Give us Pettis-Diaz, winner another title contender

Which I'm sure Melendez was thinking of when he resigned with Strikeforce.

Look if it were Cormier or Barnett stuck in the heavyweight division after everyone had been moved to the UFC then I could understand people being pissed. But the Strikeforce division is no worse than it was when Melendez signed that big contract extension. He knew what he was signing on for.

Now saying that, the news that the Showtime-Dana White relationship has broken down may make things interesting on this front.

 

Pettis v Bendo went the distance fella, but I agree otherwise. It's the next logical fight

I think it will be rare for anyone who's fighting TOP contenders regularly to go more than 3 wins on the trot in the LW division as it stands

 

I actually wrote about this for a recent issue of FSM

The lightweight division is both the most stacked division in the sport and the one with the fewest 'hot' challengers.

 

Not quite true there fella, I think Jake had left already, but his team mate Nick held one of the SF straps, and they were in the midst of a talent share with DREAM with Kawa & Aoki coming in and a return match was scheduled for Japan if memory serves. That's no more with Zuffa not wanting to co-promote and DREAM seemingly going tits up

AND the WEC held it's last event in December 2010 making the UFC 155ers the deepest division in MMA and we had the 1st new Champ since 08 defending the belt for the 1st time

It's fair to say almost everything has changed since January 2011. Gil deserves to be in the mix with those guys

 

Nothing has changed in regards to the situation Melendez finds himself in. The Strikeforce lightweight division was **** then and its just as **** now.

1. How does Nick leaving change anything regarding Melendez and the lightweight title scene?

2. He had already killed Aoki. If all the Zuffa buyout has denied him by closing the door to working with Dream is that rematch then he's lost nothing. Especially as he got to fight Kawajiri.

3. He resigned several months after the WEC merger was announced. He knew full well that we were on the brink of an incredibly deep lightweight division and yet he still signed a contract that excluded himself from it.

4. I never said he didn't deserve to be in the UFC. I'm the one who's been consistent in saying there should be a single major league promotion with all the elite talent competing with each other. What I'm not going to do is ***** and moan that Zuffa is making Melendez honour the contract that he signed knowing how **** Strikeforce's lightweight division was.

 

Well goes without saying that Nick and Gil are very tight. True it changes nothing compared to who's on the roster at 155. But let's put this in perspective, the futre at SF was looking alot rosier with Cung Le, Dan Henderson, Reem, Werdum on the roster.

Im pretty sure that Gil had no idea the roster would be gutted following the March purchase. And it's not a stretch to suggest Gil's long contract was a reaction to letting another of their Champs walk out the door with the belt. Gil knew what he was signing for in January, but that had all changed by March. It's pretty clear that SF has lost a load of credibility since march last year, it's now seen as a lame duck promotion

Well he's lost a holiday to Japan The only other interesting match up in SF now is a rubber match with Josh, and maybe KJ. Other than that he's a big fish in an increasingly smaller pond with each defence

Im not arguing that Melendez shouldnt honour is contract, but I do think it's valid that it's not quite what he signed up for due to the merger. Im personally not bitching and moaning, it's just a shame that he's the last Champ on a sinking ship when he has the potential to have a very big impact on a great division. It's only natural people want to see him in the UFC, bringing up his contract is not going to to dispel the curiosity or the desire to see Gil in the mix

 

Oh I agree its natural to want Melendez in the UFC....that's one of the reasons I supported the Zuffa buyout of Strikeforce :yep

But again the buyout really hasn't effected anything for Melendez. Strikeforce was struggling to get him matches then and is struggling to get him matches. The fact he's the last quality male fighter left is unfortunate but it doesn't change the fact that his division has not been touch by Zuffa. Nor does it change that hes financially better off than any UFC lightweight other than whoever's holding the title.

So yeah I hope Melendez comes to the UFC soon but I understand why its not happening immediately.

 

nate diaz future lw champ.