Gastelum will face Anderson in November (Photo: Reproduction/Facebook UFC)
If a few weeks ago Kelvin Gastelum provoked Anderson Silva through a video on social media, now the discourse has changed. With his usual respectful attitude, the TUF 17 champion praised the chance to face Anderson Silva, whom he considers one of the best in MMA history. According to the North American fighter, the fight that will headline UFC Shanghai, on November 25th, in China, will be the biggest challenge of his career.
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“Fighting one of the greatest of all time, perhaps the greatest I've ever faced, especially in China, there's nothing better. (…) I know he won't want to take me down, it's not something I see him doing a lot. Most of the people I face know that I will knock them out if the fight stays standing, but Silva's best weapon is also in his striking. It will be a great fight. I go with fire in my fists and in my heart. Something changed in me because of the last fight and I'm going to show the world what I'm made of”, he declared, in an interview with the 'FloCombat' website.
Gastelum, who trains at Kings MMA, a gym led by Brazilian trainer Rafael Cordeiro, also celebrated the fact that Anderson always seeks to fight on the feet. According to him, the fact that the former champion is not in the habit of opting to take the fight to the ground is a point in his favor.
“It’s a big fight for me. I have punch, and Anderson doesn't have the ability to Chris Weidman in wrestling. There’s no way he’s going to want to face me in wrestling. Maybe he wants to, I don't know, but he doesn't have the pedigree to face me in wrestling. He will keep the fight going, which motivates me. I'm completely motivated after my last fight. I was upset, frustrated for a few weeks, but I felt the fire growing inside me again. I have never wanted to win as much as I do now. I have never felt such a need to prove myself more than now in this fight against Anderson”, he concluded.
Kelvin Gastelum, 25 years old, has an MMA record of 14 wins, three setbacks in one no contest. The North American won the 17th edition of TUF, the UFC's reality show, at welterweight (up to 77 kg.), in 2013. But after difficulties in reaching the category limit, he moved up to the middleweight division and added three triumphs and only one loss, against Chris Weidman, last July, in his last performance.
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