By John Fullilove, jacksons.tv
jacksons.tv: Where are you originally from?
Melvin Guillard: Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. I was actually raised in a little town called Kenner. It’s like two minutes from New Orleans. I went to Bonnable High School. My mom’s family is originally from Lafayette so I have a lot of family spread out through the area. I have a lot of family throughout the Bayou area and also in Baton Rouge. I played football and wrestled. I was a state champion in wrestling. I was a state MVP and wrestled one year in college at Colby. I wrestled two years for junior national freestyle and Greco.
jacksons.tv: Did you like freestyle or Greco better?
Melvin Guillard: I enjoyed both. They were a lot different in many ways; however, it was all wrestling to me. It was actually more fun than the collegiate style wrestling. I enjoyed it a lot for the two years that I did it.
jacksons.tv: How did you get an interest in MMA?
Melvin Guillard: I was fourteen years old and was in high school. My coach, Warren Donnelly, was a MMA fighter at the time. I fell in love with MMA from the very first UFC I ever saw. He trained in wrestling and after wrestling practice was over, everyone else went home but I stayed back and he would teach me MMA. So, it went hand in hand. I got free training the first 3 or 4 years of my career. I got to train wrestling and MMA at the same time.
jacksons.tv: What exactly did your MMA training consist of?
Melvin Guillard: It was a little bit of everything. Submission wrestling, Thai boxing, but it was mostly submission wrestling. There was a little bit of ground and pound. I wasn’t great at the whole submission thing but I would just throw a lot of strikes. There were a bunch of times that I would cut my coach’s eye open. It was some crazy stuff happening. I trained hard and I think training MMA at the time that I was training for the state championship led to the success of why I won a state championship. I was just so aggressive.
jacksons.tv: How did you transition from training to actually fighting?
Melvin Guillard: I was about 15 when I started competing as an amateur. I was doing a lot of underground fights at this club called the Main Event. It was a fight club on Fridays. Terry Verdun, one of my teammates from my high school wrestling team, and I would go every Friday night. We would sign up and fight all these different people. We would sneak off and go. My parents didn’t know. My coaches didn’t know. Nobody knew but me and him. What happened, some people from my neighborhood started just popping up and all it took was one person to see me. Next thing I know it spread through the neighborhood. It got back to our school. My coach wasn’t really pleased with it because he wanted us to focus on wrestling at the time. I just looked at it as extra training. When I turned sixteen I signed papers to turn pro. I signed my life away but I think it was the best thing that ever happened to me.
jacksons.tv: Were there rules for the underground fighting?
Melvin Guillard: There were limited rules. We went every Friday and there were no athletic commissions on those Fridays. When they threw a big event once a month, they would bring in the commission. We did a lot of the underground fights when the commission wasn’t there and when the commission was there it was a sanctioned fight. It was cool because we got to do the best of both worlds. We got to do a little bit of underground and we got to build our records at a young age. So, it was pretty cool.
jacksons.tv: In Louisiana you had to be 16 to fight pro?
Melvin Guillard: It was. You could be 16 with your parent’s consent. I think at that time when I signed to turn pro, my mom and dad knew about it by then, and my dad signed me up. He was like, “Go ahead if that is what you want to do.” From then on my dad would come to all my fights. He always hung out with me. I don’t think he ever missed a fight on a Friday after I turned pro.
jacksons.tv: Did you actually train or did you just go out there and fight?
Melvin Guillard: It was a little bit of both. A lot of my training came from Warren, my wrestling coach. I joined an actual gym that belonged to the fight club and it was just upstairs from the club. I started training there as well. After school, I would ride my bike about 12 miles to go train. I started to train a little bit and got into it. From there I started to do a little bit of kickboxing and training with a boxing coach, Mike Robinson. Everything came together for being well rounded. I think I could have been a lot better at submissions if I would have given it more attention. Coming in as a wrestler I didn’t want to lose my wrestling ability. A lot of guys do that. They come in as a wrestler and start jiu-jitsu. As a wrestler you are trained not to go to your back. In jiu-jitsu you’re trained to stay on your back. It was a little confusing for me at times. I really didn’t pay too much attention to the jiu-jitsu part. I always paid attention to the escapes and putting myself in a better position to strike. That was about as much attention that I ever gave to jiu-jitsu.
jacksons.tv: When did you start fighting outside of Louisiana?
Melvin Guillard: Right before I turned 17. I was fighting in New Orleans and had a manager. He started scheduling me for fights in Atlanta. I was fighting for Brent Moses Productions. I fought a lot in Atlanta. I also got to fight in Montana, Seattle. It just launched off. I started to travel. It was fun. I was young and I was able to see a lot of different states that many of my friends still haven’t seen today. It was awesome. I looked at it like I had a career. I got to travel. Before that I had never left New Orleans unless it was family holiday to Houston. It was pretty cool to be able to leave and be able to see different parts of the east coast and west coast.
jacksons.tv: How did the Ultimate Fighter happen?
Melvin Guillard: It was crazy. Right around when season two for the Ultimate Fighter was ready to come out I was actually training for a World Kickboxing Title. The phone rang in the gym and they came and got me. I go and pick up the phone and I thought it was a prank so I hung up the phone in the UFC’s face. I go back in the gym and I’m hitting the bag and they bring me the phone and say, “It’s an important call and you need to take it.” So, I got back on the phone and it was a representative from the UFC. They had looked me up. By that time I had 25 or 30 fights. They were like, “We want you to come out. We want you to do the drug testing and the physical and an interview.” I was like, “Ok.” That weekend I was going to Vegas. I was there for a little over a week. I was so aggravated because I was stuck in the hotel room. At the time I didn’t have credit cards so I couldn’t order movies or anything. I was going crazy. All they would tell me when I would call, because I just kept ringing their phones, “the longer you’re here the better it is.” There
were some guys who came in one day and left the same day. I started catching on and thinking they must be interested. I went back home a little over a week later. Two weeks later exactly I was on the show, Ultimate Fighter 2. It was like a dream come true. A lot of guys have put so much time and work to filling out the applications and sending in tape. The only thing I did was to send in a little bit of footage of some fights. It was a blessing to say that the UFC came calling me. I’ve been in for 5 years and never been cut. I’ve been successful. I have a 6-4 record right now in the UFC. It’s been great. It’s been a great journey. I’m just excited to keep moving forward.
jacksons.tv: What is your goal in the UFC?
Melvin Guillard: I have several goals. My first goal is a small one but it’s very important. It’s to stay in shape and keep winning and always fight hard and leave it all in the cage. My second goal right now for 2010 is to win every fight this year. My third ultimate goal is to win a UFC title. If I win every fight this year, which I’m planning to do, I’m praying that in 2011 that they’ll be giving me that call asking me if I want that title shot. I’m just going to keep training hard and doing everything that I have to do on the positive end. I hit a lot of rocks in the road in my career. As a kid growing up, I came from a strong family. A lot of things I did, I guess, was from me being rebellious. I look back on all that now and just look at it and say that is what made me the man I am today. You have to go through a lot of downs before you get to the ups. Right now it’s about staying focused and keep making the UFC President and owners happy. Keep fighting and going in there with reckless abandonment and do what Melvin does best.
jacksons.tv: How did you get to be here at Jackson’s?
Melvin Guillard: Joe Stevenson and I are really good friends. We’re like best friends. We’ve been friends since the show, despite having to fight each other. I wasn’t really happy in Houston. I called up Joe and he said that he was training at Jackson’s now. Ironically, when I fought Diaz, Coach Jackson and Donald Cerrone were in the locker room. I just walked up to Coach Greg and asked him if he would mind if I could visit his gym and come train for a little bit. A lot of other coaches had already told me no. I was expecting a let down but he was like, “Yea, we would love to have you come up train, try it out and see if you like it.” When I came up here in January I just fell in love with this place and I don’t want to leave.
jacksons.tv: What is it that you like about being here at Jackson’s?
Melvin Guillard: I like the atmosphere and I like the people. When I first walked in this gym I was expecting guys to give you that dirty look because a lot of people know me. A lot of people knew me as the arrogant little kid. I don’t know what everybody thought of me. I knew a lot of people thought bad of me but people really didn’t know me. Well, when I walked in the door, everybody just greeted me with open arms and shook my hand and introduced themselves. I was like shocked. I was like, “This is surreal.” Normally you walk in a gym full of 30 to 40 guys, you’re going get a dirty look from somebody. I didn’t get that from anyone in the gym. Joe told me it was a good place to be. I just fell in love with it. What I love the most out of everything about this gym is Coach Winkeljohn and I have worked so much on my striking. He’s brought so much out of me. He’s brought my striking to a whole new level. I’m finally happy again. I was kind of losing interest for a while because I wasn’t getting better because I was at a standstill. But since being here working my ground game, my ground and pound with Coach Greg, working my striking with Coach Wink and then the conditioning and cardio work is through the roof. It’s something that every fighter could be happy with because I know when I step in the ring I am ready and prepared. The thing I love most is the ability to bring more striking to my game.
jacksons.tv: Was it a big adjustment coming up from Houston and Louisiana to Albuquerque?
Melvin Guillard: It’s a long 16 hour drive but I can make it in 12 (laughing). The two times I’ve been up here I’ve made it in 12. I always shave 4 hours off. It’s cool but I do miss home. For this camp I’ve been here 9 weeks. I always bring my wife with me. She’s a full time student doing on-line courses. Right after this fight we will be moving to Oklahoma because she will be going to OU. My judo coach, Dr. Ryan Tripp, lives in Oklahoma. Right now I’m a brown belt. Joe and I have the same Judo coach. Joe’s a black belt so I’m trying to catch Joe. I should have my black belt training in Judo in about six months. Oklahoma is only 8 hours away. I can probably make that drive in about 5 hours (laughing). I’ll be able to come in on weekends and do a four day weekend and maybe two weeks, a week and go home. I’m more excited about that move than anything.
jacksons.tv: What’s up with the little dog that you have?
Melvin Guillard: The dog? That’s me and my wife’s son. That’s Verdell. His name is Verdell Guillard. We got him when he was four months old. He was a rescue dog. We actually got him from an adoption agency. He’s worth about $3,500 on paper. He’s a rare breed dog. We were lucky to find him. Right now we are actually looking for a girl for him. It was just a present I got my wife because during a part of my career I got into a little trouble. I had to go and put myself into rehab for a while. I spent 6 months away from my wife. I didn’t want her to be alone so we ended up getting Verdell right before I left. He just kept her company. He’s like her second man. She’s got two men at home and she loves us both so it’s all good.
jacksons.tv: What drives you to keep working so hard in the gym?
Melvin Guillard: I’ve always had that competitive edge. In `06 I lost my dad. It put a big damper on my family because my mom was so dependent on my dad. He left behind me, my five brothers and two sisters. The youngest three are just becoming teenagers. It was a little hard on my mom. I just want my mom to know that with my dad gone she still has us. I got to hang out with my dad on a Wednesday just before he died on that following Monday. My dad sat me down and we had a heart to heart. He said, “If I leave today or tomorrow, I want you to be able to take care of your mom and your sisters.” I was like, “I have four older brothers, why don’t you give this to them?” My dad just saw in me that I could handle more responsibility. My brothers all have kids and I’m the only one who doesn’t. I’m fortunate to be able to take care of my family. My drive comes from seeing my family do better and be able to provide for my wife, my family. It’s just something inside of me. I also want to be the best. I won’t fulfill my legacy unless I win that UFC title. I don’t have to win it 5 or 12 times. It would be nice. I want to be able to win it just one time so I can say I was a UFC Champion and leave behind that legacy. I think that’s more my drive just to provide for my family. I’m putting my wife through college. All you want for your family is the best.
jacksons.tv: What does your family think of you fighting?
Melvin Guillard: It’s crazy. When I first started, my mom is a Baptist Minister and that was a little tricky. My mom always knew out of all the sons I was the outgoing one. My mom expected me to become a fighter. She never expected anything else. My brothers love it. I go back and visit my old high school that my little brother and sisters go to now and there are kids who were babies when I started fighting and now know who I am. It’s cool. My little brother and sisters just soak it all in. They’re normal kids. They love it. I’m my little 16 year old brother’s role model. He wants to be like me. It’s a great feeling. I go to family reunions and I have some relatives who used to look down on me and my mom. But when I got in the UFC and got some spotlight, a lot of the family who were against, started rolling with us. Whatever brings the family closer and keeps the family together is all that matters to me at the end of the day. My grandparents are proud of me. My family is proud of me. That’s why I try so hard to keep my head above water and keep striving.
Check Out Melvin On Silver Star's Web Site - Click Here
jacksons.tv: Who would you like to acknowledge?
Melvin Guillard: I would start with thanking my family. The support they gave me through all of the good and the bad. I definitely want to thank Jackson’s MMA: Coach Jackson, Coach Wink, Coach Chris Lutrell, Coach Chad and all the guys and girls in the gym who help me every time I’m here. I definitely want to thank all my sponsors. I want to thank Silver Star especially. They are one of my biggest sponsors right now. A special thank you to my sponsor Harvey Sharp from Trinity Tool Rentals. He’s been sponsoring me since I was 16 years old. He’s like family to me. Actually, when my dad passed away, my dad didn’t have insurance, Harvey put up the majority of the money to bury my dad. Ever since that happened I’ve been close to that guy and even before my dad passed we were always close. But his support took it to a whole other level. He stepped in as a father figure in time of need. It was real nice of him to do that. I would also like to thank Mr. Gunner from Woodrows, it’s a wing shop out in Houston, Texas. We go there and watch all the UFCs and he always comps all my food. He’s a real good guy.
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