Gilbert Melendez says getting to Mexico City weeks early 'didn't make sense' financially

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Wild

Wild

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Gilbert Melendez said the altitude played a big part in why he lost to Eddie Alvarez two weeks ago. Had the UFC lightweight contender traveled to Mexico City earlier, much like Fabricio Werdum did, things could have been different.

But Melendez told Ariel Helwani on Monday's edition of The MMA Hour that leaving home for Mexico weeks earlier just was not practical from a financial perspective.

"I wish I could have been there a month earlier," Melendez said. "I wish I had a budget and pay that I could fly out all my training partners. Realistically, you can't just get out there five, six weeks early. Maybe Fabricio [Werdum] did it. It would have been tough to fly all my partners, my coaches who actually have the business at the gym. It just didn't make sense."

LINK: Gilbert Melendez says getting to Mexico City weeks early 'didn't make sense' financially - MMA Fighting
 
dacofty

dacofty

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Really wouldnt have mattered had he unless he KO'd Alvarez, Alvarez wasnt going to lose 2 in a row just coming to the UFC not if the judges could help it.
 
Pitbull9

Pitbull9

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I actually thought Eddie did outwork Gil in rds 2-3 he just kept pushing and we all know the judges love that shit. Eddie 100 percent needs to figure shit out or he will fade away at 155. He needs to find his magic he once had.
 
Robbie Hart

Robbie Hart

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Wait, no offense, but isn't this the same guy who went out and checked his "market value" and was price matched by the UFC at what I believe was reported to be a significant amount of money? Could be wrong and the numbers may not be what I think they are but I thought the alternative org was offering a lot. If this is the case, would he then not be in a position to be the most likely to be able to afford to do just what he needed to do? Sounds like it, but sitting in a lounge chair makes this easy for me.
 
Wild

Wild

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Robbie Hart said:
Wait, no offense, but isn't this the same guy who went out and checked his "market value" and was price matched by the UFC at what I believe was reported to be a significant amount of money? Could be wrong and the numbers may not be what I think they are but I thought the alternative org was offering a lot. If this is the case, would he then not be in a position to be the most likely to be able to afford to do just what he needed to do? Sounds like it, but sitting in a lounge chair makes this easy for me.
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Yeah, I'm not buying they couldn't afford to fly down there and live for a month. I think it has more to do with he has businesses to run back in Cali, and couldn't afford to leave that unattended for a month.
 
MMAHAWK

MMAHAWK

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Robbie Hart said:
Wait, no offense, but isn't this the same guy who went out and checked his "market value" and was price matched by the UFC at what I believe was reported to be a significant amount of money? Could be wrong and the numbers may not be what I think they are but I thought the alternative org was offering a lot. If this is the case, would he then not be in a position to be the most likely to be able to afford to do just what he needed to do? Sounds like it, but sitting in a lounge chair makes this easy for me.
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He got good money in the contract. I think he is saying his coaches would have to close the gyms. Also it can't be cheap to pay for 6 people to stay in a safe hotel in Mexico City for 6 weeks. That on top of taxes and paying coaches. Will make$250,000 shrink pretty quick.
 
MMAHAWK

MMAHAWK

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Quick check for 6 people to fly and stay in reasonable hotel for 25 days about $22,000. That's only flight and hotel. With food and another 17 days to make 6 weeks I'm guessing about $40,000.
 
Wild

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MMAHAWK said:
Quick check for 6 people to fly and stay in reasonable hotel for 25 days about $22,000. That's only flight and hotel. With food and another 17 days to make 6 weeks I'm guessing about $40,000.
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Fabricio rented a couple of houses or something while he was there...it was almost like a camp. I think Gil could have figured something out if he wanted. I just think he likely had more pressing business back home, and felt it wasn't worth it. And he's probably right honestly.
 
MMAHAWK

MMAHAWK

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IGargleAmishMothballs said:
Fabricio rented a couple of houses or something while he was there...it was almost like a camp. I think Gil could have figured something out if he wanted. I just think he likely had more pressing business back home, and felt it wasn't worth it. And he's probably right honestly.
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Good point
 
Silverball

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Gil doesn't seem that bothered about losing to Alvarez, so perhaps he made the right decision? I also think it's likely that he assumed it would be a huge financial burden without properly checking into it to the actual cost of renting a house with a couple of extra rooms for a month.
 
Darqnezz

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Didn't he know any other fighters on the card? They could have split some of the costs. I guess a loss doesn't mean much.
 
Leigh

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BIGBENlaughedatMYtinyWANG said:
Maybe he should invest in a sleep chamber..I dunno
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Yep, there are other ways to prepare for competition at altitude. Chamber is one of them. Doing more cardio is another.

I don't know the geography of California very well - is Big Bear anywhere near Cesar's? It's got a similar altitude and renting a cabin up there for living and sleeping, while travelling back to Cesar's for training sessions, if feasible, would have been a decent alternative.

Edit: Scratch that, just had a look and it's a 7 hour drive. Highest mountain in their area is half the elevation of Mexico City
 
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Silverball

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Leigh said:
Yep, there are other ways to prepare for competition at altitude. Chamber is one of them. Doing more cardio is another.

I don't know the geography of California very well - is Big Bear anywhere near Cesar's? It's got a similar altitude and renting a cabin up there for living and sleeping, while travelling back to Cesar's for training sessions, if feasible, would have been a decent alternative.

Edit: Scratch that, just had a look and it's a 7 hour drive. Highest mountain in their area is half the elevation of Mexico City
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He's only a couple of hours away from Lake Tahoe.
 
Priziesthorse

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It doesn't financially make sense to accept a fight against Iaquinta either considering the pain and injuries he is likely to sustain against a monster like Al.
 
Silverball

Silverball

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Leigh said:
3 hours each way. Still a long drive every day for training
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It's all relative. I have friends who rent cabins in Tahoe for quick getaways, etc., so it's not that expensive to arrange a living situation for a month while you prepare for a fight, if the commute is too much. I also have friends who've bought property in Mexico for next to nothing, so something tells me that you could sublet a spot the way Werdum did for a lot less than you would expect.
 
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