Semi-finals are over, and now there are only two left. It’s no surprise that early favorite, Uriah Hall, would make it to the finals, but he’ll be facing the youngest TUF competitor ever, Kelvin Gastelum. Not only is Gastelum the youngest fighter in TUF history, but he was also team Sonnen’s last pick. This match up should make for one hell of a TUF finals bout, possibly better than the one most fans thought would happen, Uriah Hall vs. Josh Samman.
So I went 1-1 in my TUF semi-final predictions, but if I was going to get one wrong, I definitely would have been picking against Kelvin Gastelum. Even in his first fight, it was obvious that his picking order on the show didn’t reflect his true skills. The talented Josh Samman had finished all of his opponents via knockout, which was probably why it was widely believed that he would be moving to the finals. However, Gastelum had other plans, and he controlled Samman on the ground until he sunk in the finishing rear naked choke.
Dana White had already stated that Uriah Hall is the most dangerous fighter in tough history, and that was only further proven in his fight with Dylan Andrews. Hall picked Andrews apart for the better part of two rounds, but even when Andrews took him down, Hall overwhelmed Andrews with strikes from off his back. Andrews couldn’t amount any offense and was swept by Hall to finish the fight with a barrage of punches from the mount.
There’s a lot of hype and momentum surrounding Uriah Hall, but it’s foolish to count out Kelvin Gastelum. Even their coach, Chael Sonnen, stated that they’re closely contested in practice, so by no means will this be a walk in the park for either fighter. Ultimately, I like Hall’s chances of winning it all, and utilizing a similar game plan to the Dylan Andrews fight. The striking and footwork will prevent Gastelum from taking control with his wrestling, which will be his key to victory and a six figure contract with the UFC.
– Ryan “Fight Freek” Poli
@FightFreek