Kelvin Gastelum missed weight for his showdown with Tyron Woodley at UFC 183 by eight pounds.
That’s unacceptable, and the UFC has taken action.
Per a report by Combat (h/t to Guilherme Cruz of MMA fighting), UFC president Dana White has ordered Gastelum to move back up to middleweight, a weight class the 23-year-old once called home en route to winning The Ultimate Fighter Season 17.
It’s difficult news to swallow considering Gastelum was carving out a nice home at 170 pounds, but he can’t go on with missing weight and over-depleting himself just days before competition.
In any case, the evolving 23-year-old will attempt to re-establish his credibility among bigger and stronger opponents.
Here are three fights for Gastelum to take next as he makes yet another divisional move:
Tim Kennedy
Kennedy is a huge step up from the welterweights that Gastelum is used to fighting, but he’s also coming off a very disappointing loss and looking to re-establish himself within the division.
The UFC may want to see how Gastelum fares with a move back up in weight before pinning him opposite a juggernaut like Kennedy, but Gastelum‘s track record speaks for itself, and it’s unlikely that he wouldn’t be ready for a fight of this caliber.
As for the fans, this is one heck of a matchup.
With Gastelum‘s in-your-face pressure and Kennedy’s undying resolve, this is easily one of the better matchups the middleweight division has to offer.
Tim Boetsch
Like Gastelum, Boetsch was unable to capture victory at UFC 183.
After landing vicious uppercuts and powerful hooks, he ultimately fell victim to Thales Leites‘ dangerous submission game.
Now while Boetsch vs. Gastelum isn’t the sexiest matchup on paper, it makes a whole lot of sense.
The Barbarian is a very recognizable name in the division and a formidable opponent to test Gastelum and see what the youngster can do upon his divisional return.
Uriah Hall
Is there any fight fan out there who wouldn’t want to see this rematch?
Having upset Hall to capture TUF 17 finale rights back in April of 2013, Gastelum knows exactly what it takes to stifle the exhilarating striker.
And even though Hall has done more in the division over the past few years to potentially leap frog a rematch with a guy who is coming off a loss (in a different division to boot), I’m sure he’s aching to get his hands on Gastelum and finish what he started.
Both guys have evolved since their initial meeting and Hall has seemingly come out of his nice-guy shell, making this an intriguing matchup that would do well on a stacked pay-per-view card.
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