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

NCIS: Los Angeles

as Self - Strikeforce Fighter

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown

as Self

The Ultimate Fighter

as Head Coach

UFC 166: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos III

as Self

Supreme Champion

as Logger

Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Thomson

as Self

Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Finals: Barnett vs. Cormier

as Self

Mexican Fighter

as Self

Strikeforce: Nashville

as Self

Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg

as Self