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
Pride Bushido 12
2006
Quintet Ultra
2019
UFC 166: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos III
2013
UFC 239: Jones vs. Santos
2019
UFC 181: Hendricks vs. Lawler II
2014
Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley
2011
Supreme Champion
2010
WEC 6: Return of a Legend
2003
UFC on Fox 7: Henderson vs. Melendez
2013
UFC on Fox 20: Holm vs. Shevchenko
2016
Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Gracie
2006
Strikeforce: Evolution
2009
Yarennoka!
2007
Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg
2009
Strikeforce: Revenge
2006
Submission Underground 8
2019
Pride Shockwave 2006
2006
UFC 188: Velasquez vs. Werdum
2015
Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Le
2008
Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier
2012
Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal
2011
Strikeforce: Nashville
2010
WEC 10: Bragging Rights
2004
UFC 215: Nunes vs. Shevchenko 2
2017
Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Diaz
2009
Strikeforce: Playboy Mansion
2007
Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Thomson
2008