The UFC will have to wait; Gilbert Milendez faces Josh Thomson May 19th

Gilbert Melendez was anxiously awaiting the announcement of his first UFC fight. However, the plan never came to fruition for the Strikeforce Lightweight champion, who now finds himself facing Josh Thomson in a trilogy-ending bout May 19. The fight will precede that evening’s Daniel Cormier-Josh Barnett Grand Prix Final. Melendez expressed his disappointment at this finding, and had the following to say:

“I guess it was inevitable. I was hoping for something better, for some top talent, and it didn’t work out. Something to raise my stock.” – via mmajunkie.com

While Thomson is a game fighter who did hand Melendez a previous loss in a title fight, it is clear that Melendez wanted to face the best of the UFC Lightweight class. The argument now goes on about where Melendez should truly be ranked among Lightweights, with most believing that any fight available for him in Strikeforce to be the wrong direction. Melendez appears to be in agreement. With his chances at one of the deepest divisions in MMA on the horizon, Gilbert spoke his feelings:

“You just want more. You want to be the No. 1 guy, and right now, it seems like it’s put on hold for a minute. I’ve just got to have fun, do what I do, and stay focused on kicking butt.”

While he has a great perspective on the subject, this announcement will have many wondering what kind of draw that another fight versus Thomson will bring, especially in the form of a co-main event bout. There is no doubt that Gilbert Melendez should be fighting the UFC greats to prove his worth, exactly when will he get that chance?

Photo:Francis Specker