Josh Thomson -vs- Gilbert Melendez 4?

Apparently.... It's the 1st story on MMA Mania... Another unexciting "Bellator Legends Series" main event coming soon? I can see Bellator making it the main event at a card in L.A., San Jose, possibly Temecula... Idk if I wanna see it tho. Can't be worse than Mir vs Nelson. Right? ?

https://www.mmamania.com/2019/11/21/20975448/midnight-mania-josh-thomson-gilbert-melendez-bellator

Josh is one of those “what could have been” guys. Lotta close decision refs flipped the coin the other way but he could’ve easily had Ws vs Bendo, Green and Gil 3. 

Typical Bellator move but I’d watch. 

I ABSOLUTELY agree with your observation on Thomson. For me tho, some might disagree, but I thought he was better outside the UFC. Some guys just didn't put out in the UFC like they did other places. I'd even say the same for Eddie Alvarez. I loved Bellator Eddie Alvarez wayyyy better. 

Btw, I'll absolutely watch Thomson vs Melendez 4. It's pretty much set up to happen sooner or later I feel like..

The same can be said for Gil. I don’t think it’s that they didn’t put out as much as they already came in as established names, big purses or $ value, already in their 30s with wear on their bodies, right against top flight comp.   Had they got to come in vs names like Guida or Lauzon they’d have likely looked way more exciting. They got old and probably fought too conservative in ways yea, but I think it was more an age and timing thing. 

Keep in mind Thomson was already 2-1 in UFC with one win over Franca, who was very legit then got smoked in a fun fight vs then killer Yves Edwards. I’ve always been a Punk fan and think he had champion qualities but some tough breaks, whether mental or injuries or a bit of both. Who knows. 

Eddie is vastly under appreciated IMO

Eddie is ABSOLUTELY 100% under appreciated. Maybe because of his entire UFC run as a whole, Conor McGregor absolutely smashing him. The Dustin Poirier fight. But I agree. I maybe should've worded it differently and used "Age and war-torn" instead of saying "they didn't put out in the UFC." Now that I think about it, and look at it that way. You could say that the best years were behind those guys before making their UFC Debuts. (Thomson, Melendez, Alvarez, Wanderlei Silva, and a handful of other guys). Which is fine with me. Like I said, I appreciated "Bellator Version" of Eddie Alvarez. All 3 fights with Iron Mike Chandler. Ahhhhh maaaan. They could EASILY be the best set of trilogy fights outta all trilogy fights. All-time. MMA, Boxing, whatever. 

Oh definitely. I still think Eddie was on his way to winning the first Porter fight and don’t care who agrees with me. Admittedly I’m biased but I truly feel that way. He was doing well in the second too. I just think those wars caught up both stylistically (calculated aggression/killer instinct) and chin wise. He always was a slugger who’d get in those wars. 

IMO, to your point, if either that Chandler trilogy or Dream run had happened in the UFC they’d be clear HOF moments they run specials on. He came in Dream relatively unknown except for some hardcore who followed that US vs Russia/world Euphoria thing and Bodog. People got a bit down on him after getting KOd by Nick Thompson at WW when Nick was eventually a ranked MW. No shame in that. Prior to that he smoked then notable Derrick Noble and Aron Riley in the first. Then in Dream he really made a name with The Kawajiri and Hansen wars. 

Though Pride was done Aoki was wildly considered the King of Japan (some best anywhere back then). Though he didn’t do in Japan he avenged that loss, while both still top 5, beat Gil (Strikeforce champ), Pettis (WEC/UFC champ) and was Bellator and UFC champ. Don’t care what you say that’s being a top LW beating every relevant leagues top guys since 2008. That’s not easy with his style and at the Class of Death in LW. MMA great and HOF career and it’s not debatable. I mean you can argue but I won’t even reply because it’s just being silly. 

* Edited at 11.21.2019, 9:47 PM ET *

**** dirty little Eddie! **** em!

I wouldn't argue Eddie being in a MMA Hall of Fame. (If there's an MMA HOF outside the UFC one) I'd actually be all for it. Win or lose now... Doesn't affect his whole body of work. It's those 3 Chandler vs. Alvarez fights. I went back and watched all 3 today. Followed by Daniel Straus vs. Patricio Pitbull from Bellator 145. That card was great. But that main event... Woooow. The good ol'days of Bellator man...

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought Eddie and Chandler only fought twice? Both were instant classics, though, for sure.

Well Brad smokes alot of weed so it's possible he watched one twice and thought it was a third fight.

Huiop yea your right. Don’t know why I got that mixed up good call. 

Free you don’t really know Eddie because before you joined topology you thought all mma was called the UFC and the WWE was real. 

Then you met me and I was constantly like:

Until you finally got it

* Edited at 11.22.2019, 7:05 PM ET *

*** swain I thought you said u wouldn't respond

That was yesterday. How the **** am I supposed to remember what in the **** I said earlier today let alone yesterday I say all sorts of ****. 

* Edited at 11.22.2019, 8:38 PM ET *

Lol... 

Side note: I smell so ******* bad right now