Melendez wants to call it even, no rubber match
Josh The Punk Thomson and Gilbert El Nino Melendez are thirsting for more respect.They closed 2009 with an absolute top…
Josh The Punk Thomson and Gilbert El Nino Melendez are thirsting for more respect.They closed 2009 with an absolute top five candidate for Fight of the Year setting up another chapter in a trilogy somewhere down the road. Both fighters said that can wait because now they want to send a message to rest of the top lightweights around the world.
Melendez, who moved to 17-2 by winning back his Strikeforce lightweight title via unanimous five-round decision, suggested that the rankings are ridiculous and he feels dissed (2:15 mark).
“Now that we got our stuff done with, it’s up to us to prove we’re the best 55ers,” said Melendez, who is ranked 13th in the USAToday/Bloody Elbow lightweight top 25. “Me and him are badass. I think me and him can take out all the dudes in UFC and all the dudes in DREAM. It’s about the respect. We can beat a lot of those guys. We’re complete MMA fighters. A lot of guys aren’t.”
Thomson dropped down to No. 24 after the loss.
“We’ve delivered great fights. Now it’s time for us to keep pushing [Scott Coker] to bring in the bigger name fighters and for Gilbert and I to start laying them out,” said Thomson, “I welcome them with closed fists.”