Biography
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
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NCIS: Los Angeles
Self - Strikeforce Fighter
2009 • 1 episode
The Ultimate Fighter
Head Coach
2005 • 13 episodes
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown
Self
2013 • 1 episode
Mexican Fighter
Self
2013
UFC 188: Velasquez vs. Werdum
Self
2015
UFC on Fox 20: Holm vs. Shevchenko
Self
2016
Supreme Champion
Logger
2010
Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier
Self
2012
UFC on Fox 7: Henderson vs. Melendez
Self
2013
Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg
Self
2009
Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley
Self
2011
UFC 181: Hendricks vs. Lawler II
Self
2014
UFC 239: Jones vs. Santos
Self
2019
UFC 215: Nunes vs. Shevchenko 2
Self
2017
WEC 10: Bragging Rights
Self
2004
Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Gracie
Self
2006
UFC 166: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos III
Self
2013
WEC 5: Halloween Fury
Self
2002
Pride Shockwave 2006
Self
2006
WEC 6: Return of a Legend
Self
2003