Daniel Rodriguez and Kelvin Gastelum were originally slated to fight on the UFC Saudi Arabia main card in a welterweight contest. The match will now take place in the middleweight division after Gastelum had issued cutting weight.
Gastelulm has missed weight several times in the past and had returned to the welterweight division in his last fight in December. During the UFC Saudi Arabia Media Day, Rodriguez explained the situation and said that he ‘lost a little respect’ for Gastelum because of it.
“Matchmakers reached out and I tried to get it to a catchweight, but he must be having such a bad fight camp that he can’t even make 180. It’s been 13 weeks since I found out about this fight. I’m sure he has, too. So the fact that he’s saying that he’s having a bad fight camp makes no sense. I feel like it’s lack of discipline. I don’t know if Kelvin Gastelum is having a bad fight camp or he’s just being lazy and doesn’t want to make the weight,” Rodriguez said.
“I already agreed to 185. I’m so invested in this fight. It put me in a really tough spot. I need this fight to happen. It’s been such a long fight camp and I did agree to take a percentage of his purse, which is only fair. I just felt like 180 would have been a good weight, but it’s not my first time coming through for the company, and I want the UFC to know that I’m that guy that’s going to make the sacrifices even if it’s not in my favor,” Rodriguez continued. “In the sense of being a professional, I feel like I lost a little respect for the guy.”
Saturday marks the fight promotion’s first trip to Saudi Arabia. The event is headlined by a middleweight bout between former champion Robert Whittaker and rising star Ikram Aliskerov.
