Gilbert Melendez is a talented Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighter and mixed martial artist. The fighter star competes in the UFC’s featherweight division; he had previously held the Strikeforce Lightweight Championship title twice. Furthermore, he also won the WEC Lightweight Champion title. Prior to his UFC career, he competed in the Rumble on the Rock, Shooto, and PRIDE FC championships.
the biography
Gilbert Melendez was born in Santa Ana, California on April 12, 1982, to Gilbert Melendez Sr. and his Mexican-born wife. As a child, Gilbert was fond of wrestling and he practiced the sport during his high school years at Santa Ana High School in California. At the time, he was notably good friends with fellow MMA fighter Jake Shields, but that was not to last.
Shortly after graduating from high school, Gilbert enrolled at the University of San Francisco where he studied liberal arts. While there, the fighter began his MMA training and eventually dropped out to focus on his career. He also worked at Fairtex gear store, which later became one of his sponsors in his professional career.
Gilbert Melendez’ Professional Career
The talented fighter launched his mixed martial arts career in World Extreme Cagefighting where he dominated his opponents. He was victorious in his first three career fights which allowed him to compete in the WEC Lightweight Championship. During the competition, Gilbert fought and defeated his opponent Olaf Alfonso by knockout to become the 2004 WEC Lightweight Champion.
Subsequently, he made his appearance in Japanese Shooto when he fought against Hiroyuki Takaya. After the fight, Gilbert emerged victorious by unanimous decision. He went undefeated and after his eight wins he made his Strikeforce debut in 2006. The fighter won his first fight against Harris Sarmiento. After that, he defeated Clay Guida in June 2006 to win the Strikeforce Lightweight Championship.
Seeking a more challenging environment, Gilbert attended PRIDE FC where he fought against Tatsuya Kawajiri in 2007. After defeating lightweight champion Shooto, Gilbert returned to Strikeforce. His next fight was against Tetsuji Kato in September 2007, which he also won by unanimous decision. The fighter suffered his first career loss on December 31, 2007 against Mitsuhiro Ishida.
The following year, Gilbert defended his Strikeforce Lightweight title against Gabe Lemley, but ultimately lost the title to Josh Thomson in June 2008. Despite this loss, he won and evened out the Strikeforce Championship in 2009 after his triumph over Josh Thomson.
He made his first UFC appearance in April 2013 with his first fight against Benson Henderson. Despite a good fight, Gilbert lost the fight via split decision. He had his first UFC victory in October 2013 against Diego Sanchez. Unfortunately, he lost the next four fights to Eddie Alvarez, Edson Barboza, Jeremy Stephens and Anthony Pettis. Gilbert is scheduled to face Arnold Allen on November 30, 2018. The fight will take place at the Ultimate Fighter 28 Finals.
Gilbert Melendez’s wife
The MMA star is happy to be married to longtime sweetheart and love of his life Keri Anne Taylor. Keri was born in San Francisco, California on May 12, 1984. Just like her husband, she is also a martial artist and is currently associated with MMA Bellator, where she competes in the all-star weight division. The fighter is trained as a boxer and as a Muay Thai fighter. She maintains a career record of 3 wins and one loss. Curiously, Keri is ranked 147th among female MMA fighters.
Keri and Gilbert started their relationship several years ago. The exact year is not known, but after many years of successful relationship. The couple exchanged their wedding vows in 2013. Together they have an adorable daughter, Leylakya Melendez. They welcomed their daughter on August 8, 2010. Additionally, Keri currently takes care of her husband’s gymnasium called El Nino Training Center. The gym is located in the San Francisco area of California.
His height, weight and measurements
Gilbert Melendez is very tall, standing at a height of 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) with a proportional weight of 70 kg (155 lb). He has a male bodybuilder and an awesome physique, however, his other body measurements are currently unavailable. Gilbert’s hair is black while his eyes are brown.