Gilbert Melendez wants 'one last run' at UFC title – and at featherweight

With three consecutive losses on his record, Gilbert Melendez is looking to make a significant change as he heads down the final stretch of a nearly 15-year career.

Melendez (22-6 MMA, 1-4 UFC), a former Strikeforce lightweight champion and UFC title challenger, is planning a move down to the featherweight division for his next fight. He hasn’t competed at 145 pounds or lighter since a bout under the Shooto banner in 2005, but with his career currently at a crossroads, he said it’s time for a change.

“Until I book a fight at 145, I can’t really confirm that (I’m dropping), but yeah, that’s my goal right now,” Melendez told MMAjunkie Radio. “I’m trying to slim up. I’m really trying to diet and lose this fat around the belly a little bit more and really maximize my body’s potential. Once I get to that point, which should be in the next few weeks, I’ll really be able to make that jump and make that big decision. That’s my goal, is to make 145. That’s what I’m working on right now at this point.”

“El Nino” hasn’t competed since a one-sided unanimous-decision loss to Edson Barboza at UFC on FOX 20 in July. The bout marked his third consecutive defeat and fourth in five fights overall. As with Barboza, the losses came to notables: former UFC champions Eddie Alvarez, Anthony Pettis and Benson Henderson.

The low point of that run likely came after Melendez’s UFC 188 loss to Alvarez in June 2015, when he tested positive for a banned substance and was suspended for one year.

Dropping down a weight class isn’t as easy a task as it may have been earlier in Melendez’s career. The 34-year-old said he’s taking the right steps to ensure the move is safe and practical. He’ll then talk with UFC officials about his next opponent.

“I haven’t really reached out to them to tell them exactly, ‘This is what I want and what I’m going with,'” Melendez said. “I haven’t got to that point yet. I’m trying to get ready mentally, physically. I’m trying to get to that point where I’m just about there, and I’ll be reaching that soon and be able to pull the trigger on this.”

Although Melendez said he’s not yet ready to book a fight, he’s already begun looking at the featherweight division and potential matchups. No specific name leads the pack, but Melendez knows he wants an opponent capable of pushing him toward a title shot.

“I’d like to prove I’m one of the toughest in the division with a solid opponent who is willing to fight me and not stick and move,” Melendez said. “If I can get that, it would be great. I’m looking for one last (title) run.”

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