Gilbert "El Niño" Melendez
 

Gilbert Melendez found his destiny on a wrestling mat at Santa Ana High. He worked out and trained with some of the best wrestlers in California. He remembers all of the lessons Saints coach Scott Glabb taught him in those days, and he still relies on that Santa Ana education now that he competes in mixed martial arts. Melendez has developed into one of the top 155-pound MMA fighters in the world

Melendez, a 2000 Santa Ana graduate, was a two-time state qualifier during his high school career and earned a scholarship to San Francisco State. Melendez became disillusioned with his college wrestling team. He came from an environment at Santa Ana where there were great wrestlers at every weight class pushing each other to be better. His San Francisco State teammates didn’t have that same work ethic. Gilbert met another wrestler named Jake Shields who had the same work ethic as he did. Jake introduced Gilbert to the mixed martial arts.

Name Gilbert Melendez
Nick Name El Niño
Record 18-2-0
(Win - Loss - Draw)
Wins 18
TKOs 10 (55.56%)
Submissions 1 (5.56%)
Decisions   7 (38.89%)
Losses 2
Decisions 2 (100%)
Association Fairtex GYM
Height 5'9" (176cm)
Weight 155 lbs. (71kg)
Birth Date 1982-04-12
City Santa Ana, CA
Country USA
Picture Gallery @ Sherdog.com

Melendez now trains with Shields, a top-rated welterweight, and Muay Thai specialist Jongsanan Fairtex out of the highly-regarded Fairtex camp in San Francisco.

With his wrestling background, Muay Thai training, Jiu-Jitsu skills, and aggressive nature, Melendez has become an accomplished MMA fighter. He won the WEC lightweight title, the Grapplers Quest title, an IFC tournament and a Rumble on the Rock Superfight.

Gilbert started to make his mark when he went over to Japan to fight in the Shooto organization. He beat Shooto’s top three 143-pound fighters to become the No. 1 contender. Melendez’s 12-0 record and impressive list of credentials caught the eye of the Pride organization. He has signed a deal to fight with the Pride organization and Strikeforce. With two wins under his belt for Pride FC, he has improved his record to 14-0.