The long-awaited showdown between two former lightweight champions is set to go down as Gilbert Melendez (Strikeforce) takes on Eddie Alvarez (Bellator) in the co-main event of this weekend's (Sat., June 13, 2015) UFC 188 pay-per-view (PPV) event in Mexico City, Mexico.
It's a contest that could see both brawlers throw caution to the wind, as Melendez and Alvarez have already proven their preference is to let their bouts play out on the feet.
While we may be in line to see another great striking battle, Melendez is out to show that he can also get the win by being more disciplined, calculated, and more intelligent than his counterpart.
From his conversation with Sherdog:
"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."
And while "El Nino" admits the title is always on the back of his mind, he says he isn't thinking about another shot at the strap just yet.
Probably because he still has a huge task ahead of him in Alvarez. Plus, Gilbert says at this point in time, he doesn't deserve to talk about potential title fights. A win over Eddie, however, will put him on the fast track for his third shot at UFC gold.
Especially since two top contenders, Anthony Pettis and Khabib Nurmagomedov, are on the sidelines battling nagging injuries like this one and this one.