Before You Go, Stay!

               

                                              It appears Kelvin Gastelum will continue competing in the UFC’s Middleweight Division, at least for his next fight, with #8 ranked MW, Vitor Belfort. Gastelum is a fresh off an impressive Third Round TKO of Tim Kennedy at UFC 206 (12/10/16) but following the bout he expressed his desire to return to the Welterweight Division. Gastelum was scheduled to face Donald Cerrone (at WW) at UFC 205, but (Gastelum) failed to make weight and the fight was scrapped. This was not the first time the Twenty-five year old missed weight, nor was it the first time the UFC demanded he fight in the MW division for doing so.

At just 5’9” Gastelum is short for the 185lbs division, but you can’t argue with success, Kelvin is undefeated at that weight. Hopefully this match-up with Belfort is a sign of Gastelum’s commitment to the weight division, he has dealt with taller opponents with ease in the past and sets a pace many middleweights can’t keep up with. A win over a top-ten opponent, like Belfort, likely gets him closer to a title fight at MW than three wins at WW would, because the UFC is reluctant to promote Title bouts with fighters with a history of missing weight.

Gastelum is The Ultimate Fighter Season 17 winner at MW, he is 7-2 in the UFC, both losses at WW by Split Decision: to Neil Magny (11/21/15) and in a fight he also missed weight in, to now WW Champ, Tyron Woodley (1/31/15). It’s understandable that Kelvin believes he is best suited for the 170lbs class and that might be true (he was ranked #8 before UFC 205), but for now he should keep playing that role of underdog. Gastelum was the last pick by TUF 17 coach, Chael Sonnen, yet he finished all three of his opponents in the TUF House (2 Subs, 1 KO) and beat Uriah Hall by SD in the show’s Finale to take home the hardware.

Vitor Belfort may be a perfect match-up as well, coming off back to back TKO losses to: Mousasi (2^nd Round, UFC 204) and Jacare (1^st Round, UFC 198). It’s been a little bit since The Phenom was tearing through the middleweight division, kicking the heads off of Rockhold, Bisping and Henderson and with TRT exemptions a thing of the past the Thirty-nine year old, Belfort is looking toward retirement. Belfort has indicated this fight in Fortaleza, Brazil at UFC Fight Night 107 will be his last.

25-13 Vitor’s first round is war, he has eighteen finishes in the opener, but at just 13-2 Gastelum already has five wins of his own in the first. Kelvin will do well to avoid the opening onslaught of the aging, Belfort and look to outwork him in the latter rounds, likely getting a stoppage win. The 10^th Planet Jiu Jitsu Purple Belt, will likely employ a similar game-plan as the Kennedy fight, avoid the ground and keep forward pressure to tire the former Heavyweight Champ, Belfort.

UFC Fight Night 107 takes place March 11, 2017 from Fortaleza, Brazil, Brazil.