Gilbert Melendez
Biography
Gilbert "El Niño" Melendez is a Mexican-American mixed martial artist who has fought at Featherweight and currently fights at Lightweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a two-time Strikeforce Lightweight Champion and a former WEC Lightweight Champion. He also competed in PRIDE FC, Shooto, and Rumble on the Rock. Melendez holds the distinction of being one of a select group of fighters who have ever been ranked #1 in the world in two weight classes in MMA, among the likes of Anderson Silva, Dan Henderson, Randy Couture, Kazushi Sakuraba, and BJ Penn. Melendez was nicknamed after the infamous El Niño storm that wreaks havoc across the Pacific Rim. It was given to him by a Japanese broadcaster describing his fight-style and the manner in which he stormed through the Shooto Featherweight division
Known For
Self
Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Gracie
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Strikeforce: Revenge
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Strikeforce: Playboy Mansion
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Strikeforce: Evolution
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Strikeforce: Nashville
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Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg
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Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley
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Pride Shockwave 2006
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Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Diaz
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Pride Bushido 12
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Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal
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WEC 5: Halloween Fury
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WEC 6: Return of a Legend
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WEC 10: Bragging Rights
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Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Thomson
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Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Le
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Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Finals: Barnett vs. Cormier
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UFC on Fox 7: Henderson vs. Melendez
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Mexican Fighter
Himself
Fight Life
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UFC 181: Hendricks vs. Lawler II
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UFC 188: Velasquez vs. Werdum
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UFC 166: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos III
Quintet Ultra
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UFC on Fox 20: Holm vs. Shevchenko
Logger
Supreme Champion
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UFC 215: Nunes vs. Shevchenko 2
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UFC 239: Jones vs. Santos
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Submission Underground 8
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Yarennoka!
Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Known Credits
30
Gender
Male
Birthday
1982-04-12
Place of Birth
Also Known As