Strikeforce Champ Gilbert Melendez Continues To Push for Eddie Alvarez Bout

Given the on-going dust up between Bellator's Bjorn Rebney and Strikeforce boss Scott Coker about cross-promotional fights and who texted whom, it's easy to forget the role played by Strikeforce lightweight champ Gilbert Melendez. 

Melendez went on HDNet's Inside MMA in June and said he'd like to fight Bellator lightweight champ Eddie Alvarez. At that point, Bellator had been campaigning for the bout via press release for a month or two.

Melendez went on Sherdog radio this week and poured more gasoline on the fire:

"I think we're getting warmer. You guys are talking about it. Everyone's talking about it," Melendez said Wednesday during a "Savage Dog Show" interview on the Sherdog Radio Network. "Someone's going to get backed into a corner. We're going to figure out why it's not happening eventually, and that person's probably going to be cornered in and they're probably going to have to give in. Because everyone seems like they're up for it. Bjorn, Scott, Eddie and I. So there's something going on where we can't come to an agreement. I think eventually it's going to come out, and with media and everyone talking about it, I think we're getting a lot closer and a lot warmer."
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"Obviously Strikeforce is the bigger promotion than Bellator," Melendez said. "That could be it. That does seem like it. I'm not sure if it's [Coker] or what, but I know Scott has co-promoted before. I think if things make sense, it can work out. But yeah, you tell me [what's preventing the fight]. If you know something I don't know, let me know."
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"It would mean the world to me," he said. "That's my ultimate goal, to be number one in the world at 155. If I get there, I'll be very happy. I've been working hard and I want to beat all these big names. Eddie Alvarez is one of them. I'm technically ranked above him in the rankings and I still want to fight the guy because I know he's a tougher matchup. I'm not going to heel hook him in one minute like Shinya Aoki. I know that's not what's going to happen. It's going to be a battle, it's going to be a war. I'm not OK with just having the journalists put me number two. I really want to prove it myself. I want to beat the one through 10 on my own. I really want to beat them all."
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"If I'm still with Strikeforce, I think that fight does need to happen," Melendez said. "The only other way is if I move on and somehow I'm in the UFC fighting out there. If I beat Josh Thomson again, if I beat Shinya again, it's not really going to do nothing for my status or to make my spot go up. ... That's why I want this fight."

This interview shows what a bad spot Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker finds himself in. He's caught between Bellator trying to come up under him, wanting to worm their way onto Showtime (just like Coker wormed his way onto Showtime via co-promoting with EliteXC) and signing fighters he'd like to have and his own top fighters looking for challenges he can't provide.

Gilbert Melendez is topped out in Strikeforce. He's already fought Josh Thomson twice. As great as Thomson is, winning the rubber match against him is a high-risk, low-reward proposition for Melendez. Thomson is criminally underrated at #17 on the USAT/SBN Consensus MMA Rankings whereas Alvarez is a nice juicy #6. 

Melendez is expected to fight next in Japan against DREAM champ #5 Shinya Aoki on FEG's New Year's Dynamite!! show. Scott Coker needs to show his champ that he can continue to grow while fighting for Strikeforce. Outside of Eddie Alvarez, Melendez' best fights are all in the UFC.