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Kelvin Gastelum has taken to social media to praise his fellow TUF contestant after the UFC announced a huge fight in the bantamweight division set to get underway next month.
The former interim middleweight title challenger is on the worst run of his MMA career, having won just once in his past six outings. His most recent win came when he scored a decision victory against Ian Heinisch, a veteran 185er who has a disappointing 3-4 record in the UFC since joining the promotion in 2018.
In a post on social media, Kelvin Gastelum reacted to the upcoming bantamweight clash between Davey Grant and Raphael Assuncao, insisting that it is "always a pleasure" to watch the Brit compete inside the cage:
"Davey Grant, winner of TUF 18, always a pleasure to watch him fight! He's so good! Took a little hiatus for some time but good to see a fellow TUF alumni active again."
The 37-year-old has been fighting under the UFC banner for almost a decade, but his frequent breakaways from the sport mean he hasn't fought as much as a 10-year company veteran otherwise would have.
Since making his debut for the promotion in November 2013, Grant has strapped on the gloves just 10 times, winning and losing an even amount during that time. His most notable wins came against a young Marlon Vera and rising prospect Jonathan Martinez.
Despite having a handful of fights inside the octagon, the Englishman will come up against one of his toughest matchups to date when he collides with the dangerous Raphael Assuncao on March 11.
When is Kelvin Gastelum fighting next?
Kelvin Gastelum has been out of competition since losing a decision to Jared Cannonier last August, and with him desperately trying to get a win under his belt, when will he fight next?
On Jan. 14, the NJCAA wrestler was scheduled to face Nassourdine Imavov in a UFC Fight Night headliner but was forced to pull out of the bout after suffering a serious injury during training.
Luckily for Gastelum, he managed to get a quick turnaround and will now be stepping into the cage across from Chris Curtis when the two heavy hitters meet in Miami, Florida, at UFC 287.
