Is it safe to say Gilbert Melendez is a UFC bust?

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I was one of the many to think that he would shake the LW division up seeing he was one of the Strikeforce greats.

Its surreal to think that Lawler got the gold and Gil didn't.

1-4 in the UFC, one of the worst records from a Strikeforce import. His lone win was an exciting fight against an out of prime Sanchez. He's shown flashes of brilliance of course, but he never could put it together.

What do you guys think? Is Gil a bust? Or is the cause not lost yet?
 
yes, he was close in beating the champ named ben henderson but yes, he's a bust
 
It's been a bust unfortunately. He should've been champ though. Despite all that. Got hosed vs. Bendo.
 
Melendez came to the UFC already being 31 years old with a good amount of fights on his body.
He fought for the title in a very close fight against Benson that went to split decision.
He started a decline after that and he has been through a lot of injuries. If he could have been more active he would have shown more I think.
 
Sadly he didn't make as big of a splash as I had hoped. Big fan of him and his style. Just thought it would of mounted him more success in the UFC.
 
It's been a bust unfortunately. He should've been champ though. Despite all that. Got hosed vs. Bendo.

He arguably also won the first round against Pettis.....One could make the argument that Gil lost to champs and former champs......

And theres no shame in losing to a surging Barboza.

But man......1-4 though.
 
Well, he didn't exactly fight bums, but yes.

He has only won one legit fight since 2011.
 
I thought he beat Bendo and should of been champ. And he did very well against Barboza aside from the leg kicks :D
 
Yes he is, they brought him in with a direct title shot and there were high expectations for Gil to perform at a top level. Losing to all the ranked guys he's fought pretty much indicates that. Gil is still at top level LW and will be top 10 for a few more years, but I dont see him getting near a title.
 
I guess he's a bust in that he's gone 1-4, but context is important. He's 1-4 with losses to Pettis, Barboza, Alvarez, and Benson. It's not like he's losing to no-names.
 
It's only because he been give a really tough line up(excluding sanchez). Still a top lw in my book. Close fights with Alvarez and henderson are testament to him having skills.
 
Gilbert was a great fighter, it's that Giblert guy who keeps falling short of expectations
 
Big fan, I still think he should have got the decision against Henderson but I am being biased, and he has been fighting top competition, it's not like he's losing to bums.
 
I was one of the many to think that he would shake the LW division up seeing he was one of the Strikeforce greats.

Its surreal to think that Lawler got the gold and Gil didn't.

1-4 in the UFC, one of the worst records from a Strikeforce import. His lone win was an exciting fight against an out of prime Sanchez. He's shown flashes of brilliance of course, but he never could put it together.

What do you guys think? Is Gil a bust? Or is the cause not lost yet?

Melendez is just a next gen version of Rampage and Wandy and Nogueira etc.

ie, by the time his organization was bought by the UFC, the sun had just set on his prime, and even though he looked decent in his early UFC days, his descent was pretty rapid.

It's the whole Pride situation all over again. Zuffa zombies shouting "Gil was a bust!" when all the top UFC lightweights from the same era (Penn, Florian, Sanchez, Sherk etc) were done ages ago, just like they shouted "Crocop and Wanderlei were busts!" when the best UFC fighters from the same era as those guys (Hughes, Pulver, Sylvia, Liddell, Tanner) were all in terminal decline at the exact same friggin time anyway.
 
Tough competition + injuries

Pettis is facing the same problems.
 
Bellator champ easy if he wanted to get another belt. Hes not a bust its just tough in the LW div.
 
Melendez is just a next gen version of Rampage and Wandy and Nogueira etc.

ie, by the time his organization was bought by the UFC, the sun had just set on his prime, and even though he looked decent in his early UFC days, his descent was pretty rapid.

It's the whole Pride situation all over again. Zuffa zombies shouting "Gil was a bust!" when all the top UFC lightweights from the same era (Penn, Florian, Sanchez, Sherk etc) were done ages ago, just like they shouted "Crocop and Wanderlei were busts!" when the best UFC fighters from the same era as those guys (Hughes, Pulver, Sylvia, Liddell, Tanner) were all in terminal decline at the exact same friggin time anyway.

Who knows though? Maybe he'll go on an Overeem esque run to the title.

That fight with Alvarez was very close too. Im still hopeful that something will happen. Maybe fighting Will Brooks would be a good indication.
 
Bust? As in a busted for PEDs? Yeah.

No he's not a bust though. Performances and who he's fought are just as important as wins in some cases.

He arguably beat Bendo and Alvarez. If anything, he proved exactly what we all thought of him. He's an elite level guy who can hang with the best, win or lose.
 
Bellator champ easy if he wanted to get another belt.
Pffffffft, yeah right.
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