Tag: Kelvin Gastelum

Kelvin Gastelum Aiming For Huge Statement Against “Jacare”

It appears as if Kelvin Gastelum may come out firing tomorrow night…

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Former The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) winner Kelvin Gastelum will look to continue his rise up the middleweight rankings tomorrow night (May 12, 2018), as he’s set to take on former Strikeforce champion Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza in the co-main event of UFC 224 from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Recently speaking on his opponent, Gastelum implied that him and Souza are cordial with each other, but he confirmed that when the cage door closes it will be all business:

“We’re both professionals – there’s nothing to it,” Gastelum told MMAjunkie at a recent media day. “As soon as he saw me, he came up to me and shook my hand and shook (coach) Rafael (Cordeiro’s) hand. We’re professionals. We know how to put those feelings of friendship aside, and when it’s time to fight, it’s time to fight. It’s just business.”

And Gastelum, who’s coming off of a vicious first-round knockout victory over former UFC champion Michael Bisping last November in Shanghai, China, certainly appears to be focused on his bout against “Jacare”, as he made it clear that he’ll be looking to make a statement:

“I feel like I need to beat him and make a statement,” Gastelum said. “If I don’t make a statement, I don’t think I’ll be able to contend for the title next. But if I go in there and knock him out in the first round, then I have no doubt that the next fight will be for the title.”

With middleweight champion Robert Whittaker set to put his strap on the line in a rematch against Yoel Romero on June 9 at UFC 225 in Chicago, Gastelum could certainly put himself in the running for the next title shot with an impressive victory over Souza.

And for the 26-year-old, holding the belt would mean ‘more than being a UFC champion’:

“It means more than being a UFC champion – it means being a champion in life,” he said. “I’ve had to overcome a lot of obstacles in life … it would mean much more than just a UFC championship. That no matter where we come from, we can achieve whatever we want.”

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UFC 224 Ceremonial Weigh-In Video

Watch the official #UFC224 weigh-in streaming live right now:

The post UFC 224 Ceremonial Weigh-In Video appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Today’s UFC 224 early weigh-ins saw a significant amount of drama when touted women’s strawweight Mackenzie Dern missed weight by an astonishing seven pounds for her main card bout against Amanda Bobby Cooper at tomorrow’s pay-per-view event from Rio.

The monster miss caused Dern to be fined 10 percent of her purse by CABMMA (the Brazilian athletic commission presiding over the event) and an additional 20 percent by the UFC themselves, but perhaps more damning was the fact that it was Dern’s third time missing the strawweight non-title fight weight of 116 pounds in only six professional MMA bouts.

As expected, Cooper called her out for her unprofessionalism, and the rest of MMA Twitter, of course, did the same.

The spotlight would expectedly be on the women’s bantamweight championship fight between Amanda Nunes and Raquel Pennington in the UFC 224 main event, but with both fighters making weight effectively, all of the focus is on the hype Dern brings and her inability to make weight consistently.

That could lead to a tense staredown with Cooper at this afternoon’s ceremonial weigh-ins, which you can watch streaming live at 4 p.m EST/1 p.m. PST below:

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Kelvin Gastelum Says he Needs to Make a Statement at UFC 224 to Receive Title Shot

Kelvin Gastelum believes an impressive finish over Jacare Souza should get him a shot at middleweight gold. Gastelum knocked out former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight title holder Michael Bisping in the first round of their bout at U…

Kelvin Gastelum believes an impressive finish over Jacare Souza should get him a shot at middleweight gold. Gastelum knocked out former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight title holder Michael Bisping in the first round of their bout at UFC Shanghai. It was a crucial win for Gastelum, who was submitted in his previous outing by […]

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UFC 224: Bleacher Report Main Card Staff Predictions

The UFC returns to Rio on Saturday for UFC 224 at the Jeunesse Arena. Topping the bill will be a bantamweight title tilt between champion Amanda Nunes and Raquel Pennington…

The UFC returns to Rio on Saturday for UFC 224 at the Jeunesse Arena. Topping the bill will be a bantamweight title tilt between champion Amanda Nunes and Raquel Pennington…

UFC 224: Nunes vs. Pennington Odds, TV Info, Predictions and Pre-Weigh-in Hype

UFC 224 comes to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil with a card anchored by Brazilian women’s featherweight champion Amanda Nunes defending her belt against Raquel Pennington as the main event…

UFC 224 comes to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil with a card anchored by Brazilian women’s featherweight champion Amanda Nunes defending her belt against Raquel Pennington as the main event…

5 Fighters to Watch at UFC 224 This Weekend

UFC 224 is around the corner and there are five fighters to keep a close eye on. The event will take place this Saturday night (May 12). UFC 224 will be held inside Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This will be the UFC’s second trip to B…

UFC 224 is around the corner and there are five fighters to keep a close eye on. The event will take place this Saturday night (May 12). UFC 224 will be held inside Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This will be the UFC’s second trip to Brazil in 2018. In the main event, Amanda Nunes defends her […]

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