It's safe to say we won't be seeing any Strikeforce fighters in the UFC for the time being.
UFC President Dana White has made it clear that Strikeforce fighters must fulfill their contract obligations prior to joining the UFC. However that has not stopped the UFC boss from voicing his opinion on certain people, including Strikeforce lightweight champion, Gilbert Melendez.
Melendez, who has been preparing training partner Jake Shields for his upcoming title bout against Georges St-Pierre at UFC 129, is one of those fighters who White has admired for quite some time.
"Gilbert's one of the top guys in the world, no doubt about it," White said during the UFC 129 press conference.
Melendez, who is currently listed as the No. 2 lightweight by both Sherdog and MMAWeekly, recently successfully defended his title against Tatsuya Kawajiri at Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley. Melendez has been supporting the idea of cross-promotional bouts between the UFC and Strikeforce, but according to Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker, Melendez will have to settle for another challenger within Strikeforce's lightweight division.
And while Melendez might be treading along UFC waters, White sees the determination in him in order to achieve success.
"It's always (that) when we get these kids that come out of some other organization, they're just so fired up and ready," White said. "They see this stuff and what's going on here, and obviously (he's a) longtime Jake Shields friend and training partner and sees what Jake's going through right now."
If the UFC intends to break all barriers and fully enter themselves into the topic as a legitimate sport among mainstream media, then cross-promotion should be on their radar within the near future. And with the addition of stars like Gilbert Melendez, it would make the UFC a more valuable product and a credible organization.
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