On this day 11 years ago, Gilbert Melendez defeated Jorge Masvidal by unanimous decision
Jorge Masvidal has been on a meteoric rise to fame in recent years, but on this day in 2011, the UFC title challenger was on the losing end of a decision against veteran Gilbert Melendez.
'El Nino' enjoyed a lot of success in his time with Strikeforce and holds records that can never be broken for the now-defunct mixed martial arts organization. During his height with the promotion, the brawler managed to capture lightweight gold and is known for having the most title bouts in the history of the company.
As revealed in a post on social media, on this day 11 years ago, Jorge Masvidal suffered defeat to Gilbert Melendez in a fight that would be the sixth win of the now-40-year-old's impressive seven-fight win streak.
Dec17.2011
11 years ago today,
Gilbert Melendez defeated Jorge Masvidal by unanimous decision. https://t.co/FUfqcRKglz
After winning back-to-back fights against Billy Evangelista and K.J. Noons, Jorge Masvidal stepped up and fought for his first and only Strikeforce title on December 17, 2011.
Melendez earned a dominant victory on the night, winning every round on two judges' scorecards and putting an end to the American Top Team athletes' dream of capturing gold in the promotion.
Despite being just 27 at the time, Masvidal had over eight years of experience inside the cage and came into the championship bout on the verge of 30 career fights. Although he was the older man, the then-Strikeforce champion was less experienced in the sport, competing in just 21 bouts before their matchup.
Gilbert Melendez found little success following his win 11 years ago, and although he still managed to deliver some all-time performances, he won just twice in his next eight outings with his most recent win coming against Diego Sanchez.
Jorge Masvidal's blossoming career following the loss to Gilbert Melendez
Although he hasn't managed to find a win inside the octagon in his last three appearances, Jorge Masvidal has had vast success in the sport following his Strikeforce title fight loss over a decade ago.
Excluding his last three performances, 'Gamebred' lost just six times and won thirteen as he established himself as one of the biggest names in mixed martial arts and a true title contender.
The most famous moments of his career all came in 2019. Masvidal knocked out Darren Till, ignited a feud backstage with Leon Edwards, scored a flying knee finish in five seconds against Ben Askren, and earned the BMF title in an all-timer against Nate Diaz, all within the span of eight months.