He may be campaigning for yet another shot at 170 pounds, but Kelvin Gastelum may be adding another top-ranked middleweight to his record early next year. The rising 185-pound fighter, who was forced to go up to middleweight after he badly missed the welterweight limit of 171 pounds once again prior to his scheduled bout with
He may be campaigning for yet another shot at 170 pounds, but Kelvin Gastelum may be adding another top-ranked middleweight to his record early next year.
The rising 185-pound fighter, who was forced to go up to middleweight after he badly missed the welterweight limit of 171 pounds once again prior to his scheduled bout with Donald Cerrone at November 12’s UFC 205, promptly took a short-notice bout with longtime veteran Tim Kennedy and parlayed it into the biggest win of his MMA career.
According to a report from Combate, however, Gastelum may have the opportunity to top even his win over Kennedy if rumors prove true he will face former UFC champ Vitor Belfort at the March 11, 2017 Fight Night event from Fortaleza, Brazil. The rumored bout is the only one to have been discussed for the card.
If it indeed proves true, Belfort will have an uphill climb to get back to the nigh-indestructible form he once exhibited during a torrid, TRT-enhanced run to a title shot in 2013. Belfort has lost two straight and three of his last fights by TKO, absorbing one-sided defeats to Ronaldo Souza and Gegard Mousasi at UFC 198 and UFC 204 this year. He seemed to hint at retirement following his loss to “The Dreamcatcher” in Manchester in early October, but rapidly backtracked on the a cryptic social media post to say he would fight on.
Putting the proverbial train back on the tracks will be a challenge against Gastelum, however, The Ultimate fighter (TUF) 17 winner whose only losses came to current welterweight titleholder Tyron Woodley and Neil Magny, each by split decision. His weight management issues his most glaring obstacle, Gastelum also owns wins over former welterweight champion John Hendricks and former middleweight title contender Nate Marquardt.
Securing a win over a time-tested legend like Belfort would certainly plant Gastelum in the thick of the talented middleweight talent pool, making a third run at welterweight – where he’s missed weight three times – extremely unlikely.
Stay tuned for more news and updates about this bout and the March 11 card from Fortaleza.
UFC lightweight turned welterweight killer Donald Cerrone added another win to his record at UFC 206. After three straight finishes at 170 pounds, ‘Cowboy’ took on ‘Immortal’ Matt Brown in Canada this past Saturday (Dec. 10, 2016). Following two narrow rounds, Cerrone upped the ante in the final frame and pulled out a huge finish.
UFC lightweight turned welterweight killer Donald Cerrone added another win to his record at UFC 206. After three straight finishes at 170 pounds, ‘Cowboy’ took on ‘Immortal’ Matt Brown in Canada this past Saturday (Dec. 10, 2016). Following two narrow rounds, Cerrone upped the ante in the final frame and pulled out a huge finish. Landing with his trademark switch kick to the head, ‘Cowboy’ put away Brown for a convincing knockout victory.
Having always been the company man, Cerrone’s trademark outside the octagon is being willing to fight anywhere and anytime. Never even worried about weight classes, ‘Cowboy’ has become a hit with fans with his always ready attitude. Turning the tables on his employers, to a degree, Cerrone was part of the MMAAA launch this month. Joining forces with GSP, Tim Kennedy and Bjorn Rebney, to name a few, ‘Cowboy’ became a face of the mixed martial arts athletes association.
Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
Mixed Feelings
Stating he wanted to see pensions, healthcare, benefits and after-care become a reality in MMA, Donald Cerrone took a stance against the UFC, at least that’s what we thought. As events started to unravel, it became clear that ‘Cowboy’ was in a little deeper than he’d first hoped. Later claiming he ‘didn’t know’ he’d actually be on the board with the MMAAA, Cerrone insisted he’d move forward with the association, but wasn’t calling for strikes or inflammatory action. Also acknowledging he ‘should have called Dana White’ about his concerns, Cerrone said he’d hash things out with the UFC president during an impending meeting.
That meeting has now taken place, and Cerrone tells FOX Sports that White was kinda like a Dad figure during their chat. Although White has blasted Bjorn Rebney for his part in the MMAAA, he’s also said, in tune with the UFC’s official statement, that fighters are welcome to join unions or associations.
Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports
“Not Angry, Just Disappointed”
“1,000-percent (Dana White was) receptive, definitely. It was always in a good place. It reminds me of when you get in trouble with your dad and they don’t ground you, they just tell you how disappointed they are in you, which is even worse. So that’s kind of what he did to me and he’s just like ‘you let me down,’ it’s not so much let him down but just kind of a slap in his face.
“I guess I should have let him know what I was getting involved in. It is what it is, but we’re on the up and up now.”
Were White’s ‘home truths’ about former Bellator boss Bjorn Rebney influential in quelling Cerrone’s angst? Quite possibly, but it appears ‘Cowboy’ has his best foot in both doors as far as the association and his employers are concerned. On the subject of his next fight, the Greg Jackson protegé says he is still intent on fighting in Denver, Colorado in January, but the opponent doesn’t matter:
Whoever, Just In Denver
“It doesn’t matter at all. If I had to pick one, I’d want Demian Maia cause he’s on the way to the title fight but if I had to hurry up and choose someone for Denver, it’s whoever they want to give me. That doesn’t matter to me at all. Staying busy, staying fun that’s what I love,” Cerrone said.
“Hopefully, I get back here and they have a contract waiting for me. If it’s (Jorge) Masvidal, f***ing A, if it’s someone else, even better, let’s go.”
Kicking off in Toronto, Canada this past Saturday December 10, UFC 206 proved to be a beast of a card. Capping off another double-header of UFC events, the pay-per-view performed strongly in the face of stacked odds. After dramas with Georges St-Pierre, the loss of the main event and Anthony Pettis missing weight, it looked
Kicking off in Toronto, Canada this past Saturday December 10, UFC 206 proved to be a beast of a card. Capping off another double-header of UFC events, the pay-per-view performed strongly in the face of stacked odds. After dramas with Georges St-Pierre, the loss of the main event and Anthony Pettis missing weight, it looked as though UFC 206 was cursed. Although the short notice main event was now only an interim title bout for Max Holloway, this made little difference at the end of the show.
Showing once again that cards can perform well without McGregor or Rousey, at least in terms of entertainment, UFC 206 was spot on. Following such an exciting show, Monday morning will be a mix of joy and sorrow for the card’s competitors. Join us as we recap the action, and pick out who won big, and lost most at UFC 206.
Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
Max Holloway
The biggest win of his career puts Max Holloway in a very elite bracket. Joining the top five longest win streaks in UFC history is sweet enough, but to taste UFC gold from his victory is the icing on the proverbial cake. Taking out Anthony Pettis with a third round TKO, ‘Blessed’ now lines himself for a unification bout with Jose Aldo.
Holloway out-struck Pettis in every round, landing significant strikes at 45% accuracy with a total of 98 out of 212. Holloway landed both attempted takedowns while stuffing both of Pettis’. The future is very bright for the streaking Hawaiian, and a legacy defining fight with ‘Scarface’ awaits, hopefully.
Anthony Pettis
Taking away literally nothing from UFC 206, Anthony Pettis had a terrible time. Failing to make weight for the first time in his career, ‘Showtime’ looked a shell of his former self. Even in his drained featherweight debut against Charles Oliveira, Pettis looked promising. Clearly the brutal weight cut, which he couldn’t complete, took a lot from the ex-lightweight champion.
At the least now he knows lightweight is the only viable option, but this will likely provide little comfort after such a one-sided loss. This is the fight game, things are often severely difficult, and 1-4 in his last five fights, let’s hope Pettis is able to turn around his run of bad fortune.
Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
Donald Cerrone/Matt Brown
Leading up to round three, Matt Brown was actually ahead in significant strikes landed. Donald Cerrone had arguably won the first frame, and Brown the second, and the third round was where it was all to play for. Needing just four significant strikes to get the job done in style, ‘Cowboy’ came away with another huge KO win. For Cerrone, either a bout with Demian Maia or a title fight are next, dependant on circumstance.
For ‘The Immortal’ its sadly a very different predicament. After his UFC 206 loss, Brown rides three straight defeats, and has won just once in his last six outings. He’s been knocked out twice in a row, and started his current losing streak with a submission loss against Demian Maia. After talk of serious concussion earlier this year, some decisions clearly need to be made. Matt Brown is an awesome guy, great fighter and entertaining to watch, but maybe 36 fights in to his 12-year career, it’s time to consider retirement.
Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski for USA TODAY Sports
Swanson & Choi’s War
Although Cub Swanson took the unanimous decision win, Doo Ho Choi loses zero stock from his first UFC defeat. This fight was thrilling from the first punch to the last, with back-and-forth exchanges keeping us on the edge of our seats. Easily a contender for ‘fight of the year,’ Swanson and Choi had the crowds roaring with excitement during their epic slugger.
‘Killer Cub’ made a huge impression, but perhaps needs one or two more bouts before being considered for a title fight. What’s next? Number one contender bout for Swanson. ‘Korean Superboy’ remains fringe top 10, so perhaps a tune-up is on the cards.
Kelvin Gastelum & Tim Kennedy
This was an extremely ugly fight for Tim Kennedy, who hadn’t seen action since 2014. Returning against the middleweight version of Kelvin Gastelum, Kennedy was met with a painful lesson. ‘Mini Cain’ looked sharper, more conditioned and simply better than Kennedy in every respect. Taking nothing away from Gastelum, Kennedy did look quite rusty.
What’s next? After beating Kennedy by TKO at UFC 206, Gastelum clearly needs to stay at 185 pounds. Barely making or missing weight at 170 pounds just wasn’t working out, and he looked great against the bigger man in Kennedy on Saturday. For the latter, there are some great fights to make at 185 pounds, but perhaps someone like Vitor Belfort or Anderson Silva would make sense. Maybe Uriah Hall?
UFC 206 went down last night (Dec. 10, 2016) live on pay-per-view (PPV) from Toronto, Canada, and although the card was being overlooked, it ended up delivering in a big way. The main card produced some exciting fights and multiple fighters made tremendous statements in their respective divisions. Let’s take a look at the biggest
UFC 206 went down last night (Dec. 10, 2016) live on pay-per-view (PPV) from Toronto, Canada, and although the card was being overlooked, it ended up delivering in a big way. The main card produced some exciting fights and multiple fighters made tremendous statements in their respective divisions.
Let’s take a look at the biggest takeaways from UFC 206:
Photo Credit: Tom Szczerbowski for USA TODAY Sports
1) Max Holloway Is A Legitimate Title Threat
Max “Blessed” Holloway has likely been deserving of a featherweight title shot for quite some time now, but after last night he can no longer be denied.
Extending his winning streak to an incredibly ten straight, Holloway dominated former lightweight champion Anthony “Showtime” Pettis to become the interim 145-pound champion. With the victory, Holloway has now earned himself a unification bout with Jose Aldo, who was recently promoted to undisputed champion after the UFC stripped Conor McGregor of his title.
The 25-year-old Hawaiian has only improved over time and we may be looking at a future undisputed champion.
UFC 206 went down live last night (Saturday December 10, 2016) from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and it featured a great middleweight showdown between Kelvin Gastelum and Tim Kennedy. Gastelum, the No. 11-ranked welterweight in the UFC, unfortunately couldn’t make 170 pounds for his previously scheduled bout with Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone
UFC 206 went down live last night (Saturday December 10, 2016) from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and it featured a great middleweight showdown between Kelvin Gastelum and Tim Kennedy.
Gastelum, the No. 11-ranked welterweight in the UFC, unfortunately couldn’t make 170 pounds for his previously scheduled bout with Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone in New York last month, and was forced to pull out of the contest altogether.
When Kennedy was left without a dancing partner for UFC 206 after Rashad Evans was forced to pull out, Gastelum gladly moved up 15 pounds to take on the special forces sniper.
Kennedy had not competed since 2014 in a third round knockout loss to current No. 1-ranked middleweight Yoel Romero. Unfortunately for Kennedy the former Ultimate Fighter winner, Gastelum, was at the top of his game in Toronto, and was able to put away the UFC veteran in the third round.
You can check out the full fight video highlights here:
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