The co-main event at UFC 183 is a very important fight in the welterweight division between two of the division’s top contenders, Tyron Woodley and Kelvin Gastelum. Woodley is currently ranked No. 3 on the UFC’s official rankings, and a victory over a surging prospect-turned-contender like Gastelum would put him right back in line toward a title shot.
A victory for Gastelum would be his fourth within the last 12 months and move him to 11-0 as a pro, but would it make him a true title contender?
The current race for the welterweight title primarily consists of two fights: Johny Hendricks vs. Matt Brown at UFC 185 on March 14 and Rory MacDonald vs. Hector Lombard at UFC 186 on April 25.
Hendricks is taking on Brown even though if he waited, he’d get a third fight with Robbie Lawler for the welterweight title. MacDonald is facing Lombard, and with Hendricks taking a non-title fight he is right back in the mix for title contention. Whichever welterweight wins and looks most impressive will challenge Lawler later this year.
A win over Gastelum could set Woodley up for a title eliminator to establish the subsequent challenger, but if he does so less impressively than his contemporaries, his victory could get lost in shuffle if he’s only able to squeak by Gastelum. A big finish for Woodley would make him hard to argue for a No. 1-contender opportunity. He’d be handing Gastelum his first loss, and he would have strung together four KO/TKOs in his last five fights.
Woodley is nine years older than Gastelum and has nearly twice as many fights. Though Woodley has only been competing professionally in MMA for around two years longer than Gastelum, his resume is filled with contests against the welterweight elite.
His last three wins in Strikeforce were against Tarec Saffiedine, Paul Daley and Jordan Mein. His only career losses have come against Nate Marquardt, Jake Shields and Rory MacDonald. He does need to prove that he can beat a young, undefeated fighter like Gastelum if he wants to keep his UFC title hopes alive.
Gastelum put on one of his best performances thus far in his last fight, when he choked out the ever-dangerous Jake Ellenberger in the first round at UFC 180. It was his first time co-headlining a card, and the brighter lights didn’t seem to impact Gastelum one bit.
He showed that he can handle himself in the moment, but will a win over Woodley truly establish Gastelum as a welterweight title contender?
I say yes. He’d have his sixth straight UFC win, fourth within a 12-month period and it would be against the toughest opponent he’s faced to date. A win over No. 3-ranked Woodley would solidify Gastelum’s spot within the top five at welterweight and possibly position him one fight away from challenging for the title. It would certainly establish Kelvin Gastelum as a contender and should earn him the opportunity for a top-contender fight.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com