For much of the past month, UFC President Dana White has been adamant about his intention of signing Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez to the UFC's roster, proclaiming after UFC on Versus 6, "We're looking at bringing Gilbert Melendez over ASAP." A top-three fighter at 155 pounds, "El Nino" has been just as adamant about his desire to fight for the UFC title. So it's only logical that speculation would arise after Strikeforce released this news via Twitter on Monday afternoon:
@Strikeforce
Strikeforce Big announcement coming soon on the immediate future of LW champ @GilbertMelendez! Stay tuned for details
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Melendez (19-2) is currently slated to defend his lightweight title against lightly-heralded Jorge Masvidal (22-6), who earned his shot by unexpectedly dominating K.J. Noons on route to a unanimous decision victory in June. Yet with noted wins over DREAM champion Shinya Aoki, UFC contender Clay Guida, former Strikeforce champion Josh Thomson, and former Shooto champion Tatsuya Kawajiri, among others, Melendez's time with the organization quickly appears to be running dry.
MMA Nation will continue to update this situation as it develops.