Gilbert Melendez stays positive despite UFC release

Since being released from the UFC, Gilbert Melendez has seemed to be in good spirits despite being let go by the promotion. The former Strikeforce champion went on to discuss his current status on his official Instagram page. To which he went on to state his gratitude over the time he spent with the UFC as a professional fighter, despite dealing with numerous obstacles as of late.

“Huge thanks to my team and all my loyal followers,” Melendez stated (via Instagram). “You guys will never know how much your support has meant to me over the years. Things didn’t go my way but when you have the opportunity to chase a great moment or take on a challenge I suggest you face it and go for it.”

Melendez even stated in the same Instagram post that he will continue in his own words as a “student of martial arts,” which could indicate that he intends to continue his professional fighting career somewhere else.

“As for me, I’m looking forward to now investing more of my time into my team and of course I will continue my studies as a student of martial arts.”

It’s worth noting while on the same subject that Melendez himself has discussed the notion that he was past his prime a little before his UFC 239 fight, according to an interview with MMAFighting.com. During that same interview, he appeared to be very optimistic about where he stood at the time as a professional fighter.

“I do feel like everybody I’ve competed against, I competed against them at a high level,” Melendez told MMAFighting.com. “I had plenty of good moments. If we ran some of those fights back, I think it would be different,” Melendez said at the time. “I’m not getting knocked out over and over. In fact, I’ve never been knocked out in a mixed martial arts fights. I’ve only been submitted once.”