Gilbert Melendez
Born
April 12, 1982 (43 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Gilbert "El Niño" Melendez is a Mexican-American mixed martial artist who has fought at Featherweight and currently fights at Lightweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a two-time Strikeforce Lightweight Champion and a former WEC Lightweight Champion. He also competed in PRIDE FC, Shooto, and Rumble on the Rock. Melendez holds the distinction of being one of a select group of fighters who have ever been ranked #1 in the world in two weight classes in MMA, among the likes of Anderson Silva, Dan Henderson, Randy Couture, Kazushi Sakuraba, and BJ Penn. Melendez was nicknamed after the infamous El Niño storm that wreaks havoc across the Pacific Rim. It was given to him by a Japanese broadcaster describing his fight-style and the manner in which he stormed through the Shooto Featherweight division
Known For
Quintet Ultra
2019
UFC 239: Jones vs. Santos
Self
2019
Submission Underground 8
Self
2019
UFC 215: Nunes vs. Shevchenko 2
Self
2017
UFC on Fox 20: Holm vs. Shevchenko
Self
2016
UFC 188: Velasquez vs. Werdum
Self
2015
UFC 181: Hendricks vs. Lawler II
Self
2014
Mexican Fighter
Self
2013
UFC 166: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos III
Self
2013
UFC on Fox 7: Henderson vs. Melendez
Self
2013
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown
Self · (1 episode)
2013
Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Finals: Barnett vs. Cormier
Self
2012
Fight Life
Himself
2012
Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal
Self
2011
Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley
Self
2011
Supreme Champion
Logger
2010
Strikeforce: Nashville
Self
2010
Strikeforce: Evolution
Self
2009
NCIS: Los Angeles
Self - Strikeforce Fighter · (1 episode)
2009
Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg
Self
2009
Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Diaz
Self
2009
Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Thomson
Self
2008
Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Le
Self
2008
Yarennoka!
Self
2007
Strikeforce: Playboy Mansion
Self
2007
Pride Shockwave 2006
Self
2006
Pride Bushido 12
Self
2006
Strikeforce: Revenge
Self
2006
Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Gracie
Self
2006
The Ultimate Fighter
Head Coach · (13 episodes)
2005
WEC 10: Bragging Rights
Self
2004
WEC 6: Return of a Legend
Self
2003
WEC 5: Halloween Fury
Self
2002