Duel will take place in September (Photo: Reproduction/Youtube UFC)
After more than a year without fighting, Gilbert Melendez already has a date to return to the octagon and make his featherweight debut: he faces Jeremy Stephens at UFC 215, September 9, in Edmonton, Canada. The information was given first-hand by North American journalist Damon Martin, hours after 'El Ninho' himself announced on his social networks that he had a duel scheduled.
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Former Strikeforce lightweight champion, Melendez was hired as a goldweight by Ultimate in 2013. Upon his debut, he competed for the under-70kg division belt against Ben henderson, but was defeated on points. Then, against Diego Sánchez, still in 2013, he won his first and only victory in Ultimate. Since then, he has lost the three times he has played: he was finished by Anthony Pettis, in another fight for the title, and surpassed by Eddie Alvarez, in 2015 – he was still caught in an anti-doping test and suspended for a year – and for Edson Barboza, in July last year.
Stephens, in turn, can be considered a UFC veteran. In the company since 2007, he has had 25 fights, with 12 positive results and 13 negative results. Number 8 in the featherweight rankings, 'Esquentadinho', as he is known, has already beaten names like Rafael dos Anjos, Ron Jason e Renan Barao. His most recent duel was in April this year, when he was defeated on points by the Brazilian Renato Moicano No. UFC Kansas City.
UFC 215 CARD (so far):
Heavyweight: Junior Gypsy x Francis Ngannou
Fly weight: Henry Cejudo x Wilson reis
Featherweight: Gilbert Melendez x Jeremy Stephens
Light heavyweight: Ilir Latif x Tyson Peter
Feather weight: Gavin tucker x Rick Glenn
Bantamweight: Ashlee Evans-Smith x Sarah Moras
Heavyweight: Luis Henrique KLB x Arjan Bhullar
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