UFC's Gilbert Melendez: 'It's going to be heated, it's going to be personal'

After a more than impressive 11-1 run in Strikeforce, including seven straight lightweight title fight wins, Gilbert Melendez finally makes his UFC debut on Saturday.

Melendez (21-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) challenges Benson Henderson (18-2 MMA, 6-0 UFC) for the UFC lightweight title while trying to add another piece of hardware to his resume. And he’ll do so with a calm and calculated level of confidence that might not typically accompany UFC debuts.

Melendez and Henderson headline UFC on FOX 7, which takes place at HP Pavilion, just a bit down the road from Melendez’s home base, in San Jose, Calif. The main card airs on FOX after prelims on FX and Facebook.

He’ll also come into the fight after a long stretch of time off – 11 months or so. The flip side of that is that he’s had a lengthier time to prepare for Henderson, much longer than he typically got in Strikeforce.

“I’m ready as heck, and I’m so happy it’s happening,” Melendez recently told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). “I’m going to take advantage of this opportunity. I’ve had 13 weeks’ notice for a camp, and that’s the longest I’ve ever had for a fight.”

To prepare for Henderson, a bigger lightweight than Melendez, he bulked up a little while adding some muscle. That, he believes, will make the weight cut a little more difficult than normal these past few days before the fight.

But the payoff may be worth it.

“It’s tailor-made for Benson,” he said. “He’s definitely a strong guy, and you can see it out there. I’ve seen it firsthand. He has those big legs. He’s shredded. He’s a huge 155-pounder. I knew it was necessary. I wouldn’t say I put on that much muscle, but a good extra three pounds. I feel more shredded – I feel more durable, and I want to be able to take his kicks and take the punishment. It also helped me stay more durable during my training camp.”

That durability may come in handy. Henderson has gone 25 minutes for three straight title fights – two against Frankie Edgar and his most recent win, a unanimous decision and dominant win over frequent Melendez training partner Nate Diaz.

But Melendez is no stranger to the championship rounds. Four of his past five have gone the full five rounds. He also has what he hopes is a slight advantage from watching Diaz from just a few feet away – a bird’s-eye view of Henderson for five full rounds.

“I’m at peace right now,” he said. “Sometimes you have doubt in your mind. ‘Should I have run? Should I have done that? Should I have not done this?’ I know I’ve done everything possible to get ready for this. It’s a weight off your shoulders and it gives you some sort of confidence. I know I can go 25 minutes nonstop right now, so I feel good about that.”

But with that peace also comes a fierce bit of attitude. Melendez knows for years critics have talked about him as the Strikeforce champion being a lesser titleholder than his counterpart in the UFC, whether it was Frankie Edgar or Henderson after him. There’s a chip on his shoulder to do what some of his Strikeforce counterparts already have done in the UFC, and that’s turn a lot of heads with bonus-worthy performances.

Part of that attitude means bringing a level of intensity to the fight and his preparation for it without resorting to trash talk. Well, soft of.

“No matter what, there’s heat,” he said. “I respect Benson. He’s the No. 1 guy right now. He’s the UFC champ. But come fight day, I’m going to try to kill him. I have bad intentions, and it is personal. I don’t need to be mad at someone. I’m a professional, and I know how to turn on the switch and turn it on and off when I need to. Some people turn it on a month out. I turn it on right when it’s time.

“It’s going to be heated. It’s going to be personal. It’s just how I fight – I’m going to try to kill the guy. I don’t need anyone talking crap on me. But let it be known, on fight day, Benson is not my friend. In fact, he’s the enemy that day and I have to destroy him. That’s the mentality I have to have.”

For more on UFC on FOX 7, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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