Gilbert Melendez
Melendez started off very strong against Anthony Pettis at UFC 181, and he showed exactly why he is considered one of the top fighters in the Lightweight division.
While the night did not ultimately go his way, the fact Melendez gave Pettis a tough fight means that his stock will not dramatically decrease.
The vast majority of the UFC top ten fighters currently have other matches lined up, which means that it may be a while until Melendez next steps into the Octagon.
That does not mean there are no great potential fights lined up for the former Strikeforce Lightweight champion, however.
One potential match-up is against Eddie Alvarez.
Alvarez is currently stated to face Benson Henderson next month, but Melendez will be a good fight for Alvarez regardless of whether he wins or loses that fight.
As previously mentioned, Melendez was the former (and last) Strikeforce lightweight champion, while Alvarez was the Bellator lightweight champion before eventually moving to the UFC.
That in itself would make a Melendez – Alvarez fight highly interesting to many fans. The fight would also give both fighters another chance to make their way back into the division’s top five, which makes sense for both fighters.
An Alvarez vs. Melendez fight would make a solid UFC on Fox Main Event or a good main card fight on a UFC Pay Per View given the decorated MMA histories and top ten status of both fighters.
Another potential next opponent for Melendez is Edson Barboza, who came off a dominant decision victory over top ten lightweight Bobby Green last month.
The win put Barboza in the top ten, and beating a proven top fighter like Melendez would undoubtedly put Barboza in the division’s top five.
For Melendez, a win over Barboza would maintain him as a top six UFC fighter and would give him a victory over one of the best stand up fighters in the UFC.
Given Melendez’s popularity and Barboza’s entertaining style of fighting (he has won four Fight of the Night and a Knockout of the Night award) a Melendez vs. Barboza match would make a solid Main Event on a UFC Fight Night card.
