Gilbert Melendez (born April 12, 1982) is an American

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...

who formerly competed in the

Lightweight Lightweight is a weight class in combat sports and rowing. Boxing Professional boxing The lightweight division is over 130 pounds (59 kilograms) and up to 135 pounds (61.2 kilograms) weight class in the sport of boxing. Notable lightweight boxe ...

division of the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

(UFC). He is a two-time Strikeforce Lightweight Champion and a former WEC Lightweight Champion. He also competed in PRIDE FC,

Shooto Shooto is a combat sport and mixed martial arts organization that is governed by the ''Shooto Association'' and the ''International Shooto Commission''. Shooto was originally formed in 1985, first as a particular fighting system and then in 198 ...

and Rumble on the Rock. Melendez was nicknamed after the

El Niño El Niño (; ; ) is the warm phase of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and is associated with a band of warm ocean water that develops in the central and east-central equatorial Pacific (approximately between the International Date ...

storm, it was given to him by a Japanese broadcaster describing his fight-style and the manner in which he stormed through the Shooto Lightweight division.

Background

Melendez is from

Santa Ana, California Santa Ana () is the second most populous city and the county seat of Orange County, California. Located in the Greater Los Angeles region of Southern California, the city's population was 310,227 at the 2020 census, making Santa Ana the 13th-m ...

, of

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

descent. He wrestled at Santa Ana High School. Melendez always enjoyed

combat sports A combat sport, or fighting sport, is a competitive contact sport that usually involves one-on-one combat. In many combat sports, a contestant wins by scoring more points than the opponent, submitting the opponent with a hold, disabling the oppo ...

and competition, but did not start training in MMA until after college when he was introduced to the sport by his good friend and MMA fighter

Jake Shields Jake Sequoyah Shields (born January 9, 1979) is an American mixed martial artist and submission grappler. He was the last Rumble on the Rock Welterweight Champion, the only Elite XC Welterweight Champion, a former Shooto Welterweight ...

. Melendez attended

San Francisco State University San Francisco State University (commonly referred to as San Francisco State, SF State and SFSU) is a public research university in San Francisco. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers 118 different ...

and was studying in liberal arts, he anticipated becoming a teacher but did not finish his college education and get a degree, on account of training for MMA and working outside of college. He has stated that someday he plans on finishing his college education. Before becoming a professional fighter, he worked as a waiter and he also had a job at a Fairtex gear shop, which would later be one of his sponsors.

Mixed martial arts career

Melendez made his debut in the

World Extreme Cagefighting World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) was an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion founded in 2001. It was purchased by Zuffa, LLC, the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), in 2006. In its final incarnation, it was mad ...

and started off his career dominating his opponents, winning his first three career fights all by knockout due to punches before receiving an opportunity to fight for the first

WEC Lightweight Championship This is a list of World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) champions at each weight class. In December 2006 World Extreme Cagefighting was bought by Zuffa, LLC, the parent company of the UFC, to concentrate on the four smaller weight classes under the ...

against fan-favorite Olaf Alfonso at WEC 10. Melendez won the bout by TKO due to punches and became the first WEC Lightweight Champion. Two fights later, Melendez, still undefeated, made his debut in Japan's Shooto against Hiroyuki Takaya, which Melendez won by unanimous decision. He followed this up with two more TKO wins in Shooto to bring his record to 8-0 before making his Strikeforce debut against Harris Sarmiento, which Melendez won after his opponent tapped out due to punches received. Melendez won the Strikeforce Lightweight Championship from future UFC veteran Clay Guida by a split decision on June 9, 2006. Melendez then made his debut in PRIDE FC at

PRIDE Bushido 12 The year 2006 was the 10th year in the history of the Pride Fighting Championships, a mixed martial arts promotion based in Japan. 2006 had 10 events beginning with, ''Pride 31 - Unbreakable''. Title fights Debut Pride FC fighters The f ...

, winning by unanimous decision. In his next fight for the organization he faced then Shooto Lightweight Champion Tatsuya Kawajiri. Melendez won again by unanimous decision. He returned to Strikeforce to fight

Tetsuji Kato is a Japanese mixed martial artist who competed in the welterweight and lightweight divisions in Shooto, Strikeforce and DEEP. He was the SuperBrawl 7 Light Heavyweight Tournament winner, defeating Ben Hernandez in the finals. __TOC__ Cha ...

in a non-title bout, and won his third straight fight by a unanimous decision. Melendez then faced Mitsuhiro Ishida at the Yarennoka! event on New Year's Eve in 2007 at the

Saitama Super Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Chūō-ku, Saitama, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. It opened preliminarily on May 5, 2000, and then was officially opened on September 1 of the same year. Its maximum spectator capacity is 36,500, making i ...

in Japan. Melendez received his first career loss against the Japanese fighter by unanimous decision.

Strikeforce

Melendez held the Strikeforce Lightweight Championship belt for two years before losing it on June 27, 2008, to Josh Thomson by unanimous decision (50–45, 50–45, 50–45) at Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Thomson. On August 15, 2009, Melendez was again set to rematch Josh Thomson at Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg but Thomson was not cleared to fight, due to lingering problems with his leg. Mitsuhiro Ishida was selected to replace Thomson in what became Melendez' first Interim title defense. On December 19, 2009, Melendez fought Josh Thomson to unify the

Strikeforce Lightweight Championship Strikeforce was an American mixed martial arts organization. It crowned male champions in the lightweight, welterweight, middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions, and female champions in featherweight and bantamweight. World c ...

belts. Melendez won the fight via unanimous decision to become the Strikeforce Lightweight Champion. With the win he also avenged the second of his only two losses to date. Melendez successfully defended the

against current DREAM Lightweight Champion and former Shooto Middleweight Champion Shinya Aoki on April 17, 2010. A rematch between Melendez and Tatsuya Kawajiri took take place on April 9, 2011, at Strikeforce 33 in April. Melendez dominated his opponent showing excellent striking, knocking down Kawajiri with a right hand near the beginning of the fight. Melendez then again knocked down Kawajiri with a combination of knees to the body and a right hook followed by a right

uppercut The uppercut (formerly known as the undercut; sometimes also referred to as the ''upper'') is a punch used in boxing that travels along a vertical line at the opponent's chin or solar plexus. It is, along with the cross, one of the two main pu ...

. The beginning of the end came when Melendez sprawled one of Kawajiri's takedowns and then began landing short left hands which knocked Kawajiri down into half-guard where Melendez began landing vicious right elbows before the referee stopped the fight declaring Melendez the winner by TKO 3:14 into the first round. Melendez faced

Jorge Masvidal Jorge Masvidal (born November 12, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Welterweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Masvidal has been competing professionally since 2003; h ...

next. UFC president

Dana White Dana Frederick White Jr. (born July 28, 1969) is an American businessman who serves as president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a global mixed martial arts organization. In August 2019, White's net worth was estimated at $500 mil ...

briefly put the bout in question when he revealed to reporters that he was working to bring Melendez into the UFC fold "ASAP" with the possibility of Melendez entering with an immediate shot at the belt. Melendez eventually defended his title against challenger

at Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Melendez took on Josh Thomson in a rubber match for the Strikeforce Lightweight Championship at Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier in

San Jose, California San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popu ...

on May 19, 2012. He won the fight via split decision. Fans did not agree with the decision and Josh Thomson was visibly disappointed by the decision. Booing immediately followed the decision and continuously throughout Melendez's post fight interview. Thomson, although not pleased with the decision, showed class in defeat by asking the crowd to stop booing and support the local fighter. Melendez was expected to face

Pat Healy Patrick Healy, Pat Healy, Patrick Healey or Pat Healey may refer to: * Felix Healy (Patrick Joseph Healy, born 1955), former Northern Irish football player and manager * Pat Healy (actor) (born 1971), American actor, writer, and director * Pat ...

for the Strikeforce Lightweight Championship on September 29, 2012, in

Sacramento, California ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento C ...

. It was announced on September 22, 2012, that Melendez suffered an injury and had to withdraw from the fight. Due to Melendez' injury, Showtime opted not to air the card without the main event, thus causing Strikeforce to cancel the card becoming the second

MMA Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incor ...

card cancelled within a month under the

Zuffa Zuffa, LLC () is an American sports promotion company specializing in mixed martial arts. It was founded in January 2001 in Las Vegas, Nevada, by Station Casinos executives Frank Fertitta III and Lorenzo Fertitta to be the parent entity of ...

organization. The bout with Healy was rescheduled for January 12, 2013 at Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine, but again, Melendez pulled out of the bout citing a shoulder injury.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

The Strikeforce promotion was dissolved into the UFC by parent company Zuffa on January 12, 2013. Melendez received an immediate UFC title shot and made his promotional debut against

Benson Henderson Benson Henderson (born November 16, 1983) is an American mixed martial artist who competes for Bellator MMA, currently competing in their Lightweight division. He is a former UFC Lightweight Champion and WEC Lightweight Champion. As of November ...

on April 20, 2013, at UFC on Fox 7. Melendez lost a split decision in a closely contested bout. In his second UFC fight, Melendez faced

Diego Sanchez Diego Sanchez (born December 31, 1981) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He competes in the Welterweight division. A professional competitor since 2002, Sanchez is most known for his time in the Ultimate Fighting Championship ( ...

on October 19, 2013, at UFC 166. He won the fight via unanimous decision. The win also earned him his first ''Fight of the Night'' award. On UFC.com Joe Rogan called the brawl between Melendez and Sanchez the best he's ever seen. Melendez was scheduled to face

Khabib Nurmagomedov Khabib Abdulmanapovich Nurmagomedov av, ХIабиб ГӀабдулманапил НурмухӀамадов (born 20 September 1988) is a Russian former professional mixed martial artist. He competed in the lightweight division of the Ultima ...

at UFC 170. However, the fight was later cancelled due to undisclosed reasons. After negotiating with the UFC for his new contract, there was speculation that Melendez may sign with Bellator. In the process, Melendez also got an offer from World Series of Fighting. He then agreed to sign with Bellator, but the UFC had the right to match their offer. Melendez ultimately re-signed with the UFC after he was given the opportunity to serve as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter 20, opposite UFC Lightweight Champion Anthony Pettis, the two would face each other at UFC 181 on December 6, 2014. He lost the fight via guillotine choke in the second round. Melendez then faced

Eddie Alvarez Edward "Eddie" Alvarez (born January 11, 1984) is an American mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Lightweight (170 lb) division of ONE Championship. He also formerly competed in the UFC and Bellator MMA, winning world titles ...

on June 13, 2015, at UFC 188. He lost the fight by a close split decision. Melendez was tabbed as a short notice replacement to face

Al Iaquinta Al Iaquinta (born April 30, 1987) is an American former professional mixed martial artist who competed in the lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, having once challenged for the Lightweight championship belt. A professional ...

on July 15, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 71, taking the place of Bobby Green. However, Melendez was removed from the card on July 6 after it was revealed that he tested positive for

performance-enhancing drugs Performance-enhancing substances, also known as performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), are substances that are used to improve any form of activity performance in humans. A well-known example of cheating in sports involves doping in sport, where bann ...

after his previous fight at UFC 188. In addition, Melendez was suspended for one year from the date of the bout for violation of the UFC Fighter Conduct Policy. Melendez next faced

Edson Barboza Edson Barboza Jr. (born January 21, 1986) is a Brazilian-American professional mixed martial artist and former Muay Thai kickboxer who competes in the featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and has formerly competed at lig ...

on July 23, 2016, at

UFC on Fox 20 ''UFC on Fox: Holm vs. Shevchenko'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 20'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on July 23, 2016, at United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Background The event was headlined b ...

. Melendez lost the fight by unanimous decision. Melendez faced

Jeremy Stephens Jeremy Stephens (born May 26, 1986) is an American professional mixed martial artist who competes in the Lightweight division of Professional Fighters League (PFL). A professional since 2005, he spent 15 years and competed in 33 bouts in the ...

in a featherweight bout on September 9, 2017, at UFC 215. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. Both participants were awarded '' Fight of the Night'' honors for their performance. Melendez was scheduled to face

Arnold Allen Arnold Billy Allen (born 22 January 1994) is an English professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Featherweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of November 8, 2022, he is #4 in the UFC featherweig ...

on November 30, 2018, at The Ultimate Fighter 28 Finale. However, Melendez pulled out of the fight on November 5 and was replaced by

Rick Glenn Ricky Glenn (born April 12, 1989) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the Lightweight division of the UFC. A professional since 2006, he is the former World Series of Fighting Featherweight Champiom. Background Glenn was ...

. Melendez faced

on July 6, 2019, at

UFC 239 ''UFC 239: Jones vs. Santos'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on July 6, 2019 at T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area. Background A UFC Light ...

. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. On November 11, 2019, it was reported that Melendez was released by UFC.

Personal life

Gil and Keri Melendez teach soldiers martial arts techniques

Melendez and his wife Keri Anne Taylor-Melendez have a daughter born August 8, 2010. Keri Anne is a Muay Thai fighter with a 3–10 record as a pro (

Muay Thai Muay Thai ( th, มวยไทย, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, is a combat sport that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. This discipline is known as the "art of eight limbs", as it is characterise ...

and

Kickboxing Kickboxing is a combat sport focused on kicking and punching. The combat takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouthguards, shorts, and bare feet to favour the use of kicks. Kickboxing is practiced for self-defense, general ...

). She also has a knockout win as an MMA fighter.

Film and television

Melendez starred alongside teammates

and the Diaz brothers in the award-winning mixed martial arts documentary '' Fight Life'', the film is directed by James Z. Feng and produced by RiLL Films, it was released in 2013. He also has provided commentary and analysis for

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...

before each Pay Per View. He coached season 20 of

The Ultimate Fighter ''The Ultimate Fighter'' is an American reality television series and mixed martial arts (MMA) competition produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Pilgrim Media Group currently airing on ESPN+. It previously aired for fourteen s ...

for the UFC.

Championships and accomplishments

* Strikeforce **

(Two times; last) **Five successful title defenses ** Interim Strikeforce Lightweight Championship (One time) **One successful title defense **Most championship bouts in Strikeforce history (10) **Most successful title defenses in Strikeforce history (6) **Most consecutive title defenses in Strikeforce history (4) **Most wins in Strikeforce history (11) **Most significant strikes landed in Strikeforce history (749) *

** Fight of the Night (Two times) vs.

and

(One time; first) *International Fighting Championships **IFC Night of Warriors Amateur Tournament Winner * Inside MMA **2013 Fight of the Year Bazzie Award vs.

on October 19 *

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence tw ...

**2009 Round of the Year vs. Josh Thomson on December 19; Round 5 *MMAFighting **2006 Lightweight of the Year *

Wrestling Observer Newsletter The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four W ...

** 2013 Fight of the Year vs. Diego Sanchez on October 19

Mixed martial arts record

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Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 22–7 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC 215 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Edmonton, Alberta Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city anch ...

, Canada , , - , Loss , align=center, 22–6 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC on Fox: Holm vs. Shevchenko , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 22–5 ,

, Decision (split) , UFC 188 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...

, Mexico , , - , Loss , align=center, 22–4 , Anthony Pettis , Submission (guillotine choke) , UFC 181 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:53 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 22–3 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC 166 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 21–3 ,

, Decision (split) , UFC on Fox: Henderson vs. Melendez , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 21–2 , Josh Thomson , Decision (split) , Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 20–2 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United Stat ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 19–2 , Tatsuya Kawajiri , TKO (elbows) , Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:14 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 18–2 , Shinya Aoki , Decision (unanimous) , Strikeforce: Nashville , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 17–2 , Josh Thomson , Decision (unanimous) , Strikeforce: Evolution , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–2 , Mitsuhiro Ishida , TKO (punches) , Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:56 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 15–2 ,

Rodrigo Damm Rodrigo Damm (; born 3 February 1980) is a Brazilian retired professional mixed martial artist who last competed in the Lightweight division of the UFC. A professional since 2004, he also competed for World Victory Road, Strikeforce, Jungle Fig ...

, KO (punches) , Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Diaz , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:02 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 14–2 , Josh Thomson , Decision (unanimous) , Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Thomson , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–1 , Gabe Lemley , TKO (punches) , Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Le , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:18 ,

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, Decision (unanimous) , Strikeforce: Playboy Mansion , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. ...

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, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 10–0 , Clay Guida , Decision (split) , Strikeforce: Revenge , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of T ...

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Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.46 ...

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Jeff Hougland Jeffery Ryan Hougland (born August 2, 1978) is a retired American professional mixed martial artist. A professional from 2002 until 2012, he competed for the UFC and WEC. Mixed martial arts career Early career Hougland started fighting profes ...

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Greg Quan , TKO (punches) , WEC 5 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:37 ,

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References

External links

* *
Official Pride Website

Gilbert Melendez' MyspaceMMA Freak Best of 2013 Awards
{{DEFAULTSORT:Melendez, Gilbert Living people 1982 births American male mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists from California Lightweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing wrestling Mixed martial artists utilizing boxing Mixed martial artists utilizing Muay Thai Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu American sportspeople of Mexican descent American mixed martial artists of Mexican descent Hispanic and Latino American sportspeople Strikeforce (mixed martial arts) champions World Extreme Cagefighting champions American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu American Muay Thai practitioners Sportspeople from the San Francisco Bay Area American sportspeople in doping cases Doping cases in mixed martial arts San Francisco State University alumni Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters