UFC top middleweight contender Kelvin Gastelum has been on the sidelines since his loss to Jack Hermansson earlier this year but now he has called out a top UFC middleweight fighter Edmen Shahbazyan.
Kelvin Gastelum most recently was seen on Fight Island getting submitted by a Jack Hermansson heel hook this past summer. Before that, he had dropped a split decision to Darren Till and lost a unanimous decision to Israel Adesanya. Overall, Gastelum has lost three straight fights in the Octagon, but he is still ranked at No. 8 in the UFC because his three losses were to higher-ranked opponents.
Recently, former Middleweight title contender, Kelvin Gastelum, took it upon himself to call out his next potential foe. Indeed, Gastelum issued a challenge to Edmen Shahbazyan to a 185-pound showdown inside the Octagon. All that is needed to make the fight is for Shahbazyan to sign on the dotted line.
Hope all is well during this pandemic @edmenshahbazyan.
I’ve been waiting to sign a contract, and all we need is your signature. Thank you 🙏 @AliAbdelaziz00 @Mickmaynard2 @danawhite @ufc— #OnAmission4Gold (@KelvinGastelum) November 11, 2020
“Hope all is well during this pandemic Edmen Shahbazyan,” Gastelum wrote on Twitter. “I’ve been waiting to sign a contract, and all we need is your signature. Thank you.”
Gastelum has had a pretty rough stretch as of late, losing three straight at the hands of Israel Adesanya, Darren Till, and Jack Hermansson, who defeated the former Ultimate Fighter (TUF) winner in a little over a minute. Gastelum’s last win came in mid-2018.
Shahbazyan, meanwhile, is coming to the first loss of his mixed martial arts (MMA) career after getting knocked out by Derek Brunson in the main event of UFC Vegas 5 this past August. Before the defeat, “The Golden Boy” had racked up 11 straight wins to begin his pro career, including winning his first four UFC contests.
The loss to Brunson took some wind out of his sails as the 22-year old was being touted as a potential breakout star who already had his eyes on current Middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya. While Shahbazyan is still a long way from punching his ticket to the big dance, a win over Gastelum would be a step in the right direction. As for Kelvin, he’s simply trying to stop the bleeding of the longest losing streak of his decade-long combat career.
Gastelum hasn’t officially won a fight since May 2018, when he defeated Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza by split decision. Before that, He had knocked out Michael Bisping. Gastelum has been in the UFC since 2013 and has defeated the likes of Uriah Hall, Jake Ellenberger, Nate Marquardt, Johny Hendricks, and Tim Kennedy during his UFC run. Kelvin Gastelum even after losing 3 fights in a row is one of the best in the division and has the power to shut anyone’s lights out.
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Also read:
https://www.mmaindia.com/adesanya-speaks-on-being-defeated/
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