One of the most intriguing matchups on the card didn’t take place during the Octagon’s recent trip to Mexico City.
Kelvin Gastelum was all set to compete at middleweight until Joe Pyfer withdrew from the bout due to an illness that he had been suffering from since his arrival.
Whilst that didn’t stop Gastelum from having a night to remember as he partied with Henry Cejudo after the event, the same cannot be said for his opponent.
The illness that Pyfer suffered from led to him putting out a video where he harshly criticized Mexico City and vowed to never return.
Both men had a lot to gain from the matchup and as a result, they have now been rescheduled for a later date with the location hopefully posing no problems this time around.
Kelvin Gastelum references Joe Pyfer’s comments in first reaction to rescheduled bout for UFC 316
After the late notice cancellation of their fight in Mexico City, Kelvin Gastelum and Joe Pyfer will now meet at UFC 316 on June 7 inside the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Dana White recently announced the two title fights that will headline this card with Merab Dvalishvili defending his bantamweight title in a rematch with Sean O’Malley in the main event.
The news of the rescheduled bout was initially broken by Pyfer’s coach before it was confirmed by multiple sources.
Both men are coming off of wins but this clash could still be a huge moment for either one of their careers depending on who comes out on top.
Despite the clear significance of this bout on paper alone, some added stakes have now been added due to the reaction that Pyfer received following his comments about Mexico City.
There didn’t appear to be any kind of tension between the two men ahead of their contest on March 29 but Gastelum’s reaction to the fight being rescheduled suggests that he’s grown to dislike his next opponent over the past few weeks.
The former interim title challenger is in need of a big win on June 7 but he clearly wants to send a message at the same time.
UFC 316 could be a huge redemption opportunity for Kelvin Gastelum
Kelvin Gastelum has not had a great run of form ever since his incredible war with Israel Adesanya at UFC 236 in 2019.
A win over Joe Pyfer at UFC 316 would be the first time that he’s produced consecutive wins since 2018, making it a massively significant fight for him in the first place.
However, with Pyfer not exactly being in the good books of the fans right now, a win would also earn Gastelum some much needed favor which he hasn’t had in recent times.
One win over the outspoken American could be exactly what the 33-year-old needs to get some momentum behind him at long last following a major drop in form.
