Tumultuous Card Topped with Showdown
Melendez Defends
Mar 29, 2008
No media circus surrounds Gilbert Melendez (Pictures)'s Strikeforce lightweight title
defense against journeyman Gabe
Lemley (Pictures) because ... well, fighters like
Melendez don't need to create a WWE atmosphere around their fights
to win fans over.
Shockingly enough, Melendez (13-1) gets things done the old-fashioned way. Yes, much like the Amish, he gets up bright and early to churn his own butter and build multiple barns for no apparent reason other than to keep busy.
OK, Melendez doesn't rock the funky belt buckle hat, but he is your
classic blue-collar mixed martial artist. So blue-collar, in fact,
that he passed on an invitation to the Dream tournament so he could
defend the Strikeforce lightweight title.
That's not to say Melendez shies away from the spotlight. He used his brief time in Pride to build his lightweight résumé with a Lara Flynn Boyle-thin decision over fellow Shooto graduate Tatsuya Kawajiri (Pictures).
With his flawless record now a thing of the past, Melendez must focus on reestablishing his standing in a division with more overachievers than a MENSA meeting.
Lemley (11-6) certainly isn't one of the fighters Melendez is trying to leapfrog, but he does know something about rebounding from defeat.
At this point, Lemley might as well be MMA's not so round mound of rebound, having put together a torrid comeback following nearly two years of inactivity -- a stretch that began when he dropped back-to-back bouts that lasted about as long as Pamela Anderson's last marriage.
Seemingly revitalized by his time away from the sport, Lemley has racked up five straight wins since returning to MMA, albeit against less than stellar competition in local promotions. Weak opponents are poor preparation for what Melendez will bring to the table, especially considering the nightmarish style clash that the puffy-haired one presents for Lemley.
As close to a pure grappler as you'll find in modern MMA, Lemley must contend with Melendez's far superior wrestling, which will no doubt make life difficult for the Iowa native. Being forced to work off your back against Melendez, who happens to be a pupil of BJJ mastermind Cesar Gracie (Pictures), is hardly a sure path to success.
All roads will lead to defeat for Lemley, as he takes a horrific ground-and-pound beating from Melendez before the action is mercifully stopped early in the second round. Just in time for Melendez to get the butter churn ready.
Joey Villasenor (Pictures) vs. Ryan Jensen (Pictures)
Challenging for the EliteXC middleweight belt was all but assumed for Joey Villasenor (Pictures) upon his arrival in the nascent organization, but a string of uninspired performances have turned the one-time KOTC poster boy into just another face ProElite's roster.
The downward spiral began with Villasenor's bout with David Loiseau (Pictures), a match that Villasenor (24-6) won and anyone watching lost. The Karma police then paid the "Dream Smasher" a visit when he dropped an elimination bout against Murilo "Ninja" Rua -- a loss that kept him from challenging for Robbie Lawler (Pictures)'s title.
A bout against Riki Fukuda (Pictures) did little to stem the tide, as Villasenor won a hotly disputed split decision that many felt belonged to the Grabaka disciple. Then again, winning a questionable decision is always better than losing a one-sided fight.
That is something Ryan Jensen (Pictures) learned during his brief stay in the UFC. He was matched against Demian Maia (Pictures) and Thales Leites (Pictures) in the span of two months by the seemingly sadistic Joe Silva. Both bouts ended in less than five minutes, and Jensen was simply overmatched on the ground against two of the division's premier submission specialists.
In Villasenor, Jensen (11-3) at least gets an opponent who won't be hell bent on turning him into a tangled slinky.
The luck ends right there, however. Villasenor loves to grind out opponents inside the clinch, and Jensen enters this fight giving up a fair bit of bulk to Villasenor. Early on expect Jensen to keep Villasenor off balance with strikes, but it won't be long before this bout grinds to a screeching halt while Villasenor seizes control with his dirty boxing and knees.
Another close decision will play out in Villasenor's favor, and the fans will continue their own trend of showering the New Mexico native with less than flattering remarks. Fighters have feelings too!
Shockingly enough, Melendez (13-1) gets things done the old-fashioned way. Yes, much like the Amish, he gets up bright and early to churn his own butter and build multiple barns for no apparent reason other than to keep busy.
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That's not to say Melendez shies away from the spotlight. He used his brief time in Pride to build his lightweight résumé with a Lara Flynn Boyle-thin decision over fellow Shooto graduate Tatsuya Kawajiri (Pictures).
Japan turned out to be less than hospitable in the long run,
however, as Melendez learned that revenge is a dish best served by
friends when his undefeated mark was ruined by Kawajiri's training
partner Mitsuhiro
Ishida (Pictures).
With his flawless record now a thing of the past, Melendez must focus on reestablishing his standing in a division with more overachievers than a MENSA meeting.
Lemley (11-6) certainly isn't one of the fighters Melendez is trying to leapfrog, but he does know something about rebounding from defeat.
At this point, Lemley might as well be MMA's not so round mound of rebound, having put together a torrid comeback following nearly two years of inactivity -- a stretch that began when he dropped back-to-back bouts that lasted about as long as Pamela Anderson's last marriage.
Seemingly revitalized by his time away from the sport, Lemley has racked up five straight wins since returning to MMA, albeit against less than stellar competition in local promotions. Weak opponents are poor preparation for what Melendez will bring to the table, especially considering the nightmarish style clash that the puffy-haired one presents for Lemley.
As close to a pure grappler as you'll find in modern MMA, Lemley must contend with Melendez's far superior wrestling, which will no doubt make life difficult for the Iowa native. Being forced to work off your back against Melendez, who happens to be a pupil of BJJ mastermind Cesar Gracie (Pictures), is hardly a sure path to success.
All roads will lead to defeat for Lemley, as he takes a horrific ground-and-pound beating from Melendez before the action is mercifully stopped early in the second round. Just in time for Melendez to get the butter churn ready.
Joey Villasenor (Pictures) vs. Ryan Jensen (Pictures)
Challenging for the EliteXC middleweight belt was all but assumed for Joey Villasenor (Pictures) upon his arrival in the nascent organization, but a string of uninspired performances have turned the one-time KOTC poster boy into just another face ProElite's roster.
The downward spiral began with Villasenor's bout with David Loiseau (Pictures), a match that Villasenor (24-6) won and anyone watching lost. The Karma police then paid the "Dream Smasher" a visit when he dropped an elimination bout against Murilo "Ninja" Rua -- a loss that kept him from challenging for Robbie Lawler (Pictures)'s title.
A bout against Riki Fukuda (Pictures) did little to stem the tide, as Villasenor won a hotly disputed split decision that many felt belonged to the Grabaka disciple. Then again, winning a questionable decision is always better than losing a one-sided fight.
That is something Ryan Jensen (Pictures) learned during his brief stay in the UFC. He was matched against Demian Maia (Pictures) and Thales Leites (Pictures) in the span of two months by the seemingly sadistic Joe Silva. Both bouts ended in less than five minutes, and Jensen was simply overmatched on the ground against two of the division's premier submission specialists.
In Villasenor, Jensen (11-3) at least gets an opponent who won't be hell bent on turning him into a tangled slinky.
The luck ends right there, however. Villasenor loves to grind out opponents inside the clinch, and Jensen enters this fight giving up a fair bit of bulk to Villasenor. Early on expect Jensen to keep Villasenor off balance with strikes, but it won't be long before this bout grinds to a screeching halt while Villasenor seizes control with his dirty boxing and knees.
Another close decision will play out in Villasenor's favor, and the fans will continue their own trend of showering the New Mexico native with less than flattering remarks. Fighters have feelings too!
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