Joe Pyfer and Kelvin Gastelum had been purported to throw down months in the past. The struggle, initially deliberate for UFC Mexico Metropolis, was scratched last-minute after Pyfer fell sick, after which rubbed salt into the wound by publicly slamming Mexico for it. Quick-forward to UFC 316 on the Prudential Heart in Newark, and tensions hadn’t cooled one bit.
From the opening bell, Pyfer stalked ahead like a person with one thing to show, and practically ended all of it in Spherical 1. However as the ultimate horn sounded, it wasn’t a highlight-reel end that outlined the evening. It was what got here after.
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Joe Pyfer apologizes to the UFC 316 crowd as he fails to make a press release in opposition to Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 316
Within the very first spherical, Joe Pyfer despatched shockwaves by means of the Octagon. A thunderous proper hand landed flush, dropping Gastelum like a stone. By some means, the veteran received again up. However Pyfer wasn’t completed. He landed one other crushing shot and adopted it with a pointy head kick, testing the bounds of Gastelum’s legendary chin. Many thought the end was simply seconds away. But the bell rang, and Gastelum was nonetheless standing.
Spherical two cooled off, not less than by comparability. Pyfer continued to stroll ahead, looking for the massive shot. Gastelum, bruised however unbroken, saved circling, jabbing, and on the lookout for daylight. Regardless of the stress, he refused to go down once more.
By spherical three, Gastelum had his second. He landed extra, stayed energetic, and even defended a short takedown. But it surely wasn’t sufficient to swing the struggle. The judges noticed it clearly: 29-28, 29-27, and 30-27. Unanimous resolution for Joe Pyfer. However the win got here with out the brutal end many anticipated, and Pyfer knew it.
In his post-fight interview, ‘Bodybagz’ acknowledged, “I didn’t get the end, I’m sorry however I used to be preventing a veteran and my legs felt slightly flat. He’s a tricky dude. Sorry guys for the boring struggle. I promise I’ll be again.”
Then got here the shock. With the mic nonetheless in his hand, Pyfer threw out a shoutout to none apart from President Donald Trump and Mike Tyson. Trump, seated cageside as typical, gave a nod and smiled whereas the group roared in approval. As for Kelvin Gastelum, though he ended the evening in disappointment, his potential to soak up photographs that will have demolished lesser fighters led to an outpouring of astonishment from the MMA sphere!
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Gastelum’s ‘chin’ stuns the MMA world even in defeat
How does a person eat two knockdowns, a shin to the neck, and a dozen heavy proper palms, and nonetheless smile on the last bell? That’s the thriller Kelvin Gastelum left followers and fighters pondering after UFC 316. The previous title challenger didn’t get the win, however he might need earned one thing extra eternal: respect.
After the bout, followers and fighters alike lit up social media. UFC light-weight Terrance McKinney posted, “For all of the wars he’s been in, Kelvin g chin is loopy frfr.” ESPN’s Aaron Bronsteter echoed that sentiment, tweeting, “Gastelum’s chin must be studied. It received cracked early, but it surely’s unimaginable that he made it to the ultimate bell.”
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Even with Pyfer scoring two knockdowns within the first spherical, Gastelum rallied within the later frames. He discovered his rhythm in spherical two and arguably gained the third with higher quantity and crisper combos. The judges awarded Pyfer the choice (29-28, 29-27, 30-27), however many had been shocked by the scoring. “Just one 10-8 within the first is stunning,” Bronsteter added.
However past numbers and scorecards, what caught out was Gastelum’s resilience. He absorbed a number of the cleanest energy punches thrown all evening and nonetheless pushed ahead. Joe Pyfer walked away with the win. However Gastelum walked away proving what he’s at all times been—a warrior with a chin carved from granite and a coronary heart too cussed to give up!