Melvin Guillard - “This is my fight, this is my struggle”

By Justin Bolduc

Only a month away, the UFC will be invading “The Pearl” at The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. Ultimate Fight Night 9, scheduled for April 5, will have some exciting bouts. TUF 1 competitor Kenny Florian faces Japanese veteran Dokonjonosuke Mishima, Keita Nakamura meets Drew Fickett, and Justin McCully fills in for the injured Frank Mir against Antoni Hardonk.

The most compelling match is the main event which pits TUF 2 winner Joe Stevenson against fellow reality show competitor Melvin Guillard.

Out of action since September, Guillard is finally returning to the ring.

“My hand was slammed in the car door and was split open,” he says of the injury that forced him off his February 3rd fight against Dustin Hazelett. “Everyone thought it was broken, but it wasn’t. I had stitches in my hand.”

Most fighters wouldn’t be happy about missing a fight due to injury, but Guillard doesn’t mind.

“I look at it like this, good things happen for a reason,” he says. “I was going to beat up another nobody, a new guy in the UFC.” He continues, “But now I get to beat up Joe Stevenson, so I can prove I should’ve been the ultimate fighter.”

Dana White has announced that Hermes Franca will get the next crack at Sherk, but many believe that the winner of this fight will get a shot at the title later this year.

“I will get a title shot,” he says confidently. “It is up to the UFC who is the number one contender, but in my heart and my eyes I’m the number one guy, I don’t see anyone beating me so it doesn’t matter what they have on paper.”

A potential title fight isn’t the only thing riding on this bout. The highly emotional fighter will be entering this fight especially ready to go...

“I fight off emotion, and right now I had Katrina mess me up first and I lost everything, then a year later I lost my father.” Melvin continues “it’s my first fight back since my father passed away so I have a lot riding on this fight right now.”

Coming off a brutal knockout over Rick Davis and a stunning knockout due to a body punch over Gabe Ruediger, expect fireworks between the young striker and the seasoned grappler worthy of the following day’s pay-per-view.

(Source)