Gilbert Melendez On Eddie Alvarez: I’m A More Calculated, Elite Fighter
Although all eyes are on the main event this weekend (June 13, 2015) at UFC 188 as heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez returns to meet interim champion Fabricio Werdum, the co-main event also features an important and interesting bout as former Strikforce lightweight champion Gilbert “El Nino” Melendez meets former Bellator champion Eddie Alvarez in a bout that has been talked about for years.
Now with both fighters under the UFC banner, the fight is finally set to happen and each man is in desperate need of a win. Melendez is only 1-2 in his UFC tenure, most recently dropping a second-round submission loss to former champion Anthony Pettis at December’s UFC 181.
Alvarez on the other hand, made his UFC debut late last year at September’s UFC 178, meeting the surging and dangerous Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. Alvarez fell victim to Cerrone’s deadly leg kicks, and was battered over the course of three rounds, losing a unanimous decision.
Both men will be hungry for the win, but it seems as if “El Nino” is quite confident that he can get the job done against the former Bellator champion. Speaking with Sherdog, Melendez noted that Alvarez is tough, and that the two are very similar, but he also said that he believes he is more intelligent, more calculated, and simply more elite than Alvarez:
“He’s a tenacious fighter. He has a lot of heart, a lot of aggression. He throws big punches with big power; and that’s where he’s the scariest. I feel like I’m a very disciplined fighter. We are similar in a lot of ways. We both like to throw bombs, we both like to mix in the takedowns and we both like the ground-and-pound. I think overall, I’m more intelligent and more calculated fighter, and that is going to make the difference in this fight. I’m going to keep my head together and I am going to make the right decisions when he makes the wrong decisions and I am going to capitalize. I know I’m the more elite fighter and I plan on showing it.”
It’s not too often that fans get to see two former champions from other organizations collide in a clash that is years in the making. With both men loving to strike, and neither a stranger to all out wars, this bout has all the potential to be a “Fight of the Night” type of fight.
Which former champion do you see prevailing come fight night?
