The 10 biggest busts in UFC history

#3: Gilbert Melendez

Gilbert Melendez hasn't lived up to the big contract he was given by the UFC

Okay, so bear with me here. Melendez remains a pretty big name in the UFC, but if you look past that classic fight he had with Diego Sanchez, it’s hard to see him as anything but a bust.

Astonishingly, the Sanchez fight is his only win inside the Octagon, and his UFC record currently sits at a terrible-sounding 1-5 – enough to get most fighters released.

Melendez came into the UFC as the StrikeForce Lightweight champion, and he had just two losses on a stellar record of 21-2. He’d gone 7 fights unbeaten before his UFC debut and had a genuine case for being called the best 155lber on the planet.

He fought for the UFC title in his debut, but came up short in a tight fight with Benson Henderson. Then came the Sanchez war – one of the best fights in UFC history.

After that, ‘El Nino’ almost signed with Bellator before the UFC uncharacteristically decided to match their deal, signing Melendez to one of the biggest contracts in promotional history. But since then he simply hasn’t lived up to that.

He lost his title challenge against Anthony Pettis and has followed that with losses to Eddie Alvarez, Edson Barboza and Jeremy Stephens – and has also been suspended for PED use. Considering what it took to keep him in the UFC, Melendez simply has to go down as a huge bust.