Michael Bisping to Kelvin Gastelum: ‘I Look Forward to Seeing You Take the Belt’
Michael Bisping has been a part of some very heated rivalries during his UFC career but he’s not holding a grudge against Kelvin Gastelum after their fight this past Saturday in China.
The fight took place just three weeks after Bisping suffered a third round submission loss to Georges St-Pierre at UFC 217 that cost him the middleweight title.
Bisping then offered to face Gastelum on short notice with hopes of washing the bad taste of defeat out of his mouth. Unfortunately, Bisping’s plans when awry when Gastelum slammed home a vicious left hand that rendered the former champion unconscious in the first round.
Just days after their fight, Bisping offered Gastelum congratulations via Twitter while nothing that he sees the former “Ultimate Fighter” winner as a future UFC champion.
“Quality work brother. Well done,” Bisping wrote. “I look forward to seeing you take the belt.”
Quality work brother. Well done. I look forward to seeing you take the belt.
— michael (@bisping) November 27, 2017
Gastelum has never competed for UFC gold yet during his career but he’s hoping to change all that after challenging interim middleweight champion Robert Whittaker to a fight in February in Australia.
UFC 221 is set to take place down under and Whittaker fighting on the card makes perfect sense considering it’s his own backyard. That being said, Gastelum was coming off a loss to former champion Chris Weidman when he landed the matchup with Bisping so technically he’s only riding a one-fight win streak.
Still, Gastelum believes knocking out Bisping in such emphatic fashion should earn him the consideration, especially if middleweight champion Georges St-Pierre will be unable to fight again as early as February.
