Mailbag: Melendez wants to fight the best

The lightweight division is clearly the deepest in mixed martial arts. There are legitimate title contenders six-, eight- or perhaps even 10-deep in the division.

Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez hopes to prove he's deserving of being regarded as the finest 155-pounder in the world, and the job resumes Dec. 17 when he defends his belt against Jorge Masvidal in San Diego on a Showtime-televised card.

UFC president Dana White stoked considerable talk earlier in the year when he mentioned bringing Melendez to the UFC. Melendez considers the move "inevitable," but isn't concerned so much with who promotes his fights as he is with who it is he meets.

The bigger, the better, the more that Melendez likes the match.

"The goal is to be No. 1 in the world," Melendez said. "If I have to beat Jorge, if I have to beat someone else, if I have to beat five more people before that, then so be it. But I think I deserve a chance at that UFC title now. If I can get it as soon as possible, that would be great. If not, I'll keep winning and keep working hard and if I have to constantly keep proving myself in this MMA industry, then so be it. It's inevitable, dude. I'm coming for that spot.

"It doesn't really matter [who I fight]. … Realistically, whoever the champ is [is who I want]. Whoever the champ is or whoever's next in line. If it's going to take me three fights, I want the number three guy, the number two guy and then the number one guy. If it's going to take me two fights, give me the number two guy and then the number one guy."

He'll have his hands full against Masvidal, an ex-welterweight who dropped to lightweight and looked extraordinarily impressive June 18 when he routed K.J. Noons.

Melendez said that while many are expecting him to handle Masvidal with no problems and are looking ahead to a fight that would pit him against the winner of next year's UFC title fight between champion Frankie Edgar and Benson Henderson, he is taking Masvidal very seriously.

The quickest way to lose your spot in the rankings in the fight game is to take someone lightly and Melendez insists he's not doing that.

"You get motivated when you're the underdog or you get motivated when there is a lot of hype [on your opponent]," Melendez said. "A lot of people have been talking nonsense [about] Jorge, like he's no good, that I'm going to run right by him. That kind of talk bothers me, because some people are ignorant and they don't follow the game that much. They think if you don't fight in the UFC, you're no good.

"The challenge for me is motivating myself, staying motivated and pumping myself up. This means a lot to myself, not to fans, not to anybody, but this is for me. It's to prove that I can defend the throne. I'm the big favorite here and I have a tough guy who is really underrated in front of me and I have to really come through. If I can really come through this and look good, it will mean more to me than it will to anyone else."

• Strikeforce's Scott Coker said on a conference call he had no news about an extension of the company's deal with Showtime, but said "I'm optimistic at this point." The company's current deal is slated to end in February.

• If Vitor Belfort gets past Anthony Johnson at UFC 142 in Brazil in January, a perfect match would be between him and The Ultimate Fighter 14 winner Michael Bisping. Bisping deserves a highly ranked opponent and Belfort would be perfect.

• If Frank Mir gets past Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira on Saturday at UFC 140, a fight with former heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez would be extremely intriguing for 2012.

• I'm still no fan of five-round main events for non-title fights. I think it dilutes the significance of championship bouts far too much.

Bisping deserves more credit

I do enjoy a good MMA fight, whether the competitors are both top 10, fighting for a title or not. But, I did expect Michael Bisping vs. Jason "Mayhem" Miller to be more competitive. Do you think Bisping gets enough credit? Miller didn't have the wrestling to turn this into a jiu-jitsu match, but, both of these guys are known for their conditioning, but Miller gassed out and Bisping collapsed in exhaustion after the win. For Bisping to gas like that, too, makes me think that both of these guys were going 100 percent, and that the pace and force of the grappling was turned all the way up. Miller couldn't keep up with Bisping, but I don't think many fighters can match Bisping's cardio (especially after multiple failed takedowns).

Joe
Pennsylvania

At the top level of any professional sport, the difference between winning and losing, between being great and merely being good, is almost indistinguishable. In this case, I think Bisping was clearly the better fighter, which he proved Saturday. And no, I don't think Bisping had cardio issues. The fight was fought at a high pace and he gave everything he had in pursuit of victory. When you lay it all out like that, you push yourself to and sometimes past the point of exhaustion. As for Miller, he clearly gassed, but I think he was tense because of the significance of the moment, and when you're tense, it takes a lot out of you. I definitely don't believe Miller's problem was due to a lack of effort in training.

When are the flyweights coming?

Howdy, I have two quick questions. TUF 14 had lots of guys who look like 125-pounders, and it was mentioned a ton in the broadcasts, even bringing up other fighters who would fit this weight class. Is this class coming right away? Also, please name your top three fighters who would win the UFC Tebow Award: Look awful, but just win baby! Thank you.

Jim Craven
Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada

The flyweights are coming in 2012. Dana White has said that repeatedly and it's a good thing, because the smaller fighters make for exceptionally exciting fights, and it will increase the percentage of cards that have championship matches. The question is when, and that has yet to be answered. As for the Tebow Award, wow, that's difficult. Readers, any thoughts?

Conned by 'Mayhem'

After watching the pathetic showing of Jason "Mayhem" Miller at the TUF finale Saturday, do you think the fight was ever meant to be a "serious" match or was it just put together to add drama to the TV show? I know you were covering boxing that night and not at the fight live, but I'm sure you have seen the replay. I was utterly disappointed by the "main event" and so glad that I hadn't paid money to watch it. I feel cheated and a little bit foolish that I bought into the UFC-created hype for a fight that never seemed to be real at any point.

Bertina Zager
Melrose, Wisc.

Bertina, Miller is a good professional fighter, but I questioned his choice as coach at the time it was made for a number of reasons, not the least of which was that he had a career UFC record of 0-1 when he was picked. There was never any doubt in my mind that Bisping was the better fighter and that he'd prove that. Yes, Miller was chosen, in part, because his colorful personality could add to the television show. But remember, they were up against a deadline at the time. The Nevada Athletic Commission wouldn't license Chael Sonnen, whom they wanted to coach against Bisping, and they had limited opportunities. I think they knew Miller wasn't as good as Bisping, but they also knew he was a very who had done a lot of good things in his career and I'm sure they figured he'd have been more competitive than he was Saturday.

UFC needs rules of conduct

Do you think the UFC will ever implement conduct rules similar to what the NFL has? With the Fox deal, I would assume controversies such as Forrest Griffin's comment on Twitter that "rape is the new missionary" would be detrimental to the brand? Or do you feel bad press is good press for the UFC? I am a diehard fan who loves everything about the UFC, and I'd love for it to go mainstream. I hate hearing fighters like Chael Sonnen and Nick Diaz talking smack to get title shots. What is this? Boxing?

Nick Vasquez Jr.
Tempe, Ariz.

I wouldn't expect a code of conduct, so to speak, to be put into writing because that's not how Dana White does business. When a fighter makes what UFC management considers an inappropriate comment, such as Griffin's or the one Frank Mir made about Brock Lesnar, White reacts. But he doesn't want to be in the business of controlling their every thought. And while Griffin's comment was highly distasteful, I think you have to be honest and admit that more than 95 percent of UFC fighters are thoughtful, courteous, professional and gentlemanly in their public (and private) comments.

Quoteworthy

"I'd love to get a rematch with [TUF 14 bantamweight winner John] Dodson. Maybe it is a little personal, but he beat me. I still think I'm the better fighter and I think I should have been in the finale." – Johnny Bedford, after a TKO victory in the third round over Louis Gaudinot at The Ultimate Fighter 14 finale.

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