UFC on FX 1 is on tap for this Friday, and lightweight Melvin Guillard will face off with Jim Miller in the main event. Guillard has always been known as a guy with a ton of talent, but has had problems being mentally focused at times. He moved to Greg Jackson's camp in Albuquerque to help straighten things out and stay on the straight and narrow, and initially it seemed to be a big help. Before being upset by Joe Lauzon at UFC 136, it seems that Guillard decided to check out a new camp and work with the Blackzillians in Florida. He went there and liked it, and he has decided to make a full-time move to Boca Raton. Guillard was a recent guest on MMA Weekly radio, and discussed the move:
"Both camps are great, both sets of coaches are awesome. It’s just a decision I had to make for myself professionally. Did I want to split the time? Yeah, I did, but it’s kind of like trying to work for Exxon and work for Shell. You won’t be able to split your time between both. Cause both of those companies wouldn’t allow it," Guillard told MMAWeekly Radio recently.
"So it came to one of those points in my life where I had to make a grown-up decision. Kind of an executive decision, and this is the decision I made."
...
"It’s one of the best decisions I’ve made in a long time for myself."
He wants it to be very clear there that is no bad blood with Jackson or his camp though:
"I didn’t leave Jackson’s in a bad way. I love those coaches to death, love that team, and if anything every occurs and I have to go back to Jackson’s, I hope I’m still welcome, because I didn’t leave in the wrong way," Guillard said.
"One thing my mother taught me when I was a kid growing up ‘you never leave home bad because you never know when you might need to come back through that door.’ I hope the coaches there and the team there still love for me and care for me the way they did when I was performing for them."
Will a new camp be able to refocus Guillard after his recent loss? I guess we'll find out on Friday.
1 recs | 88 comments
No surprise here.
He probably spent years training with Rashad + van Arsdale.
mma.ly - January 16, 2012
cue the “No one can stop the NEW NEW Melvin Guillard” bandwagon.
andrew861 - January 16, 2012
Melvin is most dangerous when losing is fresh in his mind. I fear for his next two opponents. War Guillard.
Bolshevik - January 17, 2012
Which means he's getting subbed
See Michael Johnson and hear all the hype of him and his improvements training with them
inthepipes - January 16, 2012
I really hate the term “Blackzilians”. Can’t we just use the acutal name of the fight camp – Imperial Athletics?
sklart - January 16, 2012
you would hate that term
deal with it
AfroSamurai - January 16, 2012
what does that even mean?
sklart - January 16, 2012
That many of them are black and many others are Brazilian.
Bolshevik - January 17, 2012
The name is so stupid.........
Being from Brazil I’m considered a Afro Brazilian because I have african blood line and my color. So being Brazilian is not a race. There are black brazilians, white, asian etc….not different than American blacks, or whites etc…
Pimp_man - January 17, 2012
So what?
Back in the day, Hammer House was mostly white and american. Did they refer to themselves as the “whitemericans”? It’s just a stupid nickname for the camp. How many other camps are called by nicknames? None that I can think of.
sklart - January 17, 2012
I think it’s a fun name :)
Machiel Van - January 17, 2012
Yes - lame
So non-brazilian caucasians can’t train there or what?
taptomyarmbar - January 17, 2012
Will this cure his Chockyness?
nickrodamous - January 16, 2012
yes chockyness half cocky half choke artist.
nickrodamous - January 16, 2012
for a second there
i thought you were saying he was half cocky half chocolate
MPos - January 16, 2012
Choke artist
chokes and gets choked. Too much irony.
juanchoD - January 16, 2012
Not sure how you cure this
Damon O. - January 16, 2012
Chalkiness doesn't need a cure
menckenstein - January 16, 2012
Melvin Guillard
the chalky studebaker of the 155lb division.
nickrodamous - January 16, 2012
haha, great!
SentientAndroid - January 16, 2012
He's got too my Chock. He's a Big Chock Guy
Ikuhisa Quinoa - January 17, 2012
Melvin has a lot of cage-mileage. I’m not sure what it will take to keep him in the top 10, but I’m glad he is trying.
Heenan - January 16, 2012
“But after being upset by Joe Lauzon at UFC 136, it seems that Guillard decided to check out a new camp and work with the Blackzillians in Florida.”
He spent time there for the Lauzon fight.
http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2011/10/3/2465924/ufc-136-melvin-guillard-joe-lauzon-rashad-evans-jackson-jon-jones
Gracchus - January 16, 2012
Uh-Oh
Tim B. just got faded.
nickrodamous - January 16, 2012
Yeah, I screwed that up. He says himself that he didn’t want to split camps again.
Tim Burke - January 16, 2012
Melvin
won 5 straight since being back at jackson’s
but loses 1 fight because guess what he got cocky and did’nt respect his opponenet again lol
now he changes camps lol
melvin mentally is a terrible fighter
P86 - January 16, 2012
That one fight he lost wasn’t under Jackson’s banner. He split for “what-ever-the-hell-zillions” when the heat between Rashad and Jones cranked up. He followed Evans to his camp, lost the focus he had and got choked out. Damn shame but he’s heading down a road to a pink slip by leaving Albuquerque
MuseMan82 - January 16, 2012 via mobile
Guillard got this
It’s his time he’ll be fight for that title one day
psychoblack - January 16, 2012 via mobile
For once...
I am absolutely agreeing with you on this. He is the reason I started following this sport and I always thought he could be a champion
Lanceinmypants - January 16, 2012 via mobile
It would take dynamite and a pry bar to get me off the Guillard Train.
( . Y . ) - January 16, 2012
Will you accept a fork and a sparkler?
POW - January 16, 2012
Want to sig bet on this fight?
ARE YOU MAN ENOUGH?!
menckenstein - January 16, 2012
I would
But I just don’t know what to put as your sig when you lose. Give me a little time and maybe.
Unless that offer was only for pb.
halitosis - January 16, 2012 via mobile
derp
Jim Miller by whatever he wants
I'vegotthepower - January 16, 2012
If he wants to fall flat on his face
Then yes, I agree
halitosis - January 16, 2012 via mobile
The only one on his face will be Melvin
with Miller’s arm around his neck.
MicahtheCynic - January 16, 2012
no no no
He’s getting the Dunham treatment.
Oh yeah, and slap yoself
halitosis - January 16, 2012 via mobile
Not happenin’
MicahtheCynic - January 16, 2012
my proudest be moment
was reccing this.
gspmademegay - January 16, 2012
psychoblack is like our resident Harold Camping
menckenstein - January 16, 2012
I have to admit, I had to look up who that was
And I laughed out loud as soon as I understood the analogy.
Damnatio Memoriae - January 16, 2012
I despise you
Damon O. - January 16, 2012
This is your greatest non-gif comment
IRodC - January 16, 2012
You should be proud
You are the only poster on BE that gets every comment turned green, regardless of what you say (even if it is always talking about Silva, Guillard, Rampage, and slapping yo self).
Fedorable - January 16, 2012
Hopefully they teach some sub defense there.
Meek Mill - January 16, 2012
I’m sure Michael Johnson will help him out with that.
POW - January 16, 2012
And Anthony Johnson
His defense of the rear naked choke has clearly improved
troyd - January 16, 2012
Melvin is his own worst enemy
MattParker117 - January 16, 2012
The inner me, the inna me, the enemy
IRodC - January 16, 2012
Not a good move
It seems like he rather hang out with friends and party than take his training seriously. If he wants to get to the next level he cant keep screwing around and it seems like this is just another bad move for him to make.
JG87 - January 16, 2012
every camp has strengths and wewknesses
The main strength of Jacksons is game planning. Melvin needed that. When he got cocky and threw the game plan out the window he lost. Bad move for him. But we’ll see. Best of luck to him.
filo bedo - January 16, 2012 via mobile
oh yeah didn't Meltdown Guillard train there already
and got rocked to shit by a no power Lauzon hook then choked out in 30 seconds? k just checking
I'vegotthepower - January 16, 2012
No power Lauzon
It’s 1st round Joe Lauzon, the most dangerous fighter in the division
IRodC - January 16, 2012
I love it!
I love how we know so much about fighters that we even have specific fighter forms (the “old” _ is back) and which rounds that they’re most dominant in.
Lauzon – first round beast
Penn – first two rounds he’s a beast plus which one will show up (motivated, angry, or lackadaisical)
Vitor – will the “old” Vitor show up?
Melvin – mentally mature melvin or cocky, flawed Melvin
GSP – Will Rush or safety first GSP show up?
Andy – Will the Killer show up, or are we going to get the dancing, give no fucks, weird Andy in the cage?
Struve – Struve who knows how to utilize his range, or the one who doesn’t
There’s a few others, but that’s only off the top of my head. But yeah I agree with you, first round Lauzon is a beast.
SentientAndroid - January 17, 2012
How much is a 'brazillian'?
And how much is a ‘blackzillian’?
Gremio - January 16, 2012
Let's hope he's not using the Blackzillian's nutritionist.
UncleMax - January 16, 2012
Rashad seems to be doing okay...
TheFilt - January 16, 2012
He’s a veteran and he is a small lhw to begin with…
Hugin - January 16, 2012 via mobile
As opposed to Melvin
who has over 50 fights?
My point is that Rashad looks way better no than he ever has.
TheFilt - January 16, 2012
Your forgetting AJ
troyd - January 16, 2012
No
I’m not.
TheFilt - January 16, 2012
They should call themselves
The Maroons or Quilombos dos Palmares.
TheFilt - January 16, 2012
Mistake
I think this is a big mistake for Guillard. I’ve never been a total believer in him, too succeptiable to being choked out, but he seemed to really put things together when he started working with Jackson’s camp. Then after winning a bunch of fights in a row he started splitting time and got promptly flattened by Joe Lauzon. I’m not trying to say that is the lone reason he lost, or even a major reason, but I think it played a part. One of the most important things for Melvin is the mental side of fighting and I think Greg Jackson really helped him there. It will be interesting to see how this fight goes and what impact the change has.
pcusick13 - January 16, 2012
I dont think he needs a new camp
I think he needs a sport psych doc. If he could keep his head in the game I think his problems would be few and far between.
fightersvizion - January 16, 2012 via mobile
Hopefully he isn't on "The Rumble Diet"....
shit if he is the young assasin may be fighting at super hulk!
boscomma - January 16, 2012
Guillard has talent but man dude just needs to focus I don’t think he’ll find that at the Blackzillians
also Rumble Diet
MaZZacare - January 16, 2012
I don't know about this example
Coeman - January 16, 2012
Right?
how about Mcdonalds and BK, Subway and Quiznos, Target and Wal Mart
nickrodamous - January 16, 2012
He will lose now for sure. This imperial camp doesnt seem to be off to a great start.
traydawg - January 16, 2012 via Android app
Every time I see “Blackzillians” I imagine a camp full of people doing really bad Anderson Silva impersonations.
MicahtheCynic - January 16, 2012
Blackzzilians?
Fuck that, I am going to open a gym and call it the Godzillians.
Godzilla > Blackzilla
dbcb - January 16, 2012
Nope
IRodC - January 16, 2012
lol this is the dude who lost to josh burkman
lol he’s definitely losing to miller. lol.
RandyCouture'sDivorceLawyer - January 16, 2012 via mobile
It sounded kinda forced dude.
spectaa - January 16, 2012
damnation.
RandyCouture'sDivorceLawyer - January 16, 2012 via mobile
So can a White guy to join the blackzillians, or it just for lizards an black people
F.U.B.A.R - January 16, 2012
Mitrione is a part of them.
But its so dumb. The name of the camp is Imperial Athletics. I dont even know how this blackzillian shit started
sklart - January 16, 2012
I reminder it coming out as a joke with rashad was down there or something
It’s funny, but the name it does sound stupid as hell
F.U.B.A.R - January 16, 2012
I think it was Bigfoot Silva
who named it Blackzillians, but not completely sure about this. Read it somewhere
Chad Raynard - January 16, 2012
most of the team is black or brazilian
easy to understand where the name came from.
Ricardo Arguello - January 16, 2012
doesn't make it any less stupid.
sklart - January 16, 2012
Damn.....
I dig Melvin as a fighter but how smart was this decision to leave Jackson’s?
Let’s look at the facts and track record of Imperial so far….
Bigfoot Silva who trains with them (or is it Blackhouse?!?!?) got his head knocked off my Melvin’s own cousin Daniel Cormier in Strikeforce. So far, no return date for him
George Santiago had two uninspiring loses and was promptly cut by the UFC
Anthony Johnson probably (aside from Rashad) the most talented person in the camp, failed to make weight for the third time in his career with the UFC. The most recent on the last UFC event in a weight class that was taylor made him. Going a total of 11 pounds over the weight limit.
During his match he barely lands a punch, gasses and loses without even defending a sub and subsequently gets cut from the UFC. He was a fighter that some were calling the next break out star.
All these fighters out of Imperial have failed miserably, and this is the camp Melvin now wants to be a part of?
Good luck bra….
jack knight starman - January 16, 2012 via mobile
I'd have to see more of this trend to agree with such a harsh judgment.
It’s not Imperial’s fault that Johnson didn’t make weight; is his nutritionist even affiliated with the camp? Either way it doesn’t reflect badly on their training. Santiago was cut from the UFC once already and he’s from JMMA. You may have a point with Bigfoot but Cormier is just a bad man.
Bolshevik - January 17, 2012
Rumble's nutritionist is not affiliated
taptomyarmbar - January 17, 2012
Could be
I know its still too early to judge, but I’m just not convienced that Imperial is one of the top teams in MMA.
Some of the bigger named fighters that are under their banner have not been doing the greatest.
I like Melvin as a fighter. But him switching teams for a team that’s relatively untested I think was a really stupid decision
jack knight starman - January 17, 2012
Is Blackzilla on this team?
Ikuhisa Quinoa - January 17, 2012
No, but Overweightzilla is.
dancingChicken - January 17, 2012
rumble never fade
chillnnsht - January 17, 2012
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