"I wish it was an April Fool's joke" - Kelvin Gastelum addresses UFC 273 withdrawal
Kelvin Gastelum released a statement about his withdrawal from UFC 273 and apologized to fans, his team, and his scheduled opponent, Dricus Du Plessis. In a video posted to Twitter, the former UFC interim middleweight title challenger said he is “compromised” and thus unable to fight.
Considering the announcement was made by the UFC on April 1, Kelvin Gastelum addressed the obvious concerns and said:
“I wish it was an April Fool’s joke. I wish this didn’t happen, but it did, and unfortunately I have to withdraw from the fight. I was advised not to disclose the injury, but just know that I am compromised, and I can’t and won’t be heading into the fight compromised the way that I am.”
Kelvin Gastelum was initially scheduled to fight Nassourdine Imavov on April 9, but the bout was canceled due to the Frenchman’s visa issues. South African middleweight Dricus Du Plessis stepped in as a short-notice replacement, but he too has been scratched from the card due to Gastelum's withdrawal.
After apologizing to Du Plessis, Gastelum said he was looking to restart his career and march towards another title run. He ended the video by stating that he’s not done yet.
“It’s going to be worth the ride, guys. It’s going to be one hell of a book once it’s all done and finished. I’m not done – far from over it. I truly believe that we can get the job done. If I didn’t believe it in my heart, then I wouldn’t say it.
Watch the full video below:
https://t.co/NuOJBq6GyU
Kelvin Gastelum is desperately in need of a win
Gastelum finds himself in unfamiliar territory as the former UFC interim title challenger has won just one of his last six fights. After going 10-0, Gastelum's record read 13-3 following losses at the hands of Tyron Woodley, Neil Magny, and Chris Weidman.
He bounced back with two consecutive wins and looked to become a serious threat to the 185lb throne. However, everything changed drastically after the interim middleweight title fight against Israel Adesanya at UFC 236. Despite the bout being a back-and-forth affair and Gastelum putting on a stellar performance, he came up short. Losses to Darren Till and Jack Hermansson followed soon after.
Things began to look up once again after a victory over Ian Heinishch at UFC 258, but unfortunately for Gastelum, he was bested by Robert Whittaker and Jared Cannonier soon after.
The now-cancelled fight at UFC 273 was supposed to kick off Gastelum's road to redemption. The TUF 17 winner needs a win if he wants to keep his place in the UFC.