Tag: Kelvin Gastelum

Kelvin Gastelum Leaves Door Open For Welterweight Return

UFC middleweight and former interim title challenger Kelvin Gastelum has hinted that he could return to 170 pounds in the near future. Since his interim championship defeat to current 185-pound king Israel Adesanya in 2019, Gastelum has been on a torrid run of form, which has seen him record just one win in his last […]

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UFC middleweight and former interim title challenger Kelvin Gastelum has hinted that he could return to 170 pounds in the near future.

Since his interim championship defeat to current 185-pound king Israel Adesanya in 2019, Gastelum has been on a torrid run of form, which has seen him record just one win in his last six fights. A loss to divisional newcomer Darren Till at UFC 244 was followed by a shocking first-round submission setback against Jack Hermansson last July. The 29-year-old did briefly return to the win column when he outpointed Ian Heinisch in February, but two defeats since have seen Gastelum fall to yet another losing skid.

After landing on the wrong side of a decision against the dominant Robert Whittaker in April, the TUF 17 winner had hoped to begin a change in fortune when he was in action last month. In the UFC Vegas 34 main event, Gastelum faced Jared Cannonier, who had been out of action since his own loss to “The Reaper” in 2020. Having seen the judges’ scorecards succumb him to defeat yet again, Gastelum is at a crossroads in his faltering career.

Despite the struggles he had making the weight limit at welterweight, Gastelum is now considering a potential move back down to 170 pounds in an effort to reignite his UFC tenure.

In an interview with The Schmo, the Californian suggested he could hire a dietician to help him better manage another possible stint in the lower weight class. That’s despite UFC President Dana White previously refusing to let Gastelum compete at welterweight after multiple weight misses.

“I’m thinking about. Maybe, possibly, hiring a dietitian (to help me) make the move down (to welterweight) but it’ll take some time. If I do this, I’ll be fighting next year which is most likely the case.” (h/t LowKick MMA)

UFC 200: Gastelum vs. Hendricks (Image Credit: Ray Del Rio/Getty Images)

Gastelum last competed at welterweight in 2016. At UFC 200, the 29-year-old defeated former champion Johny Hendricks, who had missed weight ahead of the bout. Gastelum’s only losses at 170 pounds came via split decisions against former champ Tyron Woodley and perennial contender Neil Magny.

He’s undoubtedly small for middleweight, and if he can manage a move back to welterweight appropriately and nail down his weight cut, Gastelum could be a force to be reckoned with at welterweight.

Do you think Kelvin Gastelum should make the switch back to welterweight?

Continue Reading Kelvin Gastelum Leaves Door Open For Welterweight Return at MMA News.

Kelvin Gastelum Says He Thought He Defeated Jared Cannonier

Kelvin Gastelum thought he did enough in his closely contested fight with Jared Cannonier to sway the judges in his favor. In what many considered to be the 2019 fight of the year, Kelvin Gastelum and Israel Adesanya endured a five-round war resulting …

Kelvin Gastelum thought he did enough in his closely contested fight with Jared Cannonier to sway the judges in his favor. In what many considered to be the 2019 fight of the year, Kelvin Gastelum and Israel Adesanya endured a five-round war resulting in an interim-title win for “The Last Stylebender” and a subsequent middleweight […]

Continue Reading Kelvin Gastelum Says He Thought He Defeated Jared Cannonier at MMA News.

5 Fights We Need to See After UFC on ESPN 29

UFC on ESPN 29 went down Saturday night in Las Vegas. Like many other recent UFC Fight Nights, it was short on big names, but it made up for that deficit with plenty of memorable action…

UFC on ESPN 29 went down Saturday night in Las Vegas. Like many other recent UFC Fight Nights, it was short on big names, but it made up for that deficit with plenty of memorable action…

Kelvin Gastelum Issues Statement After UFC Vegas 34 Loss

Kelvin Gastelum has released his first statement after losing to Jared Cannonier in the UFC Vegas 34 main event last night. At UFC Vegas 34, UFC middleweights Kelvin Gastelum and Jared Cannonier competed in a grueling main event that went the distance….

Kelvin Gastelum has released his first statement after losing to Jared Cannonier in the UFC Vegas 34 main event last night. At UFC Vegas 34, UFC middleweights Kelvin Gastelum and Jared Cannonier competed in a grueling main event that went the distance. A win for Jared Cannonier would give him a strong case to be […]

Continue Reading Kelvin Gastelum Issues Statement After UFC Vegas 34 Loss at MMA News.

UFC on ESPN 29 Results: Jared Cannonier Beats Kelvin Gastelum Via Decision

Jared Cannonier bested Kelvin Gastelum via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47) to close out UFC on ESPN 29 from the APEX Facility in Las Vegas. Ultimately, Cannonier’s power and length was the difference in a competitive, intriguing fight…

Jared Cannonier bested Kelvin Gastelum via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47) to close out UFC on ESPN 29 from the APEX Facility in Las Vegas. Ultimately, Cannonier’s power and length was the difference in a competitive, intriguing fight…

Kelvin Gastelum Reacts To UFC Vegas 34 Loss To Jared Cannonier

Kelvin GastelumKelvin Gastelum has given his reaction to suffering a loss to Jared Cannonier at UFC Vegas 34. Gastelum and Cannonier shared the Octagon this past Saturday night (Aug. 21). The action was held inside the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The middleweight clash went the distance and was Cannonier was awarded the unanimous decision […]

Kelvin Gastelum

Kelvin Gastelum has given his reaction to suffering a loss to Jared Cannonier at UFC Vegas 34.

Gastelum and Cannonier shared the Octagon this past Saturday night (Aug. 21). The action was held inside the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The middleweight clash went the distance and was Cannonier was awarded the unanimous decision victory.

Gastelum hopped on his Twitter account to express his belief that he should’ve had his hand raised.

“I think I won but whatever. Congratulations to Jared Cannonier on a very competitive fight! Small adjustments and we’re back on top! Tonight just proved that! We’re very close to being the best in the world. Almost there & on to the next one!”

With the loss, Kelvin Gastelum has now gone 1-5 in his last six outings. In his rough stretch, he’s lost to current UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya, Darren Till, Jack Hermansson, Robert Whittaker, and now Cannonier.

As for Cannonier, he has bounced back from a unanimous decision loss to Robert Whittaker. Cannonier is 4-1 in his last five outings. Cannonier was the number three-ranked UFC middleweight going into the bout and he’s likely to maintain his position with the win over the ninth-ranked Gastelum.

Also featured on the main card of UFC Vegas 34 was a battle between Mark Madsen and Clay Guida. Madsen won the fight via split decision. Parker Porter defeated Chase Sherman via unanimous decision, Saidyokub Kakhramonov pulled off a hail mary guillotine choke finish over Trevin Giles, and Vinc Pichel bested Austin Hubbard via unanimous decision.

A bout with title implications was also held at UFC Vegas 34. Alexandre Pantoja took on Brandon Royval in a bout to determine the number one contender for Brandon Moreno’s UFC Flyweight Championship. Pantoja won the fight via second-round submission courtesy of a rear-naked choke.