Frankie Edgar's upset victory over B.J. Penn has re-shaped the lightweight picture in mixed martial arts, as the man who has been widely regarded as the best 155-pounder in the world for years has now been defeated. Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez, who fights Dream lightweight champion Shinya Aoki on Saturday for Strikeforce, thinks it's time to re-examine the lightweight picture.
In fact, Melendez says in this video, he thinks the lightweight picture should have been re-examined after his own fight with Josh Thomson. Melendez said he believes he and Thomson are both Top 10fighters and should have been in the Top 10 all along.
"I thought [Thomson] and I put on an amazing show, and it was a close fight as well, and we both have a lot of respect for each other," Melendez said. "And I got into the Top 10 and he got taken out. It didn't make much sense to me that he got taken out. I feel like Strikeforce fighters don't get that much respect. Hopefully if I beat [Aoki], Josh will get into the top 10 and I'll be in the Top 5. I'm hoping to get respect for Strikeforce lightweights because I don't think we get much respect."
If Melendez beats Aoki, he'll get plenty of respect.