The Melvin Guillard you see today is all about fighting and family. It wasn't that way four years ago.
The 28-year-old made huge changes in his life and it has him on the brink of a UFC lightweight title shot if he gets the job done this weekend against Joe Lauzon at UFC 136 in Houston.
None of this was imaginable in 2007 and 2008. He spent time in jail and was popped by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for a positive cocaine test following a loss against Joe Stevenson.
"It was a stupid mistake on my part, listening to friends 'oh man, you can have a little fun tonight, it'll be out of your system within three days.' You live and you learn in life and it makes you stronger," Guillard told us on ESPNRadio1100 in Las Vegas. "I think I'm a better person today for it. I think sometimes you have to hit rock bottom sometimes to regain yourself. I'm happy with my life right now."
Guillard actually spent time in a Houston jail before heading off to rehab in 2008. The UFC dropped him, but eventually brought him back. Dana White has always had a soft spot in his heart for Guillard.
"I'm pretty sure before Dana White was a billionaire guy and had all this Fortune 500 company, I'm pretty sure he was a normal guy who made mistakes too," Guillard said. "Everybody makes mistakes. You on the other end of this phone, I'm pretty sure you've made mistakes in your life that you possibly might regret. That's just the human nature. [...] That might be why he understands."
Over the last four weeks, Guillard had the chance to visit both his original hometown New Orleans and his second hometown Houston. His wife is from the Houston area. In prepping for the fight, he put in plenty of time in Albuquerque, the home of Jackson's MMA. Guillard has put all the outside nonsense on the back burner and it's paying off.
He's won five in a row with the UFC, but the promotion has several options to turn to when the dust settles between the champ Frank Edgar and Gray Maynard. The Ben Henderson-Clay Guida winner is in the running and so is Gilbert Melendez, the lightweight champ with Strikeforce. Guillard's been wowing fans and the promotion in recent fights, but probably needs to do so again to get the championship match. Guillard's says he fine with whatever the promotion chooses. He just wants to fight consistently and keep his new life on course.
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