Kelvin Gastelum is returning to middleweight for a UFC matchup against Joe Pyfer in Mexico City on March 29, after a brief stint at welterweight.
Kelvin Gastelum’s making a move back to middleweight. Yep, it’s happening.
Sources close to the UFC have spilled the beans. They’re eyeing a fight between Gastelum and Joe Pyfer. Guess where? Mexico City! Mark your calendars for March 29. MMA Mania broke the news first.
Gastelum’s been on quite the journey. After a dozen fights at middleweight, he dipped his toes back in welterweight waters. But it wasn’t smooth sailing—Sean Brady got the better of him at UFC Austin in December 2023. Ouch.
He was supposed to face Daniel Rodriguez at 170 pounds during UFC Saudi Arabia last June. But, surprise! Weight issues bumped it to 185 pounds. Gastelum came out on top with a unanimous decision win.
Now, let’s talk about Pyfer. He’s gearing up for his sixth UFC bout. The past year saw him go 1-1 in the octagon. In February, he faced Jack Hermansson in his first main event at UFC Vegas 86 and took a loss.
But Pyfer didn’t stay down for long. He rebounded with a bang! A first-round knockout against Marc-Andre Barriault at UFC 303 in June. Quite the comeback, right?
Oh, and by the way, Damon Martin had a hand in this report too. Just giving credit where it’s due!