Doctors told two-time UFC lightweight title challenger Gilbert Melendez his leg would heal on its own.

He’s still waiting several months later.

Melendez (22-7 MMA, 1-5 UFC) still hasn’t recovered from his previous octagon appearance, and the injury has brought his career to a halt.

Melendez turned down an offer to appear in July at UFC Fight Night 133 in order to give himself more time to heal.

“That’s the only thing holding me back right now from jumping in,” Melendez told MMAjunkie Radio. “I feel like I haven’t taken too many beatings, but my leg has taken a lot of beatings.”

Jeremy Stephens battered Melendez in his featherweight debut with leg kicks when they met this past September at UFC 215, handing him a unanimous-decision loss and extending his current losing streak to four. A picture of his leg posted after the fight showed it swollen and badly bruised.

The extent of the damage is such that Melendez believes the bruises may have calcified – or have turned into bone – and are pressing on the nerves in his leg. He’s looking into stem cell treatment to alleviate his symptoms.

“I wouldn’t mind healing up my body a little bit,” he said. “There’s money to be made, and I do want to go out there and give myself at least one more chance to give it my all and try to bounce back from this slump.”

Melendez arrived in the UFC in 2013 as a former Strikeforce champion and immediately fought for the lightweight title against then-champ Benson Henderson. After a split-decision loss, he faced Diego Sanchez and won a “Fight of the Year” contender. That earned him another title shot against then-champ Anthony Pettis, but he fell prey to a second-round submission.

Then, in the wake of a losing effort against Eddie Alvarez, Melendez spent 13 months on the bench after coming up positive for exogenous testosterone. His luck did not improve upon his return; a fight against feared striker Edson Barboza saw him take dozens of hard leg kicks en route to a decision loss.

When Melendez does return to the octagon, he wants to be as close to 100 percent as possible. He also wants an opponent that offers a favorable matchup.

“I want someone that makes sense for me, that I can stand with a little bit and stay in the pocket a little bit more,” Melendez said. “Maybe someone a little older, like Gil.”

At this point, Melendez admits there’s not much room left for error in his career. If he is to continue competing at the highest level, he needs to turn things around.

“This is the most important fight right now for me,” he said. “I need to win, or it’s time for me to really sit back. If I win, I keep going. If I lose, I’m going sit back and regroup and see what’s next.”

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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