Things are looking better for Gilbert Melendez and his suffering leg.
The 15-year MMA veteran limped his way through a three-round contest against Jeremy Stephens at UFC 215 this past weekend, and though he came out on the short end of the scorecards, he earned a lot of respect from fans and peers as well as a $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus for his gutsy effort.
Stephens battered Melendez with leg kicks early in their bout and it was clear that Melendez was badly hurt. His wife Keri shared an image of his leg the day after and it looked like he’d swapped limbs with Alistair Overeem. However, she assured everyone that there was no serious knee damage.
On Thursday, Keri provided another update and it appears that Melendez’s leg has returned to its normal state, albeit with some discoloration that she described as blood spreading through his leg:
Melendez’s fast recovery is consistent with the resilience that he’s displayed throughout his career. In 30 professional bouts, “El Nino” has never been finished with strikes.
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