Gilbert Melendez Finally Returns At UFC 239

Gilbert Melendez is finally ready to make his return to the Octagon.

UFC announced on their Canadian Twitter page that “El Nino” will be facing Arnold Allen at the UFC 239 pay-per-view (PPV).

The show goes down from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 6. It’s one of the most stacked cards of the year, headlined by Jon Jones vs. Thiago Santos for the light heavyweight title:

Melendez is currently on a four-fight losing streak. He hasn’t fought since dropping a unanimous decision to Jeremy Stephens back in September of 2017. In another interesting stat, Melendez hasn’t won a fight since 2013 when he bested Diego Sanchez in a classic war at UFC 166.

That was the only victory of his UFC run since joining the promotion that same year. He’ll take on Allen, an intriguing prospect currently on a seven-fight win streak. Allen has won all five of his UFC appearances, the latest being a unanimous decision over Jordan Rinaldi in March.

Now, he has the chance to knock off one of the most respected veterans in the sport when he faces Melendez this summer.