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Overmatched in main event loss
Gastelum lost to Robert Whittaker via unanimous decision (45-50, 45-50, 45-50) at UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Las Vegas.
ANALYSIS
Gastelum did all he could, remaining aggressive at every opportunity and trying to vary his attacks, but it simply wasn't meant to be. Kelvin had all sorts of difficulty with both the power and speed of Whittaker. Whittaker threw a ton of fakes at Gastelum, and Kelvin bit on a good portion of them. There was also a clear strength edge for Whittaker, as Gastelum, an excellent wrestler, gave up a couple of easy takedowns. Kelvin's skill set isn't in doubt and his toughness is legendary, but Gastelum is severely undersized fighting at 185 pounds and it's hurting him. Kelvin's 1-4 record dating back to April 2019 isn't the least bit indicative of how talented he is, but you are what your record says you are in this sport and Gastelum has quickly and swiftly fallen out of the middleweight title conversation. On the bright side, he'll walk away with an extra $50,000 after this matchup was awarded Fight of the Night honors.
Gastelum did all he could, remaining aggressive at every opportunity and trying to vary his attacks, but it simply wasn't meant to be. Kelvin had all sorts of difficulty with both the power and speed of Whittaker. Whittaker threw a ton of fakes at Gastelum, and Kelvin bit on a good portion of them. There was also a clear strength edge for Whittaker, as Gastelum, an excellent wrestler, gave up a couple of easy takedowns. Kelvin's skill set isn't in doubt and his toughness is legendary, but Gastelum is severely undersized fighting at 185 pounds and it's hurting him. Kelvin's 1-4 record dating back to April 2019 isn't the least bit indicative of how talented he is, but you are what your record says you are in this sport and Gastelum has quickly and swiftly fallen out of the middleweight title conversation. On the bright side, he'll walk away with an extra $50,000 after this matchup was awarded Fight of the Night honors.
Replacing Costa in main event
Gastelum is scheduled to face Robert Whittaker at the UFC's April 17 event after Paulo Costa withdrew Tuesday because of an illness, Brett Okamoto of ESPN.com reports.
ANALYSIS
The UFC wasted no time finding a replacement for this fight after Costa was forced to bow out earlier in the day with an apparent illness. Gastelum was supposed to fight Whittaker for the Middleweight Belt in February of 2019 but the bout was scrapped after Whittaker suffered a hernia in his abdomen. The 29-year-old recently ended a three-fight losing streak after he defeated Ian Heinisch via unanimous decision at UFC 258 in February and will look to continue his momentum into this highly anticipated meeting against Whittaker.
The UFC wasted no time finding a replacement for this fight after Costa was forced to bow out earlier in the day with an apparent illness. Gastelum was supposed to fight Whittaker for the Middleweight Belt in February of 2019 but the bout was scrapped after Whittaker suffered a hernia in his abdomen. The 29-year-old recently ended a three-fight losing streak after he defeated Ian Heinisch via unanimous decision at UFC 258 in February and will look to continue his momentum into this highly anticipated meeting against Whittaker.
Grinds past Ian Heinisch
Gastelum defeated Ian Heinisch via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) at UFC 258 on Saturday in Las Vegas.
ANALYSIS
A loser of three fights in a row and likely needing a victory to save his job, Gastelum shocked the MMA world and leaned on his grappling to get the job done. Kelvin scored six successful takedowns after never landing more than three in any of his previous UFC bouts. Many people forget how good of a wrestler Gastelum is because he never uses those skills, but Saturday was an excellent reminder of the type of ability he possesses. Kelvin has always had some of the fastest hands in the division, so implementing his wrestling game on a regular basis would only serve to improve his chances of moving up the rankings. Toss in his legendary durability and the fact he is still just 29 years of age, and you have a legitimate contender at 185 pounds. Don't sleep on Gastelum despite his recent struggles.
A loser of three fights in a row and likely needing a victory to save his job, Gastelum shocked the MMA world and leaned on his grappling to get the job done. Kelvin scored six successful takedowns after never landing more than three in any of his previous UFC bouts. Many people forget how good of a wrestler Gastelum is because he never uses those skills, but Saturday was an excellent reminder of the type of ability he possesses. Kelvin has always had some of the fastest hands in the division, so implementing his wrestling game on a regular basis would only serve to improve his chances of moving up the rankings. Toss in his legendary durability and the fact he is still just 29 years of age, and you have a legitimate contender at 185 pounds. Don't sleep on Gastelum despite his recent struggles.
Heinisch fight bumped back
Gastelum's upcoming middleweight fight against Ian Heinisch will now take place Feb. 13, Marcel Dorff of MMADNA.nl reports.
ANALYSIS
The matchup had originally been set for Jan. 30, but there's no longer a card scheduled for that date. Gastelum will now get an extra two weeks to prepare as he looks to turn his three-fight losing streak around. As of early-January, Gastelum is listed as a (-225) betting favorite for the matchup.
The matchup had originally been set for Jan. 30, but there's no longer a card scheduled for that date. Gastelum will now get an extra two weeks to prepare as he looks to turn his three-fight losing streak around. As of early-January, Gastelum is listed as a (-225) betting favorite for the matchup.
Agrees to January fight
Gastelum will take on Ian Heinisch (illness) in a middleweight bout at UFC Fight Night on Jan. 30, Brett Okamoto of ESPN reports.
ANALYSIS
Gastelum is currently riding a three-fight losing streak, most recently losing to Jack Hermansson via submission (Heel Hook) in July during his only fight of 2020. He'll look to rebound against Heinisch, who was forced to withdraw from his fight scheduled for Nov. 7 after testing positive for COVID-19. Heinisch defeated Gerald Meerschaert via TKO (punches) in June, bringing his record to 3-2 under the UFC banner. Heinisch has a slight advantage in height, but the two fighters are even in reach.
Gastelum is currently riding a three-fight losing streak, most recently losing to Jack Hermansson via submission (Heel Hook) in July during his only fight of 2020. He'll look to rebound against Heinisch, who was forced to withdraw from his fight scheduled for Nov. 7 after testing positive for COVID-19. Heinisch defeated Gerald Meerschaert via TKO (punches) in June, bringing his record to 3-2 under the UFC banner. Heinisch has a slight advantage in height, but the two fighters are even in reach.