UFC middleweight Kelvin Gastelum will compete in his third straight short notice fight at UFC 273 when he battles rising prospect Dricus du Plessis.
Throughout the course of his time with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, dating all the way back to when he won The Ultimate Fighter 17, Kelvin Gastelum has been a strong fan favourite. He comes to fight every single time he steps into that cage and whether it be at welterweight or middleweight, you know he’s going to bring the heat.
It’s not exactly a secret, though, that things haven’t gone his way in recent times. His USADA issues and problems with missing weight are behind him but instead, getting in the win column has been the new struggle in the last couple of years.
At UFC 273 next weekend, the 30-year-old had been scheduled to meet Nassourdine Imavov. However, due to visa issues, Imavov was pulled from the bout and replaced by South African sensation Dricus du Plessis.
‘Stillknocks’ made a name for himself in KSW and EFC before finally making his way to the UFC and upon arrival, he wasted no time in securing impressive finishes over Markus Perez and Trevin Giles.
After this big step up in competition was announced, Gastelum welcomed the news that he’d still get to compete in Jacksonville.
“The show goes on. Thank you Dricus Du Plessis for accepting last minute. Let’s put on a show. #UFC273 #OAM4Gâ€
Anthony Hernandez was supposed to meet du Plessis on the card prior to this new booking.
What happened to Kelvin Gastelum?
Back in April 2019, the Kings MMA standout fought Israel Adesanya in what was easily the champion’s toughest middleweight showdown to date. The interim 185-pound title was on the line and while he did come up short, the masses expected him to be back in contention again pretty soon.
Unfortunately he’s only won one of his subsequent five fights and even though they’ve all come against elite competition, with the lone victory being a decision success over Ian Heinisch, the UFC will be keeping a close eye on next Saturday’s result in Florida.