Kelvin is literally a fat 155'er fighting at 185

[CPH]

His best wins have come at MW. It's just as easy to say he depleted himself to make WW and that's why he wasn't nearly as impressive.

People have different body types. People like to say Roy Nelson would have been a beast at LHW or MW. How does anyone know? He might have been way too slow against those guys if he had lost all the weight. Or look at Rashad? Some used to talk about how he was the guy who'd end Anderson's reign but when he finally moved down he looked terrible, getting embarrassed by true journeymen.

Mostly true. Still, Gastelum should not be fighting at MW. I don't care how 'thick' he is - he was dwarfed by Weidman and unltimately got worn down and lost because of it. He can strike with anyone, as that fight showed, but the better grapplers in the division will overpower him. That would not be happening at 170.

I don't simply don't believe that he did everything he could to make weight. In camp, maybe, but his lifestyle makes it impossible.

PS: He didn't get better at MW, he just finally got the chance to put his hands on big names.

 

[egk]

Mostly true. Still, Gastelum should not be fighting at MW. I don't care how 'thick' he is - he was dwarfed by Weidman and unltimately got worn down and lost because of it. He can strike with anyone, as that fight showed, but the better grapplers in the division will overpower him. That would not be happening at 170.

I don't simply don't believe that he did everything he could to make weight. In camp, maybe, but his lifestyle makes it impossible.

PS: He didn't get better at MW, he just finally got the chance to put his hands on big names.

He fought Woodley, Hendricks, Marquardt , Ellenburger and Story at WW. Those are all big names. His results just weren't as impressive as knocking guys the fuck out at MW. I just think he was depleted from trying to cut too much.

I agree with you that if he could get his diet in check so he doesn't have huge cuts that WW would be good for him but he doesn't seem able to do that. He's like Hendricks but still young enough his diet hasn't killed his career.

 

[Maroli]

he's getting heavier unfortunately. he looks like he could lose 15 lbs of fat, but then he just had trouble making 185 - does that mean he'd have at best, equal amounts of trouble making 170?

 

[CPH]

he's getting heavier unfortunately. he looks like he could lose 15 lbs of fat, but then he just had trouble making 185 - does that mean he'd have at best, equal amounts of trouble making 170?

To be honest, I haven't read up on it, but didn't Kelvin take this fight on relatively short notice? If his problem is out-of-camp habits, that would explain the close call at this particular weigh-in.

 

[CPH]

He fought Woodley, Hendricks, Marquardt , Ellenburger and Story at WW. Those are all big names. His results just weren't as impressive as knocking guys the fuck out at MW. I just think he was depleted from trying to cut too much.

I agree with you that if he could get his diet in check so he doesn't have huge cuts that WW would be good for him but he doesn't seem able to do that. He's like Hendricks but still young enough his diet hasn't killed his career.

I think that Gastelum was doing very well at 170, but most people were sleeping on him, partially because Story is a gatekeeper and Marquart, Ellenburger and Hendricks were all confirmed has-beens at that point.

So when Kelvin moved up to MW, a lot of these fans expected utter failure from this chubby WW whom they didn't see as being particularly good. When he did well, the only way to explain it was that he had gotten better. I mean, that may be true to some degree, simply because he is a young fighter and still developing, but my point is that he was always an outstanding talent and would have shined at WW if he just made the damn weight... I get it: fighting depleted is a real thing and Kelvin was definitely feeling it towards the end of his run there. I just don't believe that 185 is ideal for him. With adjustments to lifestyle, the kid is championship material at 170 - at 185, he will always fall short against the elite. Seeing him overpowered against Weidman convinced me of this.