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Kelvin Gastelum Planning July Comeback, Work His Way To Israel Adesanya Rematch

Kelvin Gastelum is looking to return to action in the summer. Gastelum hasn’t competed since November last year where he was outpointed by Darren Till in what was an underwhelming performance. The former title challenger has already gone on record stating that he returned to action too quickly following a back-and-forth war in his interim […]

Kelvin Gastelum is looking to return to action in the summer.

Gastelum hasn’t competed since November last year where he was outpointed by Darren Till in what was an underwhelming performance. The former title challenger has already gone on record stating that he returned to action too quickly following a back-and-forth war in his interim middleweight title fight with Israel Adesanya nearly seven months earlier.

And having suffered a knee injury in January — which luckily required no surgery — the time off has been a blessing in disguise for Gastelum who is now targeting a July comeback.

“I’ve been recovering from a torn LCL back in January – I had a full tear,” Gastelum told MMA Fighting. “No surgery needed, thankfully. Just been doing therapy on it and reconstructive therapy on it. It’s about 85 or 90 percent there.

“I’m just starting to grapple a bit, starting to box again. I’m starting to kick again. Training is picking back up a little bit. Just at the right time. Hopefully by July — I don’t know where this whole pandemic thing will be by then — but I’m hoping to fight by July.”

Gastelum notably claimed the defeat to Adesanya still burns in his soul. For now, though, he’s just looking to get back in the win column. He is targeting anyone in the top-five with his preference being Jack Hermansson.

Eventually, he hopes to run things back with Adesanya.

“I like to be able to fight anybody in the top-five,” Gastelum added. “In my opinion, a fight with Jack Hermansson would make sense. We’re both coming off losses. He’s in the top-five. A win for either of us would take us where we need to go.

“We both need to work our way back up the division, back up to Adesanya. I feel that’s the one that makes sense, but you never know what the matchmakers are thinking.”

Who do you think makes sense for Gastelum next?

Chris Weidman Doubts Israel Adesanya Reaches Anderson Silva’s Level

Former middleweight champion Chris Weidman doubts current 185lb king Israel Adesanya will reach the same levels Anderson Silva did. Silva went on a legendary run at middleweight before Weidman ended it in 2013. The Brazilian made 10 successful title defences in impressive fashion before running into the ‘All American’. Speaking to MMA Fighting Weidman seemed […]

Former middleweight champion Chris Weidman doubts current 185lb king Israel Adesanya will reach the same levels Anderson Silva did.

Silva went on a legendary run at middleweight before Weidman ended it in 2013. The Brazilian made 10 successful title defences in impressive fashion before running into the ‘All American’. Speaking to MMA Fighting Weidman seemed unconvinced Adesanya would ever be able to reach the levels of his former foe Silva, he said.

“Listen, he’s got a lot of work ahead of him for sure. Anderson Silva, he dominated everybody for years. He didn’t have wars like [Israel] has been having. He had a close fight with Anderson Silva, and this was years after I fought Anderson Silva. He had a very, very close barnburner fight with Kelvin Gastelum. The fight with Yoel Romero was obviously just terrible, but he’s exciting to watch.”

Despite doubting Adesanya will go on to replicate the achievements of ‘The Spider’ Weidman believes when it’s all said and done ‘The Last Stylebender’ will be considered a legend – at middleweight at least.

“He’s got a good mouthpiece on him. He’s a smart kid. He’s fun to listen to him talk. I don’t know if he’s going to be beating Anderson Silva’s record or anything like that, but I think he’ll be looked at as a guy who’s like a legend in the sport when it’s all said and done – at least in the middleweight division.”

Weidman is currently preparing for his drop back down to middleweight after an unsuccesfful 205lb debut. The 35-year-old fought Dominick Cruz in October 2019 and was quickly knocked out. It was his fifth loss in six fights, Weidman’s lone win coming against top contender Kelvin Gastelum in 2017. In the same interview, he expressed a wish to fight against Adesanya in the future but admitted he has work to do before that can happen. He is expected to face Jack Hermansson next. Earlier this week it was reported the UFC is trying to get the Swedish fighter a VISA to travel to the US and compete.

Do you agree with Chris Weidman? Will Israel Adesanya fail to replicate the achievements of Anderson Silva?

Paulo Costa Eyes Becoming UFC Champ-Champ After Taking Out ‘Skinny Guy Adesanya’

Paulo Costa believes he’ll be the next champ-champ in the UFC. Currently, Costa is the top contender at middleweight and his next fight should be against the champ, Israel Adesanya. The two already have a rivalry and the Brazilian is confident he…

The post Paulo Costa Eyes Becoming UFC Champ-Champ After Taking Out ‘Skinny Guy Adesanya’ appeared first on MMA News.

Paulo Costa Hopes To Win Middleweight, Light Heavyweight Belts

UFC middleweight contender Paulo Costa plans on winning belts in multiple divisions. The undefeated Brazilian is expected to challenge current middleweight champion Israel Adesanya for the title next. If he is able to deliver on his promise of defeating Adesanya, it doesn’t look like he will be sticking around at 185 for too long. After […]

UFC middleweight contender Paulo Costa plans on winning belts in multiple divisions.

The undefeated Brazilian is expected to challenge current middleweight champion Israel Adesanya for the title next. If he is able to deliver on his promise of defeating Adesanya, it doesn’t look like he will be sticking around at 185 for too long.

After all, Costa is one of the bigger middleweights and so, the weight cut is never easy. That is why he plans on moving up to light heavyweight and potentially becoming a two-division champion.

“I believe I can take two belts, middleweight and light heavyweight,” Costa told MMA Junkie. “I believe that. I’m very big, and it’s a little difficult to make 185, so I think I can take two belts to my country after my next fight.

“My plan is to move to light heavyweight very soon, quickly after my next fight if it’s possible. It depends who, if light heavyweight will have a great name like Jon Jones or not, it depends, but I’m not scared to fight against big guys.”

Adesanya has notably been going back-and-forth with Jones for over a year but has always maintained that he planned on cleaning out the middleweight division first before facing the light heavyweight king. For Costa, that was nothing more than a cowardly move especially after “The Last Stylebender” called “Bones” out.

Him on the other hand? He would move up right away.

“Like the skinny guy Adesanya, he calls Jon Jones out, but when Jon Jones accepts, he says, ‘No I need two years to train,’ … so it’s not good,” Costa added. “Nobody can call something and when his challenge (is) accepted, he says, ‘No, not now.’ This is shameful (expletive). I won’t be that.

“I’m ready, if I want to fight in light heavyweight right now, I can do that. So I believe after this fight, I will move to the next step, on the next shot.”

Do you think Costa will beat Adesanya and end up potentially facing Jones?

Chris Weidman Believes He’s A Bad Matchup For Israel Adesanya

Chris Weidman is looking to climb the ladder again and face current middleweight champion Israel Adesanya in the future. Weidman is coming off a knockout defeat to Dominick Reyes in his light heavyweight debut back in October. In total, the former middleweight champion has also lost five of his last six outings — all by […]

Chris Weidman is looking to climb the ladder again and face current middleweight champion Israel Adesanya in the future.

Weidman is coming off a knockout defeat to Dominick Reyes in his light heavyweight debut back in October. In total, the former middleweight champion has also lost five of his last six outings — all by way of knockout.

The plan for “The All American” is to now return to middleweight for the long term with the UFC still targeting a matchup with Jack Hermansson. Eventually, Weidman hopes to build up a winning streak and clash with Adesanya who he rates very highly:

“I think the guy’s super talented,” Weidman told MMA Fighting. “He’s the new champion. He’s got the star power, and when I’m all said and done with my career, I really want to fight the best guys in the history of the middleweight division. I think I’ve done that, and Israel’s one of those guys I haven’t got to fight yet.

“He’s growing to become one of those guys. [I’m] seeing if he can defend his belt a couple of times, but I’d love to test myself against him. So whoever I’ve got to fight before that to get to a fight like that is definitely motivating.”

Of course, that’s not to say Weidman — currently on a two-fight losing streak — is calling “The Last Stylebender” out. That said, he believes styles make fights and that he is a bad matchup for Adesanya:

“Obviously, I’m coming off losses,” Weidman said. “I don’t want to talk too much, but it is a really good matchup for me. Obviously, I got knocked out by Yoel Romero, and he didn’t, but I engaged a lot more. His other fights, if you compare my fight with Kelvin Gastelum, I pretty much dominated that fight and then finished him. I finished Anderson Silva twice, and he had a close fight with him, too.

“I just think matchup wise, everything is about matchups, and I think I’m a bad matchup for him. A guy who could get him down and control him. I’m very dangerous with submissions as well, and [I could] knock him out at the same time. I would love to get that opportunity, and right now I’m far away, at least in my eyes. I’ve got some serious work to do. But that is the end goal.”

Do you agree with Weidman?

Israel Adesanya Hits Back At Critics Of His Performance Against Yoel Romero

UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya maintains he was there to fight against Yoel Romero. The pair collided in the UFC 248 headliner in March in what was a highly-anticipated middleweight title matchup. However, the contest was a letdown with minimal action from both sides over the course of the 25 minute affair. Adesanya — who […]

UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya maintains he was there to fight against Yoel Romero.

The pair collided in the UFC 248 headliner in March in what was a highly-anticipated middleweight title matchup. However, the contes t was a letdown with minimal action from both sides over the course of the 25 minute affair.

Adesanya — who ended up winning the unanimous decision verdict — received his fair share of criticism afterward even though Romero could have done a lot more to engage with him. And based on how the fight went, “The Last Stylebender” still believes only one of them came with the intention of competing.

“I was there to fight,” Adesanya told MMA Fighting. “I was there actually attacking, probing, being smart about it. His first chance was when he actually punched my eyeball and sent my eyeball into the back of my skull. That was his chance. Anyone could see, ‘He’s compromised, attack the guy, he’s compromised,’ but he stood there still for like another two minutes.

“That just showed me he didn’t want to fight. He was just hoping I’d make the same mistake twice. I’m not going to make the same mistake twice. It was like he was expecting me to stand there and get hit. Bro, you stood there, you forced my hand to move, I made a mistake. I got a hard head, he didn’t drop me. That hit me in the eye completely. Did not wobble me. Did not shake me. Did not rock me. Did not drop me.”

After Romero caught Adesanya with that punch in the first round, the latter adjusted his game plan so he wouldn’t be caught again.

He utilized leg kicks to great effect while avoiding Romero whenever he did attempt to aggressively come forward. For some, that was Adesanya being scared. But the New Zealander doesn’t care about criticism from the fans.

After all, he came away virtually unscathed from a fight with Romero.

“I don’t give a f*ck what these drunks are thinking about in the crowd, all these fans, quote-unquote, I don’t really give a f*ck what they think,” Adesanya added. “I know for me, I wouldn’t be able to sleep with myself at night [if I lost by being reckless]. That’s what matters.”

What do you make of Adesanya’s performance nearly two months on from UFC 248?