Gilbert Melendez: 5 Defining Moments

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Gilbert Melendez owns a 22-7 record and currently occupies a spot on the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s featherweight roster. Away from the sport for nearly two years, the 37-year-old will return to the cage to face Arnold Allen at UFC 239 on July 6 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

As Melendez approaches his next assignment, here are five moments that have come to define his career:

FIRST TASTE OF GOLD … Melendez, then a 3-0 prospect, fought Olaf Alonso for the inaugural World Extreme Cagefighting lightweight championship at WEC 10 on May 21, 2004. Melendez employed takedowns and effective control on the ground to dominate from the start. Late in the third round, the Californian transitioned to mount and laid into his rival with a flurry of ground-and-pound. The referee called a halt to the beatdown with only six seconds remaining in the period. With that, “El Nino” captured WEC gold in just his fourth professional appearance.

A CHAMPION AGAIN … Still undefeated at 9-0, Melendez made his second appearance under the Strikeforce banner on June 9, 2006 and challenged Clay Guida for the promotion’s lightweight crown. They were evenly matched in the wrestling department, so the encounter played out mostly on the feet. After five rounds of fast-paced entertaining action, Melendez was awarded a split decision and his second major championship.

STAYING ON TOP … Melendez put his Strikeforce title on the line in a rematch with Japanese star Tatsuya Kawajiri on April 9, 2011. He had defeated Kawajiri by unanimous decision in Pride Fighting Championships a little more than four years earlier. In their second encounter, Melendez overwhelmed “Crusher” with crisp boxing. He sealed a dominant performance with a technical knockout, as he buried Kawajiri with a volley of elbows 3:14 into the first round. “El Nino” retained his Strikeforce championship twice more before departing the organization.

NARROWEST OF MARGINS … Melendez on April 20, 2013 rode a seven-fight winning streak into his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut opposite lightweight titleholder Benson Henderson at UFC on Fox 7. There, he sought to add a third championship to his collection. However, despite a valiant effort against his elusive counterpart, Melendez wound up on the wrong side of a contentious split decision after a highly competitive 25-minute affair. Many observers believed “El Nino” deserved the nod.

SUBMISSION SETBACK … Melendez rebounded from his defeat to Henderson with a thrilling victory over Diego Sanchez -- a performance that paved his way to a second title shot, this time against Anthony Pettis at UFC 181 on Dec. 6, 2014. The two men threw heavy leather at one another from the outset. After getting the worst of an exchange on the feet, Melendez shot for a takedown and became ensnared in a tight guillotine choke. Pettis transitioned to mount and prompted the tapout 1:53 into Round 2. It remains the only stoppage loss of Melendez’s 29-fight career.