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The UFC Vegas 34 headliner between Kelvin Gastelum and Jared Cannonier this past weekend certainly kicked up a storm and prompted a heated debate.
Gastelum recently took to social media in a bid to further stir the pot with a post that proved his striking during the middleweight bout was superior to that of Cannonier.
After the fight, Kelvin Gastelum expressed significant disdain for the unanimous decision win that Cannonier was granted. The 48-47 scoreline from all three judges just didn't sit right with him.
In a short post on Twitter, the Kings MMA product reiterated that he believes he did enough to win the fight. Gastelum posted striking stats from the fight in a bid to drive his point home.
Kelvin Gastelum looking past his shortcomings
Kelvin Gastelum started the fight strong and even ended it strong. However, he faltered in the middle rounds. He offered Cannonier the opportunity to leave a lasting impression in the minds of the judges.
In the aftermath of the fight, it was revealed that Gastelum had a greater striking output with 89 significant strikes landed. 'The Killa Gorilla', on the other hand, could only manage 81.
Nonetheless, Gastelum refused to take the loss to heart. Despite feeling like he was robbed of the win, the 29-year-old went on to congratulate his opponent. He subsequently declared that he would be back in the octagon after making the necessary adjustments.
While this optimism is inspiring, it is almost impossible to overlook Gastelum's recent losing record. Having won just a single fight over the course of his last six appearances, Kelvin Gastelum finds himself in murky waters.
His most recent win in the octagon came earlier this year in February against Ian Heinisch at UFC 258. Walking away with a unanimous decision win, Kelvin Gastelum felt like his luck was beginning to turn.
However, it did not last. Gastelum subsequently headlined a fight against Robert Whittaker in April and suffered a unanimous decision loss.
Having fought three times this year, another fight for the American seems highly unlikely. Perhaps time away from the cage is what he needs in order to regain his form and make yet another run at gold.
