This past weekend (April 13, 2013), Kelvin Gastelum upset Uriah Hall, "the most intimidating fighter" to ever come through The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) house -- according to Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White -- on his way to becoming the latest middleweight "Ultimate Fighter."
Now, two days removed from one of the biggest wins of his young mixed martial arts (MMA) career, Gastelum is enjoying the fruits of his labor, being pulled left and right for photo ops and interviews, something he says he couldn't have imagined a few months ago.
But, many didn't expect Gastelum to come out the victor. Going in against Hall as a sizable underdog, Kelvin proved he was there for a fight, pushing the pace from the onset, not letting his foot off the gas one bit on his way to a split decision victory.
So, how did he pull it off?
He wasn't "scared" of Uriah like the rest of Hall's previous opponents were.
Gastelum said as much on his recent appearance on "The MMA Hour" and also revealed that he doesn't personally feel Hall bought into his own hype.
He simply ran into a fighter that was actually willing to bring the fight to him.
"I don't think he did (buy into hype). People are saying he didn't perform and I guess I would have to agree. Mostly because I was putting the pressure on him and bringing the fight like a lot of the guys didn't do. Adam Cella was the guy that brought the fight to him until he stayed stationary in the last couple of seconds and got caught with that great kick. The other guys were just scared. I wasn't scared."
Kelvin says he actually expected a bit more of a fight from "Prime Time" and for him to show off the "flashy" stuff he displayed on the show:
"Yeah, kind of, I expected a war, which it was, but I expected more flashy stuff and for him to try and keep me away from him, but he let me implement my gameplan more than he did his, so it obviously worked out in my favor."
Gastelum remained undefeated at (6-0) with his latest victory and now looks to begin his Octagon journey in what promises to be a long and successful career. A career that will likely be in the welterweight division as Gastelum revealed he will be looking to drop down a weight class in the near future.
With one win already in the books, who do you think Kelvin should face in the first fight of his six-figure deal?
Give us your suggestions in the comments section below.
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