Gilbert Melendez was born on 12 April 1982, in Santa Ana, California USA, and is a mixed martial artist best known from competing in PRIDE FC, Shooto and Rumble on the Rocks.
So just how rich is Gilbert Melendez as of mid-2017? Authoritative sources estimate that Gilbert’s net worth is as high as $400,000, his wealth accumulated from his wrestling career which began in 2002.
Gilbert Melendez Net Worth $400,000
Melendez attended Santa Ana High School and started wrestling there, then enrolled into San Francisco State University where he was studying liberal arts, however, he never graduated; nonetheless, he has stated that he would like to get a college degree someday. After his college years, he was introduced to mixed martial arts (MMA) by his close friend Jake Shield, and started training in the sport, meantime also working as a waiter. Melendez started off his career with numerous wins and was starting to gain reputation and recognition, so went on to participate in the first WEC Lightweight Championship, and with notable performances there won, and making a name for himself – at that point Melendez was still never defeated. He went on to compete in Shooto in Japan, beating Hiroyuki Takaya, then in the forthcoming period, he continued to defeat his opponents in TKO, to reach the record of 8-0 and went on to win against Harris Sarmiento, so Gilbert’s career was at its peak at that time.
In the following years he went on to win several more championships, including his first PRIDE FC by unanimous decision. He had a lot on his plate during the late ‘00s, but remained unbeaten until New Year’s Eve in 2007, his career continuing to grow. Shortly after the two subsequent losses he had, he went on to rematch with the players who beat him, winning both of the times. In the same fashion, he continued participating in several championships, receiving positive response from the critics and gaining plenty of attention from both media and fans. It is safe to say that by this time he became widely known as the notorious ‘’ El Niño’’ in the wrestling industry.
As of 2013, Gilbert received offers from three most recognized martial arts companies – Bellator, World Series of Fighting and Ultimate Fighting Championship. He was originally supposed to sign a contract with Bellator, but ended up with UFC, where he became a coach on ‘’The Ultimate Fighter 2.0’’ martial arts reality television show, however, alongside coaching he continued wrestling. In the same year, Gilbert starred in a martial arts documentary entitled ‘’Fight Life’’ alongside his teammate and friend Jake Shields. In conclusion, Melendez remains an important persona in the wrestling world to this day. He is widely known as a fighter who has won a large proportion of all the matches he has played. As of 2017, Melendez is still competing in martial arts.
In his personal life, Gilbert married Muay Thai fighter, Keri Anne Taylor, in 2013; the couple has a daughter born in 2010.
