Kelvin Gastelum‘s storybook ride from last pick of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen to top-10 welterweight became a stark reality on December 15. The TUF 17 winner submitted Jake Ellenberger at the end of their first round co-main event spot at UFC 180.
The No. 11 ranked Gastelum took on the seventh-ranked UFC welterweight in a fight that was set to prove one of two things. Either Gastelum was going to solidify himself as a top-10 welterweight contender, or Ellenberger was going to silence critics and put the breaks on the rising prospect. What happened was nothing short of astonishing. The 23-year-old Gastelum finished The Juggernaut with a rear-naked choke in the closing seconds of the first frame, after a takedown and subsequent scramble.
Gastelum, a winner of four straight, was in trouble late, but brilliantly reversed the position and quickly took the back of the reeling Ellenberger. The Mexican fighter put on a great display of jiu-jitsu, but that wasn’t the only highlight. After it appeared that Ellenberger was getting the best of him striking-wise, Gastelum landed a critical takedown and was able to land a few powerful shots.
With the win over Ellenberger, Gastelum enters the top-10 of the 170-pound division and will require another elite test. Here are five potential opponents for the rising welterweight. For the purposes of this list, bouts were ranked based on their likelihood of occurring.