Gilbert Melendez and Scott Coker Team Up to Launch New MMA Organization
When Strikeforce was sold in 2011 and later shut down, Gilbert Melendez never imagined he would end up working with former owner Scott Coker again. But now, the two are teaming up to launch a new MMA organization called Fight Night at the Tech.
For a huge part of Melendez’s career, Coker was his promoter. But now, they’ll be working together to showcase a mix of veterans and up-and-coming fighters in the Bay Area, where Strikeforce once called home.
Melendez, who will serve as a spokesperson and ambassador for the new brand, expressed his excitement for the opportunity to work with Coker again.
“Scott Coker and I have had a great relationship for years,” Melendez told Kosport Magazine. “He helped promote me as a fighter, but not only me but my wife; my wife before we even knew each other. So we have such a great relationship, and with getting wind of Bellator ending and knowing Scott, he wanted to maybe chill for a little bit. But I’m a fighter, he’s a fighter at heart. We started sitting down, brainstorming, figuring out things we could do, maybe I would fight again, maybe we’ll do some stuff. I was really pressuring him to do something with me, and I even threw in some fight stuff, like I’m really ready to step into that avenue in a little bit and see what I can do.
“After constant meetings and us talking about it, I think it was important for him to bring martial arts back to the Bay Area. We have so much talent out here, and he feels it’s his obligation to revive Bay Area mixed martial arts with all this talent out here. He selected me. He gave me the option saying, ‘I really want you to lead this, I want you to be a spokesperson and ambassador for it,’ and here we are.”
Full Circle Moment for Coker and Melendez
Coker, who co-owned Strikeforce and served as president of Bellator for nearly a decade, will now serve as executive producer for Fight Night at the Tech. The first card is scheduled for May 18, with plans to promote at least four cards per year moving forward.
“It feels like I’m returning to my roots,” Melendez said. “I think a lot of people forget what Scott brought to the community. Though we were all competing against each other and trying to kill each other and there were rivalries, it was a very essential and necessary ecosystem created by Scott.
“I think a lot of us don’t remember that or don’t acknowledge that, but it’s something that I understand very well. Scott is really good at creating an ecosystem where we can all compete, we can all eat, we can all challenge each other. It’s necessary.”
Coker has a history of scouting and discovering talented fighters, giving them a chance to launch their careers. Now, Melendez gets to do the same in his new role with the upstart organization.
“For sure, it’s a full-circle moment,” Melendez explained. “Not only for myself, but it’s a full circle moment for the community. Because now I’m in this giving stage for my community, and I’ve been a coach, and I’m going to these events and I’m there, I look to the right and I see Cain Velasquez, I see Urijah Faber, I see myself, I see Dave Terrell. I see all these legendary warriors, and now it’s full circle and we’re coaches, and I have this other full circle moment, and I get to step into the shoes of Scott Coker. I’ve always recognized what he’s done and how important he is, and I always play the game right.
“I have a great relationship with Scott, and it is a full circle moment. I’ve been a fighter, a coach, an analyst, a commentator, and I’ll tell you what, I love this sport and I want to be in it until the day that I die. I want the best seat in the house, and Scott always has the best seat in the house, so I want to be there with him.”
Paving the Way for the Next Generation
Melendez also hinted at a potential return to action, as he last competed in 2019 prior to his exit from the UFC. While he may not want to book a full-time fight schedule again, the 41-year-old veteran still envisions a return to action one day in the future.
“I do want to fight,” Melendez said. “I would love to fight one of these days. I stay in shape all the time. I train with my team but right now, I’m in the giving stage of my life. I know my fight career is done. I would love to fight for myself now, which would be fun, but I’m in a giving stage.”
The giving stage involves the next generation of fighters looking for opportunities like Coker once gave Melendez when he was competing under the Strikeforce banner. Now Melendez wants to do the same for fighters near his home in California.
“We believe there are a lot of diamonds in the rough out here,” Melendez said. “But there are some established fighters, there are some veterans who really paved the way out here, who continue to keep the fire alive for Bay Area martial arts and Scott and I and the team want to highlight them.”
Exciting Times Ahead for Fight Night at the Tech
With Coker’s expertise and Melendez’s passion for the sport, Fight Night at the Tech is sure to be a success. The first card is just around the corner, and fans can expect to see some of the best talent in the Bay Area competing under the new organization.
“I’m excited for the future of Fight Night at the Tech,” Melendez said. “It’s a great opportunity for fighters to showcase their skills and for the community to come together and support local MMA. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for us.”
