Melendez motivated to be No. 1
Who is the best lightweight in the world of mixed martial arts? Strikeforce 155-pound champion Gilbert Melendez is 19-2, he…
Who is the best lightweight in the world of mixed martial arts?
Strikeforce 155-pound champion Gilbert Melendez is 19-2, he has avenged both of his losses and he is 7-1 in title bouts. He holds victories over Clay Guida, Mitsuhiro Ishida, Josh Thomson, Shinya Aoki and Tatsuya Kawajiri.
“The goal is to be number one in the world at the end of the day,” Melendez said. “And the only way to do that is by getting the UFC title.”
Melendez takes center stage in the Strikeforce cage when he defends his Strikeforce lightweight title against Jorge Masvidal on Saturday at 5 p.m. at Valley View Casino Center in San Diego. The card will be televised tape delayed at 10:30 p.m. on Showtime.
“A lot of people have been talking nonsense; that Jorge, he’s – like he’s no good,” Melendez said. “You’re going to run by him and that talk kind of bothers me because some people are ignorant. They don’t really follow the game that much. If you don’t fight in the UFC, they think you’re no good.
“So what’s been the challenge for me is motivating myself and staying motivated and pumping myself up. So this means a lot to myself; just not to fans, not to anybody. This fight is for me just to prove that I can defend my throne, and I’m the big favorite here and I have a tough guy who’s underrated and I got to really come through.”