Bellator 165: Keri Melendez Ready to Show and Prove
Bellator 165: Keri Melendez Ready to Show and Prove
Highly touted prospect Keri Melendez will make her official MMA debut against Sheila Padilla at Bellator 165 at the SAP Center in San Jose, California, on Saturday night.
Keri Melendez has been there 1,000 times before in some way or another.
Whether it was by the side of her husband and former champion Gilbert Melendez or a mashup of simulations both physical and mental, the El Nino Training Center representative has experienced all sides of the fight game. On Saturday night at Bellator 165, Melendez will officially add MMA to her record in a fight against Sheila Padilla at the SAP Center in San Jose, California.
All of the hard work has been building toward this moment, and Melendez is looking to hit the cage with every drop of ferocity she has to offer. That's what she's been trained to do by a coach who knows a thing or two about tenacity.
"I've worked really hard to prepare for this fight, and now I'm looking to go out there and put it all together," Melendez said. "Gilbert is my coach, and he definitely pushes me to keep progressing. He's a great mixed martial artist, because he can blend all of the different elements together and there isn't a situation he hasn't been in. That's very helpful from a student point of view, because he knows how to motivate and instruct.
"I have been preparing for this MMA debut for a long time, or at least that's how it feels to me," Melendez laughed. "I'm ready to show I can compete here as well."
As a veteran of Muay Thai and kickboxing, Melendez is eager to step onto the big stage and put all the hard work invested into an MMA transition on display. The Bay Area native is no stranger to the grind but is also well aware of how drilling and reps alone won't give her all the tools needed to find victory over Padilla on Saturday night.
Melendez knows her mental approach and the ability to weigh and seize the moment at hand will be a crucial factor. And while the touted prospect has been entrenched in the fight game for more than a decade, Melendez will face adversity in a much different way in San Jose.
"I've been with Gilbert through the biggest fights and the highs and lows that come with this sport," Melendez said. "I've had a view most never get, but even those experiences only play a small part in what I have to do out there. Putting everything together is difficult, and you have to be ready for everything out there.
"I also know there will be a lot of expectation surrounding my fight because of who my husband is and my last name. I'm proud of what he has accomplished so far, and now I get out there and start a new chapter for me and our family. That's exciting, but there is definitely pressure. It just comes down to how you use that energy."
Another element of the hype surrounding Melendez has been the promotional push and mainstream crossover she's received from Bellator. The striking specialist had a featured bout in her previous time out at Dynamite II in St. Louis, Missouri, just as she'll have a piece of the spotlight at Bellator 165 on Saturday.
In addition to the momentum she's built toward her MMA debut, Melendez also made her small screen debut on an episode of Jagger Eaton's "Mega Life" on Nickelodeon. While she's not planning to leave the cage for a stage career anytime soon, the experience--and embracing a new challenge--was something she certainly enjoyed.
"That was a cool experience, and Jagger is a super sweet kid," Melendez said. "I was a bit nervous, but I never let nerves get in the way of doing what I need to do. That's the exciting part. It's all about challenging and testing yourself, and that's why I started fighting in the first place. My fight on Saturday night is just another way to push myself, and I want to make all the hard work we've put in worth it."
Whether it was by the side of her husband and former champion Gilbert Melendez or a mashup of simulations both physical and mental, the El Nino Training Center representative has experienced all sides of the fight game. On Saturday night at Bellator 165, Melendez will officially add MMA to her record in a fight against Sheila Padilla at the SAP Center in San Jose, California.
All of the hard work has been building toward this moment, and Melendez is looking to hit the cage with every drop of ferocity she has to offer. That's what she's been trained to do by a coach who knows a thing or two about tenacity.
"I've worked really hard to prepare for this fight, and now I'm looking to go out there and put it all together," Melendez said. "Gilbert is my coach, and he definitely pushes me to keep progressing. He's a great mixed martial artist, because he can blend all of the different elements together and there isn't a situation he hasn't been in. That's very helpful from a student point of view, because he knows how to motivate and instruct.
"I have been preparing for this MMA debut for a long time, or at least that's how it feels to me," Melendez laughed. "I'm ready to show I can compete here as well."
As a veteran of Muay Thai and kickboxing, Melendez is eager to step onto the big stage and put all the hard work invested into an MMA transition on display. The Bay Area native is no stranger to the grind but is also well aware of how drilling and reps alone won't give her all the tools needed to find victory over Padilla on Saturday night.
Melendez knows her mental approach and the ability to weigh and seize the moment at hand will be a crucial factor. And while the touted prospect has been entrenched in the fight game for more than a decade, Melendez will face adversity in a much different way in San Jose.
"I've been with Gilbert through the biggest fights and the highs and lows that come with this sport," Melendez said. "I've had a view most never get, but even those experiences only play a small part in what I have to do out there. Putting everything together is difficult, and you have to be ready for everything out there.
"I also know there will be a lot of expectation surrounding my fight because of who my husband is and my last name. I'm proud of what he has accomplished so far, and now I get out there and start a new chapter for me and our family. That's exciting, but there is definitely pressure. It just comes down to how you use that energy."
Another element of the hype surrounding Melendez has been the promotional push and mainstream crossover she's received from Bellator. The striking specialist had a featured bout in her previous time out at Dynamite II in St. Louis, Missouri, just as she'll have a piece of the spotlight at Bellator 165 on Saturday.
In addition to the momentum she's built toward her MMA debut, Melendez also made her small screen debut on an episode of Jagger Eaton's "Mega Life" on Nickelodeon. While she's not planning to leave the cage for a stage career anytime soon, the experience--and embracing a new challenge--was something she certainly enjoyed.
"That was a cool experience, and Jagger is a super sweet kid," Melendez said. "I was a bit nervous, but I never let nerves get in the way of doing what I need to do. That's the exciting part. It's all about challenging and testing yourself, and that's why I started fighting in the first place. My fight on Saturday night is just another way to push myself, and I want to make all the hard work we've put in worth it."