Gastelum/Du Plessis Set For UFC 273, Hernandez Gets New Opponent
UFC middleweight Kelvin Gastelum will remain on the UFC 273 card after being matched up with the unranked Dricus Du Plessis.
Gastelum was initially scheduled to meet surging Frenchman Nassourdine Imavov on the main card of the April 9 pay-per-view. The #11-ranked 185lber, however, was forced to pull out after facing visa issues.
Du Plessis, meanwhile, was expected to share the Octagon with Anthony Hernandez in Jacksonville, a matchup that came together after the South African’s original foe, Chris Curtis, withdrew.
With Imavov out, Du Plessis has been gifted a massive opportunity to surge towards not just the rankings, but the top 10. To do so, he’ll have to get past a Gastelum hungry to maintain his place on the middleweight ladder. The new bout was first reported by ESPN.
Meanwhile, “Fluffy” Hernandez will face a promotional newcomer in former Bellator and LFA middleweight Josh Fremd, per MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck.
Since falling short of interim gold in a FOTY-worthy clash with Israel Adesanya in 2019, Gastelum, winner of The Ultimate Fighter 17, has gone 1-4. A sole victory over Ian Heinisch in that period came in amongst defeats to Darren Till, Jack Hermansson, Robert Whittaker, and Jared Cannonier.
Du Plessis, meanwhile, has made just two walks to the Octagon, but has certainly made the most of them. After a first-round knockout of Markus Perez on debut, the highly-touted “Stillknocks” established his name in front of a sold-out crowd in Las Vegas last July, knocking out Trevin Giles at UFC 264.
While he’ll look to break into the rankings and begin his rise to the top, Gastelum will be looking to prove he still belongs among the elite at 185 pounds by returning to the win column.
In the other party involved in today’s UFC 273 chaos, Hernandez will need to prepare for a new opponent of his own. While Fremd will be looking to open his UFC account with a memorable win, “Fluffy” will hope to carry the momentum from his memorable and shocking submission of Rodolfo Vieira last February into his first appearance of 2022.
D.Du Plessis out. Anthony Hernanez will now fight Josh Fremd at #UFC273 on April 9th. (per the legend @MikeHeck_JR) #UFC #MMA #UFCESPN pic.twitter.com/rrgCKY9EwI
— Marcel Dorff
(@BigMarcel24) March 29, 2022
The full UFC 273 card is currently as follows:
Alexander Volkanovski (C) vs. Chan Sung Jung (featherweight championship main event)
Aljamain Sterling (C) vs. Petr Yan (IC) (bantamweight championship co-main event)
Gilbert Burns vs. Khamzat Chimaev (middleweight)
Mackenzie Dern vs. Tecia Torres (women’s strawweight)
Kelvin Gastelum vs. Dricus Du Plessis (middleweight)
Ilir Latifi vs. Aleksei Oleinik (heavyweight)
Aspen Ladd vs. Raquel Pennington (women’s bantamweight)
Ian Garry vs. Darrion Weeks (welterweight)
Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Marcin Tybura (heavyweight)
Mickey Gall vs. Mike Malott (welterweight)
Anthony Hernandez vs. Josh Fremd (middleweight)
Julio Arce vs. Daniel Santos (bantamweight)
Vinc Pichel vs. Mark O.Madsen (lightweight)
Piera Rodriguez vs. Kay Hansen (women’s strawweight)
Who do you think will have their hand raised at UFC 273, Kelvin Gastelum or Dricus Du Plessis?
Continue Reading Gastelum/Du Plessis Set For UFC 273, Hernandez Gets New Opponent at MMA News.
Gastelum/Du Plessis Set For UFC 273, Hernandez Gets New Opponent
