Gilbert Melendez’s days in the UFC may be numbered as the former UFC lightweight title challenger has agreed to a contract with rival promotion Bellator MMA.
Melendez’s UFC contract is expired, which allowed him to negotiate with other organizations, but the UFC currently holds matching rights.
“The moment Gil was legally able to explore the free agent market, Gil’s management team reached out to me and we began figuring out how to bring Gil to Bellator,” Bellator MMA chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney said in a press release. “It’s no secret that I’ve been a big ‘El Nino’ fan for many years. Gil was one of the first fighters I tried to sign when I launched Bellator back in 2008, and he’s grown and developed into one of the best and most exciting lightweights on earth. Gil has a vision for what he wants to accomplish both inside and outside the cage and we can help make his vision a reality. We are in the business of developing and showcasing the greatest fighters on earth. That’s what we intend to do here with Gil and it’s what we’ll continue to do in the future.”
If Melendez does sign with Bellator, he would join the likes of former UFC stars Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Tito Ortiz, Cheick Kongo, Kendall Grove, Vladimir Matyushenko, Diego Nunes, Terry Etim and fellow former Strikeofrce champ Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal on the roster.
Bellator boasts some of the best lightweights in MMA including champion Eddie Alvarez and former champion Michael Chandler.
The 31-year-old Santa Ana, Calif., native is 22-3 in MMA and has gone 1-1 in the UFC after years of fighting in Strikeforce. He is coming off a memorable win over Diego Sanchez at UFC 166 in October. In his UFC debut last April, Melendez lost a close decision to then-champion Benson Henderson. Melendez also holds notable wins over Josh Thomson, Shinya Aoki, Clay Guida and Tatsuya Kawajiri.
In other Bellator news, the promotion will return to Canada on May 9 at Casino Rama in Orillia, Ont.
