I was wrong about Kelvin Gastelum

[TankAbbott4Eva]

He's probably past his best at this time unfortunately, wish he had gone down earlier.

 

[TheMMAnalyst]

I am just going to come out and say that WW is a much harder division than MW. You have guys who would be around the 185-200 pound mark, managing their weight and cutting down to 170. The grapplers at 185 had nothing on 170 either as it's usually that premier weightclass for wrestling, once you cut down.

I can see why a guy like Bo Nickals has gone there, as opposed to cutting to 170 and risking running into a guy with enough wrestling to cause him problems and keep it on the feet after draining himself to 170.

Sad to see because I think KG could have done really well if he sorted his crap out post Izzy with the division wide open for him to have snuck in back then. Brady looked good, but the guy lacks killer instinct until he can ride out the rest of a fight on a decision win.

I think the Izzy fight washed him, but otherwise agree with everything you said - well put good sir.

 

[TITS]

It seems like Kelvin spent most of his time managing his weight cut instead of training. I suggest he just goes back to 185 and fight some former WWs who are too fat for 170 too. Guys like Bryan Barberino, or Abdul Alhassan, or just fight a few bums instead of top 15 guys. Or maybe he could just go to PFL and steal the title from Impa.

 

[RockyLockridge]

I've been saying for the past several years that if Gastelum dropped down to 170 he would be an immediate title contender. He was to small for 185 and lost to the top guys. I felt certain that at 170# he would be a top contender but he was beaten badly this past Saturday at Welterweight. He’s now lost three of his last four and six of his last eight. At 32 Gastelum needs a win to stay on the roster, thoughts of him winning or fighting for a Welterweight title are gone.

Anyone else think this guy could make a legit title run at Welterweight?

His time at ww past him it would have been easier 4 years ago.

 

[Tweak896]

I dunno, whenever you count the guy out he comes back and looks incredible. You have to think he's new to WW again and still has adjustments to make to his style. He's always had the tools to be champ, its up to him to put it together. He probably passed his window for being champ, but definitely could've been one had he stayed super focused.

 

[Neck&Neck]

 

[PurpleStorm]

Fuck, i didn't know he is only 32. Dude has had a lot of wear and tear for a guy that young. Dude's been fighting mostly nothing but top guys for a decade now in the ufc.

Wow I didn't know that either. I thought he was older than 32.

 

[World eater]

Yes, I thought he could be dangerous at WW as well. However, Brady made it look like he didn’t even belong in there.

 

[daniel san]

Wow, he’s only 32? I thought he was close to 40. I think physically, he looked terrible at WW. I didn’t watch the weigh ins so when he stepped inside the cage, I was amazed at how he can look so physically terrible even when he has been forced to be a bit stricter with his diet.

Like most, I thought he’d be a title contender/potential champ at WW if he was more professional, but we were all wrong. Or maybe we weren’t wrong, what has been lacking hasn’t been a proper diet, overall professionalism and improving one’s skill set has obviously been lacking.

 

[Marko Polo]

Kelvins skills have regressed badly. The little habits fighters fall into over the course of a career generally benefit them, but it seems like the mannerisms Kelvin has picked up have done nothing but make him more predictable in the moment. He used to be much better. I remember him being picked last and going on to smoke everyone, including Uriah Hall who everyone was touting as some killer.

 

[AstralPanda]

I've been saying for the past several years that if Gastelum dropped down to 170 he would be an immediate title contender. He was to small for 185 and lost to the top guys. I felt certain that at 170# he would be a top contender but he was beaten badly this past Saturday at Welterweight. He’s now lost three of his last four and six of his last eight. At 32 Gastelum needs a win to stay on the roster, thoughts of him winning or fighting for a Welterweight title are gone.

Anyone else think this guy could make a legit title run at Welterweight?

Kelvin hasn't been the same since the Izzy fight. He took a lot of damage. The kind of damage that altars your career forever.

If he made the move prior to that fight, It definitely would've been a possibility.

 

[CPH]

I’ve always been impressed with Gastelum’s standup and figured that if only:

- he dropped down to WW
- he took his grappling seriously

…he would be a contender. But yeah: that isn’t happening. Another example of a guy born with talent but that doesn’t have the fire.

 

[Koala]

WW is so superior to MW
Strickland was not even ranked at 170 and is now he's champion at 185. Whittaker was top 10 may be at 170 and champion at 185.
Curtis and Imavov made it to the UFC when they moved up and now they are top 15

 

[MMAProfessional]

I've been saying for the past several years that if Gastelum dropped down to 170 he would be an immediate title contender. He was to small for 185 and lost to the top guys. I felt certain that at 170# he would be a top contender but he was beaten badly this past Saturday at Welterweight. He’s now lost three of his last four and six of his last eight. At 32 Gastelum needs a win to stay on the roster, thoughts of him winning or fighting for a Welterweight title are gone.

Anyone else think this guy could make a legit title run at Welterweight?

People had clouded judgement after the Israel fight. Anyone who has followed his fights knew he's not that great. I didn't expect him to lose that bad to Brady though. 2-6 in his last 8. His win came from Heinisch where he didn't even look that great against a guy who he would have blown away if he was a top 10 fighter. Chris Curtis win is okay but we know what happened in that. Darren Till who sucks was able to beat him. He probably has one more fight in the UFC to keep his job but he's better off leaving at this point to Bellator. Is he really going to cut again to 170 after being out muscled? I get Brady is strong as hell but still. Looking at the top 15 there is no one I'm confident he would win against. Holland and JDM maybe? Possibly Luque? Stylistically those are his best fights but I wouldn't be confident in at all in him winning those fights.

 

[MMAProfessional]

WW is so superior to MW
Strickland was not even ranked at 170 and is now he's champion at 185. Whittaker was top 10 may be at 170 and champion at 185.
Curtis and Imavov made it to the UFC when they moved up and now they are top 15

I wouldn't use Sticklands WW stint as any kind of proof. That was a while ago and his loses were against Usman, Ponzi when he was on top of his game. Elizeu is probably the one that stands out but he's pretty solid.

 

[pankrat]

I am just going to come out and say that WW is a much harder division than MW. You have guys who would be around the 185-200 pound mark, managing their weight and cutting down to 170. The grapplers at 185 had nothing on 170 either as it's usually that premier weightclass for wrestling, once you cut down.

I can see why a guy like Bo Nickals has gone there, as opposed to cutting to 170 and risking running into a guy with enough wrestling to cause him problems and keep it on the feet after draining himself to 170.

Sad to see because I think KG could have done really well if he sorted his crap out post Izzy with the division wide open for him to have snuck in back then. Brady looked good, but the guy lacks killer instinct until he can ride out the rest of a fight on a decision win.

WW is definitely deeper but if it was so harder at the top you would not have so many solid fighters in that weight range going throught a tough processs of diet and weight cutting to avoid the MW division,

 

[michi972]

For me he wasn't a champion material, but could be top 5 in both 170 and 185. He had good fast hands, decent wrestling. Adesanya beat him out od his prime, he was never the same. He also got Hendricks treatment with good and discipline I think

 

[michi972]

I wouldn't use Sticklands WW stint as any kind of proof. That was a while ago and his loses were against Usman, Ponzi when he was on top of his game. Elizeu is probably the one that stands out but he's pretty solid.

And anyone get knocked out by spining shit. Weight cut didn't serve him and he improved. Same thing with Whitaker. Do people really think that fighter don't improve?

 

[Rank Squatter]

Had a strong feeling at WW he wouldnt do well anymore

i have that same feeling for MW

dude just cant get in phenomenal shape to save his career

 

[maximus__]

WW is definitely deeper but if it was so harder at the top you would not have so many solid fighters in that weight range going throught a tough processs of diet and weight cutting to avoid the MW division,

Because the guys in MW are pretty big in most cases. Guys like Izzy, Costa, Cannonier and Pereira for example who have all fight as high as LHW and not been small. I wish it was just 10 pounds jumps from 130 up.

I think we would see people more around their natural weights if that was the case.