Kelvin Gastelum News

Kelvin Gastelum
Kelvin Gastelum

Kelvin Gastelum plans to call for title fight with win over Chris Weidman

bjpenndotcom - July 19, 2017

UFC middleweight Kelvin Gastelum has been on a tear recently. After dropping a split decision to Neil Magny at the TUF Latin America 2 Finale, Gastelum bounced back by picking up a unanimous decision win over Johny Hendricks at UFC 200. Following that, Gastelum returned to middleweight and picked up a 3rd round TKO win over Tim Kennedy in what would end up being Kennedy’s final fight. Most recently, Gastelum picked up a dominant 1st round KO win over Vitor Belfort at ‘UFC Fight Night: Fortaleza’, extending his win streak to three, however the win was overturned to a no contest after Gastelum tested positive for marijuana. It was that same drug testing failure that also resulted in Gastelum being pulled from his scheduled scrap with Anderson Silva.

Chris Weidman vs. Kelvin Gastelum at UFC on Fox 25
Kelvin Gastelum

Opening odds for UFC Long Island's Chris Weidman vs. Kelvin Gastelum main event

Tom Taylor - May 17, 2017

On July 22, the UFC will make its anticipated debut in Long Island with UFC on Fox 25. Over the last few weeks, the UFC has announced several matchups for this card, including its main event. This main event will pit struggling former champion and New Yorker Chris Weidman against surging former welterweight Kelvin Gastelum in a five-round middleweight contest. Now that this Long Island main event has been announced, the opening odds for it have been released. These odds were broken by MMA oddsmaker Joey Oddessa (via MMAJunkie.com).

Kelvin Gastelum
Kelvin Gastelum

Kelvin Gastelum's USADA suspension reduced

bjpenndotcom - May 12, 2017

Last year, UFC welterweight Kelvin Gastelum made the move to middleweight after proving to be inconsistent at making the welterweight limit of 170 pounds. Gastelum picked up a major TKO win over Tim Kennedy at UFC 206 in December of 2016 to pick up a major win in his middleweight debut. Most recently, Gastelum stepped into the Octagon against Vitor Belfort at ‘UFC Fight Night: Fortaleza’, where he picked up a 1st round TKO win before the win was ultimately overturned to a no contest after Gastelum failed a fight night drug test for marijuana.

Kelvin Gastelum
Kelvin Gastelum

Kelvin Gastelum allegedly changed story according to Brazilian sport court

bjpenndotcom - May 9, 2017

The Ultimate Fighter winner Kelvin Gastelum recently found himself making headlines for the wrong reasons when it was announced in early April that he had been pulled from his scheduled UFC 212 showdown with Anderson Silva for a failed fight night drug test following his win over Vitor Belfort. Gastelum failed the fight night drug test for marijuana, and was subsequently pulled from the bout before being handed a 90 day suspension from the Brazilian sport court. The commission released a statement through MMAFighting, in which it was revealed that Gastelum allegedly changed his story regarding the failed drug test, saying:

Kelvin Gastelum

Kelvin Gastelum's impressive defeat of Vitor Belfort has been changed to a no-contest

Tom Taylor - May 7, 2017

Back in March, former welterweight contender and surging middleweight star Kelvin Gastelum scored an incredible, first-round knockout win over MMA legend Vitor Belfort. Unfortunately, this loss has been scratched from Gastelum’s record, and replaced with the words “no contest.” Shortly after his defeat of Belfort, news broke that Gastelum had tested positive for the banned substance carboxy-tetrahydrocannabinol – more commonly known as THC, which is a key metabolite in marijuana. With this news, Gastelum was yanked from a planned middleweight bout with another Brazilian legend in Anderson Silva, and temporarily suspended.

Anderson Silva
Kelvin Gastelum

Kelvin Gastelum and Shogun Rua both call Anderson Silva out

bjpenndotcom - May 4, 2017

Former UFC middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva was initially set to fight Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 212 in Rio de Janeiro, however after Gastelum’s 1st round March TKO win over Vitor Belfort, Gastelum was flagged by USADA for a failed drug test for trace amounts of marijuana in his fight night drug sample. As a result of the failed drug test, Gastelum was pulled from his scheduled UFC 212 scrap with Anderson Silva, however he is now looking to rebook his scrap with Anderson Silva for the summer. With that being said, UFC veteran Shogun Rua also called out Silva for a fight.

Kelvin Gastelum
Kelvin Gastelum

Management suggests Kelvin Gastelum could be back in the Octagon soon, despite USADA issue

Tom Taylor - April 19, 2017

If things had gone according to plan, former welterweight contender Kelvin Gastelum would be gearing up for a UFC 212 middleweight bout with MMA legend Anderson Silva as you read this. Regrettably, the young fighter became the latest victim of the United States Anti-Doping Commission’s controversial anti-marijuana legislation, and was forced out of this planned contest when he tested positive for marijuana metabolites. Apparently, however, things might not be as bleak for Gastelum as they initially seemed. According to the ever reliable Ariel Helwani, who spoke with Gastelum’s management at Dominance MMA, there is some cause for optimism regarding his current situation with USADA. Apparently, his anticipated return to the cage could come sooner than expected.

Kelvin Gastelum

Breaking! Kelvin Gastelum flagged by USADA, pulled from Anderson Silva bout at UFC 212

Chris Taylor - April 6, 2017

Kelvin Gastelum flagged by USADA, pulled from Anderson Silva bout at UFC 212 Surging UFC middleweight contender Kelvin Gastelum will no longer be fighting MMA legend Anderson “The Spider” Silva at June’s UFC 212 pay-per-view event in Brazil.

Cub Swanson
Cub Swanson

UFC stars express interest in boxing vs. MMA pay-per-view

Tom Taylor - March 27, 2017

The biggest ongoing story in combat sports today surrounds a possible boxing mega-fight between transcendent MMA star Conor McGregor and boxing great Floyd Mayweather. For a time, of course, this potential showdown looked like a near impossibility. With each passing day, however, there seems to be more and more reason to believe a Mayweather vs. McGregor boxing match could actually happen. Were Mayweather and McGregor to meet in the boxing ring, it could safely be referred to as the biggest fight in combat sports history. Given this, it would also go down as one of the most lucrative fights – if not the most lucrative fight – in the history of fighting sports.

Kelvin Gastelum
Kelvin Gastelum

Kelvin Gastelum eyeing welterweight title despite middleweight run

bjpenndotcom - March 23, 2017

The Ultimate Fighter winner Kelvin Gastelum may have been forced by UFC President Dana White to go up to middleweight after being unable to make the welterweight limit of 170 pounds on several occasions, however he has future plans at 170 pounds. In Gastelum’s middleweight debut in December, he picked up an impressive 3rd round TKO win over Tim Kennedy, who was returning to the Octagon for the first time since his first professional loss. Gastelum then picked up momentum at 185 pounds as he picked up a 1st round TKO win over Vitor Belfort this month in Fortaleza.

Anderson Silva, Kelvin Gastelum
Kelvin Gastelum

Anderson Silva's former coach to train Kelvin Gastelum for UFC 212

bjpenndotcom - March 16, 2017

Former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva is currently booked to fight top ranked middleweight Kelvin Gastelum in a highly anticipated middleweight showdown on June 3rd at UFC 212. While the scrap will certainly be a very interesting one, one aspect that fight fans haven’t been anticipating is the fact that Kings MMA coach Rafael Cordeiro, who trains Kelvin Gastelum, used to train Anderson Silva at the Chute Boxe Academy in the early 2000’s.

Anderson Silva, Kelvin Gastelum
Kelvin Gastelum

Anderson Silva vs. Kelvin Gastelum official for UFC 212

Tom Taylor - March 15, 2017

Last weekend, in the main event of the UFC’s latest trip to Brazil, former welterweight contender Kelvin Gastelum continued to make good on his return to the middleweight division as he thumped MMA legend Vitor Belfort with first-round punches. Shortly after this win, which is arguably the biggest of his career, the rising star made a clever call-out of Anderson Silva, a former middleweight champion and perhaps the greatest fighter in MMA history. Gastelum got his wish.

Kelvin Gastelum
Kelvin Gastelum

Kelvin Gastelum criticizes GSP's middleweight title shot: what’s the point of having rankings?

Tom Taylor - March 12, 2017

At a to-be-determined date later this year, former UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre will return from a hiatus of several years to a shot at middleweight champion Michael Bisping. While news of this St-Pierre comeback was exciting for many fans, however, it was a bit of a buzzkill for the many hard-working contenders in the middleweight division – contenders like Kelvin Gastelum, who surged into title contention with a first-round knockout of Vitor Belfort in Brazil last night. Shortly after his defeat of Belfort, Gastelum weighed in on St-Pierre’s line-jumping middleweight title fight, expressing his opinion that it tarnishes the legitimacy of divisional rankings and contendership.

Kelvin Gastelum
UFC Fight Night 106

MMA community reacts to Kelvin Gastelum's destruction of Vitor Belfort

Tom Taylor - March 12, 2017

Last night, the UFC touched down in sunny Fortaleza, Brazil, with UFC Fight Night 106. This card was a stacked one as far as Fight Nights go. On the undercard, we saw some nice wins from talent like Kevin Lee, Joe Soto and Sergio Moraes, as well as the final fight of “The People’s Warrior” Joshua Burkman, who came up short to the dangerous Michel “Trator” Prazeres.

Vitor Belfort Kelvin Gastelum
UFC Fight Night 106

UFC Fight Night 106 Results: Kelvin Gastelum finishes Vitor Belfort

Chris Taylor - March 11, 2017

A key middleweight bout between former UFC champion Vitor Belfort and surging contender Kelvin Gastelum served as the main event of tonight’s UFC Fight Night 106 fight card in Brazil. Round one begins and Vitor lands a good kick to the body early. Gastelum with the pressure early. He lands a nice jab but Vitor respond with a quick left of his own. Kelvin lands a nice combo but Vitor replies with a hard straight left. He lands another. Gastelum continues to press forward. Vitor attempts a flying knee that misses. Gastelum connects with a good jab that draws some blood from the nose of Belfort. Kelvin is pumping his jab here. Vitor partially connects with a spinning kick. Gastelum eats it and then connects with a punch of his own that drops Vitor. Kelvin follows him to the ground and unloads some ground and pound. Vitor scrambles and gets back to his feet. Belfort circles out and lands a nice right hand. Gastelum with a jab but Vitor scores with a right. Kelvin with another hard punch that drops Vitor. He lands a hammer fist and this one is over. Wow.

Kelvin Gastelum
Kelvin Gastelum

Kelvin Gastelum still eyeing potential return to welterweight

bjpenndotcom - March 11, 2017

The Ultimate Fighter season 17 winner Kelvin Gastelum is currently competing at middleweight following several botched weight-cuts to welterweight. Gastelum won season 17 of The Ultimate Fighter in the middleweight division, but then dropped to welterweight in order to fight opponents his size. With that being said, Gastelum missed weight on several occasions, resulting in UFC President Dana White banning him from cutting to welterweight, and forcing him to move up to the middleweight division. Gastelum made his first appearance at middleweight at UFC 206 in December, where he stepped into the Octagon against returning middleweight star Tim Kennedy for a highly anticipated, and very pivotal, middleweight showdown. Gastelum won the fight via 3rd round TKO, cementing his place at #10 on the UFC’s official middleweight division. He then signed to fight UFC veteran Vitor Belfort in the main event of ‘UFC Fight Night: 106’ this Saturday, where he has the opportunity to cement his place at the top of the UFC’s middleweight division with a potential win over a MMA legend.

Vitor Belfort KO's Luke Rockhold
Luke Rockhold

VIDEO | Ahead of UFC Fight Night 106, Watch Vitor Belfort KO Luke Rockhold

Tom Taylor - March 7, 2017

https://youtu.be/HKY9GiJgUHw This weekend, former UFC light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort will return to the Octagon. He will do so in his native Brazil, where he will be taking on former welterweight contender Kelvin Gastelum in the middleweight main event of UFC Fight Night 106.

UFC Fight Night 106 - Vitor Belfort vs. Kelvin Gastelum
UFC Fight Night 106

UFC Fight Night 106 – Belfort vs. Gastelum: Official fight card and start time

Tom Taylor - March 6, 2017

With UFC 209 now in the rear-view mirror, the next UFC event on the horizon is UFC Fight Night 106. This event, which will emanate from beautiful Fortaleza, Brazil this Saturday night, will be headlined by a middleweight bout between former UFC light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort, and former welterweight contender Kelvin Gastelum.