Report | Kelvin Gastelum Injured, Out Of UFC 273 Middleweight Clash With Dricus Du Plessis
UFC 273 has had another fight fall out, with news breaking that Kelvin Gastelum has sustained an injury, only a week away from his main card middleweight bout against Dricus Du Plessis.
Kelvin Gastelum had initially been scheduled to face off against Nassourdine Imavov. However, ‘The Russian Sniper’ was forced out of the matchup after visa issues delayed his entry into the country. Middleweight prospect Dricus Du Plessis, who was set to compete on the prelims against Anthony Hernandez, offered to step up and replace Imavov.
The fight looked set to go, and many fans were intrigued at this prospect vs. veteran matchup. However, MMA is a chaotic sport where nothing is certain. According to a report via the UFC’s website, Kelvin Gastelum has sustained an injury, resulting in the cancellation of the matchup.
This will be especially heartbreaking for Du Plessis as his former opponent, Anthony Hernandez, has already been rebooked to face off against ‘Dana White Lookin For A Fight’ alumni Josh Fremd. This is the fourth opponent cancelation Du Plessis has had over the past five months, with fights against Andre Muniz and Chris Curtis also falling through earlier in the year.
UFC 273 Loses Ilir Latifi As Well As Kelvin Gastelum, Jared Vanderaa Steps In On Short Notice
Another bout that has taken a blow is the heavyweight fight between UFC veterans Ilir Latifi and Aleksei Oleinik. Initially booked to take place at UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Daukaus, the matchup was pushed back to UFC 273 after Latifi picked up a non covid related illness in fight week. However, it appears that ‘The Sledgehammer’ has not fully recovered from the illness, as doctors have deemed him medically unfit to compete.
Fortunately, Aleksei Oleinik will still fight at UFC 273. Jared Vanderaa has stepped up on a little over a week’s notice to face ‘The Boa Constrictor,’ saving the bout from cancellation.
UFC 273 may have lost Kelvin Gastelum from the card, but it is still a very solid PPV event. A headline fight between featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski and fan-favorite Chan Sung Jung, aka ‘The Korean Zombie,’ promises to be an all out war, whilst a co-main bout between bitter rivals Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan promises to prove once and for all who the top 135lb fighter truly is. Khamzat Chimaev also features, taking on his biggest test to date, as he squares off with former title challenger Gilbert Burns.
What are your predictions for UFC 273? Who would you like to see Dricus Du Plessis matched up with next?
