Veteran middleweight admits he went into UFC 287 with his job on the line
MMA is a brutal sport in which a few back-to-back losses can spell doom for one's career. That's exactly what a veteran middleweight felt going into UFC 287.
During the post-fight media scrum of the event, former interim middleweight title challenger Kelvin Gastelum stated that he felt his job was on the line going into his preliminary card fight at the Miami Dade-Arena.
The 31-year-old had last five out of his last six outings going into UFC 287. However, Gastelum clinched a convincing unanimous decision win against No. 14 ranked UFC middleweight contender Chris Curtis at the event.
Speaking about the fight, The Ultimate Fighter 17 (TUF) winner expressed how relieved he was to come away with a win:
"[After the fight, I'm most relieved] Knowing that I have a job still. I feel like my job was on the line tonight, and knowing that I will be hopefully having a job still - is you know, having that security, it feels good."
Kelvin Gastelum: “I feel like my job was on the line tonight... Having that security feels good." #UFC287 https://t.co/VYqMNrgp21
Furthermore, the UFC middleweight stated that he doesn't plan on sticking with MMA for long and will leave the sport in the next four to five years, during which he'll attempt another title run.
Kelvin Gastelum holds a pro record of 18-8 and 1 NC. The Arizona native holds wins against numerous prominent names, including Michael Bisping, Johny Hendricks, Uriah Hall, and Tim Kennedy.
UFC 287: Wunderkind Raul Rosas Jr. sufferers first pro-MMA loss
18-year-old Raul Rosas Jr. came into UFC 287, riding a mountain of hype from his impressive showings on Dana White's Contender Series (DWCS) and his UFC debut. However, 'El Nino Problema' failed to replicate the magic a third time.
Rosas Jr. and Christian Rodriguez kicked off the main card for the pay-per-view. Although the teenager had big moments in the first round, nearly submitting Rodriguez, his fortunes quickly turned sour.
Christian Rodriguez gets it done! 👊
@ceerod97 hands Raul Rosas Jr. his first career loss at #UFC287! https://t.co/cmV9CkbirH
In the second round, 'CeeRod' started taking control, getting the better of Rosas Jr. in most exchanges. Rodriguez then capped off his impressive performance with some vicious ground and pound in the last round to earn a unanimous decision win.
With the loss against 'CeeRod', Raul Rosas Jr. finally lost his undefeated status; his pro record currently stands at 7-1, while Christian Rodriguez improved his resume to 9-1 at the event.