February 24, 2014
Well it seems as if Gilbert Melendez got his way, and it is great news for all of us. He is a former Strikeforce champion and has an overall record of 22-3. Melendez is 1-1 in the UFC, but many believe he should be 2-0, but that is another story.
It seems as though the UFC has come to a deal with Melendez for a multi fight, multi year deal including coaching TUF 20 against the current UFC lightweight champ Anthony Pettis. Terms of the deal are not fully disclosed, but many sources say it entails 75% of his matches to take place on PPV events and a cut of the PPV sales. Reportedly the PPV income will kick in at a lower minimum buy rate than any fighter in UFC history. His PPV income will not be dependent on him headlining an event.
According to mmafighting.comBellator CEO Bjorn Rebney issued the following statement.
"It's my understanding that the UFC matched the deal we agreed to with Gilbert," Rebney said. "While I haven't yet spoken to Gilbert's management team, I have heard from various sources that the UFC matched our offer. We have a stacked lightweight roster and Gil would have made a great addition to it, yet I'm glad he was able to go out, explore the free agent market and get paid what he deserves. That's what the free market system is all about. I'm happy for Gil, that through this process he was able to ensure long term financial security for himself and his family. That's what the fighters that put it all on the line inside the cage deserve.
"This process has shown that in MMA, there are two legitimate options for fighters. And, as I said last week, with two large scale options for fighters in MMA, fighters negotiating power is dramatically improved. Our actions throughout this process accomplished that for Gilbert right now, and in the future it will do the same for countless additional fighters. Some will end up in Bellator and some will end up in the UFC. But, either way, the sport benefits. Now our focus turns to the task at hand, which is our Season 10 kickoff this Friday on Spike TV."
Here is a response from Melendez I found on
ESPN.
"You better believe it," said Melendez, when asked if he had hoped UFC would match Bellator's offer. "There are two awesome fighters in Michael Chandler and Eddie Alvarez [in Bellator], but UFC is the home of the best fighters in the world.
"Sometimes, you have to put your emotions aside and think about your future and your family. At the end of the day, I got the best of both worlds."
So fight fans, are you pumped for TUF 20 and Melendez staying with the UFC like I am? I have to say Melendez's fight with Diego Sanchez is one of my all time favorite fights. When I heard the news last night I was excited as hell. Let us know what you think.