it be?

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Assuming the UFC does send over someone to fight Gilbert Melendez next, who do you think it will be, and who would you like to see brought over for that fight?

RICH HANSEN, MMATORCH COLUMNIST


Look.  Nobody pointed a gun at anybody's skull in order to coerce Gilbert Melendez into signing with Strikeforce.  As far as I know, no one exerted any undue influence in order to get him to do something he otherwise would not have done.  Melendez is a grown-ass man, and not only deserves but expects to be treated as such.  He wanted to fight in Strikeforce, against Strikeforce fighters, and that's what he's doing now.

Zuffa, Forza, UFC, Strikeforce, Showtime, etc. are under no obligation to give him anything other than the contracted fights and compensation that his contract mandates.  If he was worried about fighting Frankie Edgar, Gray Maynard, B.J. Penn, Ben Henderson, et. al., he would have signed with the UFC when he had the chance.  As far as I'm concerned, let him fight K.J. Noons, Caros Fodor, and the ever in demand trilogy fight with Josh Thomson.  In my eyes, Melendez looked like a fool when he challenged UFC fighters to fight him in his hexagon.

There is no financial incentive whatsoever for the UFC to send a highly paid UFC fighter to fight on a low revenue Strikeforce show.  There's also no incentive at all for a fighter in the UFC to fight him in Strikeforce.  If any UFC lightweight is that desperate for a belt, they can go buy one at the concession stand at UFC 141 for the low price of $25.  Not only would that fighter have a belt, but then he wouldn't be stuck in the purgatory that Melendez himself is desperate from which to purge himself.

Now, with all of that out of the way, the question at hand is, "...who do you think it will be, and who would you like to see brought over for that fight?"  To answer the latter before the former, I hope they don't send anyone over.  I'm not a big fan of people getting rewarded for a self-inflicted mess.  I love Gilbert Melendez, he's on my top 10 list of favorite fighters to watch, and I think 99% of the time he's classy as hell.  But again, no one - not you, not me, not Vadim, not Cesar, not Uncle Dana, no one - forced him to fight with a second-rate organization.  So, with all of that set aside, strictly in a vacuum as a fight fan, I'd love to see Gilbert vs. B.J. Penn (you knew that's who I was gonna say, right?).  Now, keep in mind it will never happen, and there's 0 reason for B.J. to fight Melendez in Strikeforce, but as a fight, that's a fight.

And to answer the former, I don't think the UFC is sending anyone over.  I think there are two reasons Strikeforce is going to continue to exist:

1.)  To try to assuage the FTC.
2.)  To act as a buffer between the UFC and Bellator, so that Zuffa can retain specific fighters that they want to keep under control but fear going to Bellator.  We call this the Ben Saunders Rule (which is like saying 'Mount Fujiyama.').

So, working under those hypothetical, self-imposed, and possibly 100% incorrect constraints, there's no one they would send over.


FRANK HYDEN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR



I think the UFC should bring Gray Maynard over to fight Melendez. You can't exactly give Maynard another shot at Frankie Edgar right now, but if Maynard were to fight Melendez and beat him, that would be pretty big business.


ANWAR PEREZ, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

I think it would do Zuffa good to bring someone over that has a name of some sort, be it a top contender, or let's face it, someone that is on the level of the "normal" Strikeforce contender.  I would say someone like Kenny Florian, B.J. Penn, or even Clay Guida.  Either of those three guys would be a good fight for Melendez and a test of his mettle before he eventually steps into the UFC.


ERIC HOBAUGH, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR




I think this situation is really unfortunate for Melendez. He is a talented and deserving challenger for the UFC title. Since the Strikeforce title is more symbolic than anything, they should make the most entertaining fight out there. I would love to see Melendez fight Kenny Florian. Florian is a well-rounded, exciting fighter fans love to see fight. Another interesting fight would be Grey Maynard. That fight would allow Maynard another run at a title. More importantly, either of those fights would sell. 



ALEX WILLIAMS, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR


I'm guessing it will be either Clay Guida or the winner of Anthony Pettis vs Joe Lauzon.  In terms of my interest in the fight, I would like to see the Melendez-Guida rematch.


JAMIE PENICK, MMATORCH EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Of the names I wrote about the other day, Maynard would be my top choice for who I'd like to see. Maynard would be the highest ranked fighter the UFC would consider sending over, and would be one of the toughest possible fights for Melendez, as Maynard also possesses a very solid wrestling and striking game. However, realistically, I think someone more along the lines of Florian or Guida would be more likely to be tapped by the UFC at this point.