Athlete of the Month April 24': Born for Greatness, Luis Felipe Melendez

Editor & Chief/Professional Spectator

Kristin Gordon

“I just want to make them proud, very few good things come from the place I was raise. I’ve been paving the road and making history that motivates the future generation from Puerto Rico and here. Although I’m alone in the states and don’t have any family here, i keep pushing. And I’ll keep paving the road for myself right now so other can take advantage in the future!”
-Luis Melendez

Luis Felipe Melendez: Genius on and off the Mats

Luis Felipe Melendez is a professional MMA fighter reining from Puerto Rico. However, this is quite the understatement to his list of achievements and the impact that he has made in general. Luis is a Black Belt in Taekwondo (TKD), a Purple Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and a member of both the Taekwondo and MMA National Teams for Puerto Rico. However, he is also brilliant, earning a degree in electrical engineering at the University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez Campus and currently working as an electrical engineer at Knolls Atomic Power Lab in Niskayuna, NY.

This mans fight record is just as impressive as his academic record, both to be discussed in further detail. When asked about the type of area Luis grew up in, he replied, “They either ended up dead or not really good, or not in a good spot in life.” Despite growing up in the face of adversity, Luis is living proof that you can truly achieve anything with hard work, the right support system, and a determined mindset.

Round 1: The Beginning

Luis’ story of how his parents met is truly a love story to be heard. Both of his parents are black belts in Karate. One day when going to train, the two met on the mats and fell in love, and the rest is history. With the influence of two Karate black belts, Luis wasted no time and began his own Karate training at the age of 3 becoming quite proficient rather quickly.

Once Luis hit high school, he decided to switch to Taekwondo, quickly making his mark in the sport. He went on to join the Junior TKD National Team in which he dominated the competition. This would mark the beginning of his journey to competing outside Puerto Rico. All of this while simultaneously graduating high school with honors specializing in math, science, and of course sports.

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Round 2: The College Years

As mentioned, Luis attended college at the University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez Campus with a focus in engineering. During his time there, he became the first athlete in Puerto Rico to receive a scholarship for Taekwondo. As you can imagine, Luis continued to exceed expectations academically, as well as in his athleticism, becoming the captain of his Taekwondo team and earning the title of Athlete of the Year in 2015, 2016 and 2018.

Luis decided to pursue a degree in electrical engineering, and went on to intern at Knolls Atomic Power Lab in Niskayuna, NY. Being the outstanding achiever that Luis is, he was offered a full-time position before even graduating, and simultaneously beginning a Masters Degree in Electrical Engineering.

Round 3: Introductions to MMA and Cage Fighting

Luis transition to MMA when his teammates encouraged him to compete in a cage fighting competition. Following their advice, Luis competed at Cage Wars which was located at Rivers Casino in Schenectady, NY. This earned him great popularity in New York state as a whole. Luis would go on to become the Welterweight (170 lb) Cage Wars Champion, knocking out his opponent in the first round with a gnarly liver kick, and ultimately going professional.

Round 4: You’ve Got to Train to Gain

After competing and dominating in Cage Wars, Luis went on to train further, traveling all the way to Thailand to study at Tiger Muay Thai. This experience inspired Luis, taking that fire that he already had inside him, and igniting it to a whole new level.

Upon completing his training at Tiger muay Thai, he returned to achieve a 4-0 Muay Thai record between Rivers Casino in Schenectady, NY and Washington, D.C.

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Round 5: Luis’ Legacy

Luis went on to join the MMA National Team for Puerto Rico, victoriously earning himself a Bronze Medal in the IMMAF Pan American Games in Colombia. While competing in Colombia, this marked a historic event where Luis Felipe Melendez earned the title of the first Professional Taekwondo fighter in the world, and being showcased by ESPN. Luis also spent some time competing in Albania.

This lead to Luis signing his first MMA contract with APFC (Anthony Pettis Fighting Championship) which is televised on UFC Fight Pass. With Luis being the trailblazer he is, he also acquired a contract with Kombat Taekwondo which is televised on ESPN, and Karate Combat, televised on Youtube, acquiring all 3 of these contracts in less than 1 month after turning pro.

I think it is very clear why we decided to highlight Luis as our Athlete of the month. Not only is he an inspiration to aspiring martial artist all over the world, but he also shows a true mental strength, determination and cognitive stamina that is unmatched. Luis has an innate thirst to leave his mark on the MMA landscape, and we have no doubt that he will, if he hasn’t already.

Fighter Overview:	-Pro Record: 2-0 -Amateur Taekwondo Record: 100+ fights / 90% win rate / 75% KO rate -MMA Amateur Record: 6-3 (4 by KO) (All fights took place at Rivers Casino) -Muay Thai Record: 4-0 (3 by KO) -Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Record: 16-2
Achievements:	-Bronze Medalist in the IMMAF Pan American Games in Colombia for MMA -Former 170lb Champion at Cage Wars Champion (Rivers Casino, Schenectady NY) -Pro debut win in Bogota, Colombia, against a gold medalist in Asian Championships and European Championships.
Professional Contracts:	-Anthony Pettis Fighting Championship (APFC) (Televised on UFC Fight Pass) -Kombat Taekwondo (Televised on ESPN) -Karate Combat (Televised on YouTube)