UFC 258 is a great card loaded with tremendous fights. A key middleweight clash will take place as Kelvin Gastelum takes on Ian Heisinch with the winner moving into the top tier of the division. Kelvin Gastelum is ranked ninth in the division while Heinisch has dropped two of three and needs a big win here.
Kelvin Gastelum (16-6)
It doesn’t seem that long ago that Kelvin Gastelum was on the verge of defeating Isreal Adesanya and becoming a UFC champion. He lost that fight and has since lost two more in a row. He lost to Darren Till via a split decision and in his last fight, he was knocked out by Jack Hermansson in the first round.
To say he needs a victory Saturday night is an understatement. If Gastelum loses this fight, he could well be on the outside looking in of the UFC. It should provide either the necessary motivation to perform, or it could serve as too much pressure.
Ian Heinisch (14-3)
Ian Heinisch is a heavy-handed striker with good all-around MMA skills. He earned his way into the UFC via the Contender Series with a victory over Justin Sumpter. After that, he won his first two UFC bouts impressively, beating Cezar Ferreira and Antonio Carlos Jr. Things were looking up for him but he was derailed, dropping consecutive fights to Derek Brunson and then Omari Akhmedov. He did rebound in his last outing, defeating Gerald Meerschaert.
The Matchup
This should be an interesting matchup considering both men enjoy standing and trading and are capable on the canvas. Gastelum is the odds on favorite in Las Vegas to take home the win, but anytime two punchers fight with four-ounce gloves, anything can happen. This fight could go one of two ways. Either it will be an exciting firefight with both men willing to stand and trade or it will be a long, drawn-out wrestling match. Truth be told, Kelvin Gastelum has more paths to victory than Heinisch does, regardless of where the fight takes place.
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UFC 258 Fight Card:
Main Card:
- Kamaru Usman vs. Gilbert Burns
- Maycee Barber vs. Alexa Grassso
- Kelvin Gastelum vs. Ian Heinisch
- Andre Ewell vs. Chris Guttierrez
- Maki Pitolo vs. Julian Marquez
Preliminary Card:
- Bobby Green vs. Jim Miller
- Rodolfo Viera vs. Anthony Hernandez
- Belal Muhammad vs. Dhiego Lima
- Polyana Viana vs. Mallory Martin
Early Preliminary Card:
- Ricky Simon vs. Brian Kelleher
- Gabriel Green vs. Phillip Rowe
- Gillian Robertson vs. Miranda Maverick
Feature Image:
Embed from Getty Images
