"He's a great fighter, he's proved himself every step of the way" - Kelvin Gastelum isn't surprised by Israel Adesanya's middleweight dominance
Kelvin Gastelum has had a rough stretch, losing five of his last six fights. That said, the 30-year-old California native has fought only elite competition. One of his most memorable performances was a unanimous decision loss against Israel Adesanya, the 2019 Fight of the Year.
Watch highlights of Kelvin Gastelum vs. Israel Adesanya below:
Adesanya-Gastelum put on a classic in the co-main too
https://t.co/JuqKcLQlWW
Both fighters went their separate ways after that unforgettable scrap. Adesanya became the No. 3 pound-for-pound UFC fighter, while The Ultimate Fighter Season 17 winner has failed to capture UFC gold. During an interview with The Schmo, Gastelum praised Adesanya's success in the division by saying:
"He's a great fighter. He's proved himself every step of the way...And I think he's gotten better."
Adesanya has defended the middleweight title five times with only a few contenders left. To this day, Gastelum had to be his most difficult challenge because of how much damage was done in the fight. Unfortunately, it started a brutal stretch of losses for the No.10-ranked middleweight.
It's not time to count out Gastelum yet. As stated previously, his losses have been to the best middleweight fighters in the UFC. With that comes tons of experience that can help evolve a fighter. At 30 years old, the potential for another title run isn't impossible, especially considering he's still ranked No.10.
Watch Kelvin Gastelum be interviewed by The Schmo below:
Kelvin Gastelum details how Jared Cannonier could beat Israel Adesanya
Adesanya will look to defend his UFC middleweight title for the sixth time at UFC 276 on July 2. His opponent is the No. 2-ranked Jared Cannonier, who once fought at heavyweight before moving down to light heavyweight and then middleweight.
Israel Adesanya vs. Jared Cannonier is going down at #UFC276 🏆 https://t.co/AlIZNTr2W6
The title challenger's last win was against Gastelum, who thought there was a path to victory to dethrone the champion at UFC 276. During the same interview, The Ultimate Fighter Season 17 winner used his experience from both fights to say this about Cannonier's path to victory:
"This fight with Jared [Cannonier] is gonna be a very, very tricky one. Obviously, I fought Jared in my last fight. I think if he does a good job at mixing his strikes and hiding his strikes, I think he does a good job of landing, which ultimately can win him the fight."
Cannonier is a dangerous fighter, but he will need to do something special to beat the reigning champion. If Adesanya leaves UFC 276 victorious, there may be nothing left for him at middleweight. His continued championship dominance all started with the 2019 fight of the year against Gastelum.