Athletes
Kelvin Gastelum | Bringing A Different Punch
Kelvin Gastelum Plans To Show That There Are Levels To This Game When He Faces Joe Pyfer At UFC 316
After his fight against Joe Pyfer got canceled on fight day in Mexico City, Kelvin Gastelum needed a reset. He admits it was hard to get the spark and fire going after spending so much time preparing for a fight, and then it not happening. So, to get that reset, Gastelum went to Disneyland, the happiest place on Earth.
But, even then, it was hard to get things going again once he got back into training camp.
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“It was kind of hard to get the engines going but we pushed through that,” Gastelum said. “We passed some real hurdles, and we got going pretty well at the end of the camp. I feel really good where we're at and the work that we put in, and I'm excited for this Saturday.”
Saturday night inside Prudential Center at UFC 316, Gastelum will finally get the chance to face Pyfer. Shortly after the bout was canceled in Mexico City, after a sickness on Pyfer’s end, the UFC reached out to Gastelum about rescheduling.
Pyfer’s end, the UFC reached out to Gastelum about rescheduling.
“I consider myself a little bit of a company man,” Gastelum said. “I do as I'm told and that's what they wanted, so I said, let's do it. June 7th works fine. Obviously, it leaves a little bit of sour taste in your mouth, but it is what it is. The circumstances are what they are. I'm not a guy that goes and cries about it. I'm just going to do whatever is necessary and the necessary job this week is Joe Pyfer.”
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With the cancellation, there was more time to prepare, and more time for Gastelum to add on to the confidence he was already feeling as he was set to make the walk in Arena CDMX. Now, as he sits days away from the middleweight matchup, the 33-year-old said he feels ready for anything that Pyfer might bring to the table, and there is nothing he can do that will surprise him.
When you’ve been in the Octagon with some of the best in the world, such as Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker, it would be hard to think of what someone would do to surprise you.
I just think he hasn't fought the level of opponents that I have,” Gastelum said. “Even when he fought Jack Hermansson, he isn't the most polished striker; great athlete, great fighter, not the most polished striker and he lost to Jack and fairly enough, I did too. We were able to see a lot of holes in that fight, and I think once he reaches that upper echelon, top 15, top ten, even the top five guys, it's just a whole different kind of fight, a whole different kind of pressure and a whole different kind of punch that you'll feel, and I think he's going to feel that. It's just going to be not even close to anything he's ever faced before.”
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Just weeks after his fight in Newark, Gastelum will make the journey to Las Vegas to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame for his fight against in Adesanya back in 2019. It’s an epic fight and getting its rightful place in the Hall of Fame, but for Gastelum it doesn’t feel like it should be happening to him.
“I don't think it really has sunk in,” Gastelum said. “It's just something that's happened. In my eyes, it's just like, this is something that's supposed to be happening to old people. I don't feel old, and it just feels should happen to old, retired men and I'm far from that. I'm still here. I still want to prove a point and I'm still searching for that gold.”
Now, with all that experience comes growth, and the middleweight believes the fighter that fought Adesanya for the belt is drastically different than the one today. He feels better than ever and is hungry to continue his path toward the ultimate prize, a UFC title.
Order UFC 316: Dvalishvili vs O'Malley 2
And as far as what a perfect performance looks like on Saturday night?
“Flawless,” Gastelum said. “I go out there and I implement my game plan to a tee. He doesn't touch me. If I go out there and I do what I need to do, he doesn't put a scratch on me.”
That would be nice, especially since he does have a red carpet to be on in a few, short weeks.
UFC 316: Dvalishvili vs O'Malley 2 took place live from Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on June 7, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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