Gilbert Melendez: I feel like I can walk right through Anthony Pettis' kicks

Former Strikeforce champ and current UFC lightweight Gilbert Melendez plans to keep things professional when he gets on the set of “The Ultimate Fighter 20? with champ Anthony Pettis in advance of their year-end title bout.

“If Pettis’ first pick was my wife, then we’d have some problems,” Melendez joked to MMAjunkie Radio.

Of course, Melendez’s wife, Keri, is a kickboxer and isn’t on the show, so the title challenger will be spared any such awkwardness. The same can’t be said for a time-honored UFC tradition of spending weeks in close quarters with your future opponent via reality television.

Melendez (22-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) and Pettis (17-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) coach opposing teams of UFC hopefuls in the UFC women’s strawweight division (115 pounds). They report to Las Vegas in July to begin filming for the long-running reality show, which debuts in September on FOX Sports 1 and will crown the first champ in the weight class.

“I definitely respect Anthony, and it’s competition,” said Melendez. “I’m a competitive guy. I probably won’t have much relationship with him. I don’t plan on talking to him. I don’t want to, not too much, but I’m going to have fun as well. It’s going to be team ‘El Nino’ versus ‘Team Showtime,’ and we’re here to win.”

Rivalries frequently are forged on the show or simply stoked as opposing coaches compete – first through UFC hopefuls and then in combat when they meet in the cage. Melendez is the first threat to Pettis’ belt since he took it this past summer from Benson Henderson and then missed out on several proposed fights due to a knee injury.

During Pettis’ layoff, Melendez kept largely quiet and held out with the UFC for more money. Meanwhile, his longtime teammate, Nate Diaz, did plenty to promote a future fight.

Now, the champ is fighting Melendez, but pines for a meeting with the brash Diaz, who now sits in limbo as he attempts to follow in his training partner’s financial footsteps.

So there isn’t much buzz about Pettis vs. Melendez. But proximity can change everything, and Melendez said he isn’t opposed to making things interesting on camera.

“Sometimes, playing the mental game is part of the sport, and I’ll do what I’ve got to do,” he said. “I think we’re both respectful when it comes to crossing the line, but I think I’ll just keep my distance and keep it professional. I’m not looking to have a relationship with Anthony Pettis.”

Melendez certainly wasn’t forced to create manufactured drama the last time he was up for a UFC title. His bout this past spring with then-champ Henderson went five tension-filled rounds before judges handed in a trio of scorecards many thought were more suited to a gong show than a UFC headliner.

“El Nino” is, of course, looking to erase the memory of that setback, and this past fall took a big step toward that end by routing Diego Sanchez in a “Fight of the Year” candidate.

A wrestler by origin, Melendez has worked tirelessly on his striking skills and dominated Sanchez in exchanges. Against Pettis, however, his fundamentals are sure to come in handy. Early in his career, he was known far more as a ground and pound specialist than a flashy striker such as Pettis.

“His striking and his kicks and his creativity is awesome, but it’s nothing I fear at all,” Melendez said. “I feel quite confident in this matchup. I feel like stylistically, this is a matchup I’ve been wanting for a long time.

“I think he’s a great guy and creative, but I’m not scared of those kicks at all. I feel I can walk right through them, to be honest. He’s good at what he does, but I think I’m better in a bunch of different dimensions.”

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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