“Melendez vs. Thomson”
I do not know if I fit the textbook definition of a hardcore mixed martial arts fan. I believe my love of the sport would rival most men, and having written this here column for more years than I can remember, coupled with my radio program, probably entitles me to an award or two for, “Dedicated Fan.” However, I think I’ve managed to somewhat balance all that with a healthy respect for the business side of things. Far from getting angry at, “Fights no one would want to see,” like the Ortiz-Shamrock trilogy, I embrace them with great enthusiasm. And I can enjoy the over the top aspects of Japan at its collective wackiest with the best of them. As such, I tend to write this column with an eye towards the mainstream. I’ve always figured my readers were a nice mix of hardcore and casual, with more of a pro wrestling background than one would typically find amongst MMA fans (a background, I feel, that adds a great deal of enjoyment to the product). But, today I want to talk about a fight that only the hardcore fans will care about: Gilbert “El Nino” Melendez taking on Josh “The Punk” Thomson in the main-event of this weekend’s Strikeforce show.
I can scarcely put into words how excited I am for this contest (a problem when one is expected to write). There’s a title on the line, so this will be a five round fight, but the bout doesn’t carry with it major ramifications. Both are popular locally, and this fight has a certain sense of hometown bragging rights, but neither are at the Frank Shamrock/Cung Le level where they might be considered legitimate drawing cards. I hope it draws well, but I don’t think anyone is expecting a record-breaking crowd. When its over, the show will probably get a blurb or two here and there, a little weekend coverage on your favorite site, but it will soon be overshadowed by the next UFC, EXC, and Affliction shows.
What this contest does feature are two of my favorite fighters. Both men are everything you could want in a mixed martial artist. They are well-spoken, intelligent, uber talented, and always put on a good show. Josh Thomson, in particular, is the stuff of which promoters dream. A good-looking, half-white-half-Mexican fighter, educated at Stanford (yes, THAT Stanford), who is as skilled as they get, with an out-going personality. Every time Thomson fights, I’m excited. His raw athleticism has been very nicely complimented with an assortment of technique. I see in Thomson the prototype of every future fighter. While we often see fighters that can do it all, Thomson is one of the rare breed that seems to really not mind what he’s doing. Sure, one might say that UFC Heavyweight Champion Rodrigo Nogueira can grapple and strike, but it becomes clear that he wants to strike with grapplers and grapple with strikers. In Thomson, I see a guy that just does whatever. He seamlessly flows from his striking to the clinch to takedowns to using jiu-jitsu to ground and pound with the best of them. You can’t anticipate Thomson’s gameplan anymore than you can the next big California earthquake. (Expert seismologists, please spare me the Emails letting me know that you can in fact predict earthquakes – please direct them to a news outlet that has a TV channel, not one that covers half-naked grown men punching each other.)
Then there’s Gilbert Melendez. While Roger Huerta has been getting all the hype as the “Great Mexican Hope,” that one Hispanic fighter that MMA can use to breakthrough and hook the Hispanic fanbase that has kept boxing alive for years, Melendez has become one of the world’s unquestioned great fighters, with wins over guys like Clay Guida and Tatsuya Kawajiri. Like Thomson, El Nino can do it all. Having honed his craft under the legendary Caesar Gracie (who, ironically enough, headlined the first sanctioned Strikeforce MMA card in California history, losing in seconds to Frank Shamrock – who, also ironically enough, and this goes to show the incestuous nature of California MMA, has had a verbal feud with Thomson), Melendez has since become as well known for his right hand as he has for anything else. He boasts that he uses his jiu-jitsu, not looking for submissions, but so he can achieve a better position from which to pound his opponent. And just like Thomson, he has a little bit of a punk within as well. I’ve heard him time and again repeat a saying that is apropos: You might be able to beat me in basketball, but I can beat you up.
I have no idea what is going to happen with this fight. I’ve seen Melendez stuff takedown machines like Guida. I’ve also seen him be grounded by takedown machines like Mitsuhiro Ishida. I’ve witnessed Thomson dominate only to get caught by a highlight reel high kick from Yves Edwards. I’ve seen Thomson be grounded by Clay Guida. But I’ve also watched him beat Hermes Franca. I don’t even care who wins and loses. I may pull for Thomson just a little more, because he’s a slight underdog and I can’t help but support the little guy, but I honestly just want to watch this fight because I know – I KNOW – it will be nothing short of tremendous. Sometimes two exciting fighters are paired up and they mysteriously produce a boring fight. Not this time. These two are going to make magic.
They have a common opponent in Guida: Thomson lost to the Illini, Melendez won. Melendez won in large part because he has demonstrated a great ability to adapt his collegiate wrestling to MMA, but this is also El Nino: the man who chose to stand and slug with Kawajiri, probably in part because it was fun. Who knows. He’s nuts. They’re both nuts. Hell, I’m nuts. I’m currently spending a summer in Southern France, studying abroad, taking in the sights and sounds of a wonderful continent, learning all there is to learn about the French and EU legal systems (oh, heaven help me…) and I almost gave it all up so I could be in the states and attend this fight live. I didn’t even care about getting press credentials or anything. I’ve been there live at some of the best UFC shows, literally having sat feet from the cage as the world’s greatest have gone at it. For this event, I was more than willing to fork out the cold hard cash just so I could see it in person. THAT is how excited I am for this.
For me, this is as good as it gets with MMA. Two guys that can probably beat any lightweight on the planet on any given day, both dripping with charisma, both embodying the spirit of balls-to-the-wall, go-for-broke, better to go down swinging than get your hand raised after a passive performance attitude that I wish every fighter was born with. They know how to fight. They will come ready to fight. They will fight.
I hope when it’s all said and done that the UFC or EXC signs both of them immediately. I don’t know what their deals are with Strikeforce, DREAM, whoever, whatever, wherever, I just want them both to get exposed to as large an audience as possible. I want Thomson and Melendez to be as well known as Penn and Sherk, so the next time they fight, I won’t be in the great minority of people excited beyond all belief for their fight.
Mike Coughlin is the host of Five Star Radio, found right here at the new f4wonline.com. A weekly look at all things MMA, 5SR~! is your one-stop for non-stop MMA. He once challenged Fedor to a fight. The Russian declined, either because he was afraid or because Mike was sitting in the upper deck while the champ was in the ring. The former seems more likely. {plug}
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