UFC CEO Dana White isn’t happy with Kelvin Gastelum.
Gastelum (19-9 MMA, 13-9 UFC) showed up heavy to UFC on ABC 6 fight week in Saudi Arabia, so much so that his welterweight bout vs. Daniel Rodriguez was shifted up 15 pounds to middleweight.
Rodriguez (17-5 MMA, 7-4 UFC) voiced his displeasure with the circumstances at a news conference prior to the fight and White echoed the same sentiments after Gastelum won by unanimous decision Saturday.
“I’m not thrilled with Kelvin Gastelum right now,” White told reporters at a post-fight news conference. “This guy has missed weight like three times in his career. You’ve got kids taking fights on a week notice, jumping off cards, coming over here and making weight, and Kelvin doesn’t make weight. It’s extremely disappointing.”
Gastelum apologized for the botched weight cut during his in-cage interview, but as he even noted himself, it’s not the first time he’s run into issues and apologized.
He’s officially missed weight three times on the scales during his 11-year UFC tenure and has bounced between middleweight and welterweight. Gastelum successfully made weight in December at 170 pounds. It’s unclear what weight class he will compete in next.
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