RUMOR: Kelvin Gastelum to return in December; opponent and location reported
Kelvin Gastelum could reportedly make his highly-anticipated comeback very soon. Currently, rumors are rife that Gastelum is likely to return in December 2023.
Additionally, details regarding his potential opponent and the possible location of the event at which he'll compete have also been revealed. Earlier this year, Gastelum was scheduled to move down from the middleweight (185-pound) division to the welterweight (170-pound) division.
The 31-year-old was booked to fight the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov in a welterweight bout at the Noche UFC event on September 16, 2023.
However, a facial fracture resulted in Gastelum having to withdraw from that fight. In the ensuing days, the veteran fighter's comeback timeline remained shrouded in mystery. That said, the "@MagicM_MMABets" Twitter handle has now highlighted that Gastelum could return to the octagon this December.
In a tweet, the MMA journalist suggested that Gastelum's comeback matchup could witness him face welterweight prospect Sean Brady at an event in Minneapolis on December 2nd, 2023. Furthermore, it was indicated that the event might get moved to Texas. The journalist's tweet read as follows:
"Per my sources, Sean Brady vs Kelvin Gastelum will happen in Minneapolis on December 2. Small chance the card gets moved to Texas. #MagicMafia"
A closer look at UFC mainstay Kelvin Gastelum's recent run
Kelvin Gastelum's latest octagon outing saw him defeat Chris Curtis via unanimous decision in a middleweight bout in April 2023. Prior to the victory over Curtis, Gastelum was on a two-fight losing streak. He'd suffered back-to-back unanimous decision defeats against Robert Whittaker and Jared Cannonier.
Moreover, Kelvin Gastelum notably dealt with several losses after his grueling five-round war against Israel Adesanya in their interim UFC middleweight title bout in April 2019. Since his unanimous decision loss against 'Izzy,' Gastelum has competed in six MMA bouts, losing four and winning just two.
Meanwhile, Sean Brady's most recent fight transpired in October 2022. It ended with him being beaten by Belal Muhammad via second-round TKO and marked the first MMA loss for the highly-touted Brady.
Considering the variables at play, many believe that a win over Brady could help Gastelum secure bigger fights at 170 pounds and significantly help him in his quest to make a run at the UFC welterweight title.