HERES THE ARTICLE BREH
No longer UFC-bound, Strikeforce's Melendez insists focus still unchanged
SAN DIEGO – It's amazing how much a single phone call can completely change the stakes of a fistfight.
For the past few weeks, it was generally assumed that Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez (19-2 MMA, 9-1 SF) was taking part in what amounted to a UFC qualification bout against sometimes welterweight Jorge Masvidal (22-6 MMA, 4-0 UFC) at Saturday's "Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal" event in San Diego.
But on a Thursday media conference call, UFC president Dana White revealed Melendez would be staying put, win or lose. Has the rapid turn of events proven distracting for Melendez?
"Things are on your mind, but that comes with the territory," Melendez said. "People are throwing it in your face, and you hear things, but that comes with the territory. Part of being a champ or part of being a fighter is being able to deal with this stuff. And, of course, I've got a tough task ahead of me.
"I've got Jorge Masvidal, a very tough fighter, so that's what I've got to focus on. That's what I'm worried about."
Indeed, a win over Masvidal is no certainty, despite Melendez's status as a healthy favorite (as much as four-to-one) according to most oddsmakers. The 5-foot-10 "Gamebred" is a noted striker and boasts a bevy of bouts against some of the sport's most noted fighters, including Raphael Assuncao, Paul Daley, Rodrigo Damm, Yves Edwards, Billy Evangelista, Ryan Healy, Toby Imada, Satoru Kitaoka, Joe Lauzon and K.J. Noons, among others.
"I think Jorge is a tough matchup," Melendez said. "He's a unique fighter. He's long. I think he has a lot better boxing than a lot of MMA fighters – tactical, long reach, big guy for the weightclass and fights his pace. I've just got to make sure I fight my fight against him, and I look forward to the challenge. I think if I can get by him, I can get by anybody."
Perhaps lost in much of the pre-fight buildup was exactly what the fight means to Masvidal. The American Top Team product has long been a highly touted commodity among hardcore fans, but he's struggled to gain widespread acceptance. A win over Melendez would do wonders to boost his marketability.
Despite the lack of attention leading up to the fight, Masvidal said he's not offended by the hype surrounding his opponent.
"I don't think it's disrespectful at all," Masvidal said. "He has the title. … My next step is to get the belt. That's what I'm worried about. I don't care what people think or what his mindset is. I'm just worried about Saturday, so it doesn't bug me at all."
Former EliteXC lightweight champion K.J. Noons took on Masvidal this past June and dropped a unanimous decision. Noons agrees that Masvidal will provide much stiffer competition for the champ than most MMA pundits seem to predict.
"I think it's a great matchup," Noons said. "I think a lot of people underestimate Jorge. I did, myself. He beat me up pretty bad my last fight. He has a great style. He's actually very good all-around. I'm actually one of the big 155-pounders, and he's bigger than me. I think if you look at Jorge's record, too, he's fought a lot of big, top guys. He's just good all-around.
"It's going to be a really good fight, I believe. It hasn't gotten so much press as other fights, but it's going to be a barnburner."
If Melendez fights at full strength, he should be able to handle the size and power of Masvidal. But the bout does, in theory, appear to be a "trap fight." On Thursday, White insisted Melendez was "[expletive] happy" to be the Strikeforce champ and was more than willing to remain a part of the promotion.
For his part, Melendez echoed those sentiments. Only time will tell how genuine "El Nino" is truly being.
"I am happy," Melendez told MMAjunkie.com (
www.mmajunkie.com). "I talked to my dad a little, too, and you've seen what the WEC has done for Urijah Faber. You see what an organization, with the UFC marketing, can do for the fighters. And I do think they can bring fighters out here and make everyone happy out here.
"I'm not one to be negative. I'm not trying to be negative. I'm really blessed with my whole situation. I've got a great challenge in front of me. What more can I ask for? I'm the main event on Showtime. I'm sharing the card with some wonderful fighters. This is great."
