Bellator signing Gilbert Melendez to a contract on Friday doesn’t shift any balance of power on the MMA landscape — the UFC is still far and away the biggest game in town. One marquee signing isn’t going to change that. But it’s a start and that’s why Friday’s surprise news is so intriguing.
There are two levels to this. The first is that Bellator has inked a legitimate Top 5 lightweight who was one round on one scorecard away from being the UFC champion. This isn’t a fighter who is passed his prime or has never enjoyed much success inside the Octagon — Melendez could very well be next in line for a title shot if the UFC decides to re-sign him and the Jose Aldo-Anthony Pettis fight doesn’t come together. Any time you add a fighter of that calibre to your roster, it’s a step in the right direction.
But it’s just one step for Bellator. The addition of Melendez would give them one more marquee name to stick on a poster or potentially a pay-per-view show and gives them three truly elite talents in the lightweight division if “El Nino” does join Eddie Alvarez and Michael Chandler under the Bellator banner.
The second level of this move is where things get really interesting because the potential is there for others to follow in Melendez’ footsteps. Right now, the ball is in the UFC’s court –they hold matching rights on Melendez and can dictate how this things play out.
If they re-sign him, this becomes an “almost big deal” story and something to watch going forward. Even if he doesn’t end up joining the Bellator roster, the simple fact that they’re willing to make a lucrative offer to a free agent is a shot across the bow. But if they don’t re-sign him, we could be looking at the start of Bellator MMA making a serious push to close the gap between themselves and the UFC.
Personally, I don’t think the UFC is going to re-sign Melendez — if they wanted to keep him in the fold, all of this could have been avoided. Obviously, there is money involved and the UFC is trying to work within a financial framework they like in terms of his next contract, but I can’t see them failing to come to a deal and then matching whatever number Bjorn Rebney and company put on the table. That’s a mistake if you ask me.
From a competition standpoint, letting one of the very best fighters in the lightweight division leave to join the competition doesn’t make a lot of sense. Just as everyone skewered Bellator for letting Ben Askren walk when his contract expired, the UFC should face the same scrutiny. But this extends beyond Melendez the competitor and touches on bigger, organizational issues the UFC could face going forward if they allow the former Strikeforce champ to depart.
Early last week, UFC President Dana White spoke publicly about the difficulty the organization was having with coming to terms with Melendez on a new deal, going on UFC Tonight and essentially washing his hands of the process while telling Melendez to start looking at other options. And now Melendez has called his bluff.
That hadn’t happened before — at least not with a fighter that was still in the thick of the title chase and clearly someone the UFC wanted to keep on the roster. Dan Henderson’s departure for Strikeforce is the closest comparison, but the UFC never really pressed to get “Hendo” signed or tried to strong-arm him into sticking around.
By taking the difficulties of the negotiations public, I’m guessing White was hoping that public response would prompt Melendez to cede his position and acquiesce to the terms being offered by the UFC. It’s the old “we’re the biggest name in the game and you need us more than we need you” technique… except it didn’t work.
This was a miscalculation from White and the UFC. Fighting in the UFC isn’t the most influential variable for fighters any more, especially those in the elite class that have already enjoyed a cup of tea or full blown extended stay on the UFC roster already.
Earning potential is first and foremost to a fighter like Melendez at this point and rightfully so. He’s worked hard to reach a point where he’s considered one of the very best in his weight class. With an ever-closing window of opportunity to cash in and secure his family’s financial stability, he’s going to follow the money even if that means leaving the UFC.
The bigger issue for the UFC to address here, regardless of how things play out with Melendez, is what seems like a constant strategy of throwing some of their biggest names under the bus whenever they don’t “fall in line.” The hardball approach of telling Melendez to “kick rocks” didn’t work out and very few people have been on #TeamUFC in their public battles with Georges St-Pierre or more recently Alistair Overeem.
Pro Tip: when the vast majority of people are backing “The Reem,” you know you’re missing the mark.
Fighters aren’t interchangeable — you don’t just replace Top 5 talent and establish stars. If it were that easy, pay-per-view numbers and overall ratings wouldn’t be in a state of decline. Bellator inking Melendez shows they recognize his value and signals to other impending free agents that there are other options beyond the UFC.
If the UFC doesn’t remedy the situation, “El Nino” might not be the only free agent that scores a lucrative offer from the competition this year.
