Middleweights Kelvin Gastelum and Joe Pyfer have been rebooked for the UFC 316 main card. Will striking be the determining factor?
Kelvin Gastelum and Joe Pyfer meet Saturday on the main card of UFC 316 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
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Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer UFC 316 preview
Gastelum (19-9 MMA, 13-9 UFC) will aim to make it back-to-back wins for the first time since 2017-18. The former interim title challenger has gone 3-5 since that opportunity for a piece of the title. However, he’s 2-1 over his last three, including a unanimous decision over Daniel Rodriguez in his last appearance a year ago. … Pyfer (13-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC) also looks to stay in the win column and make it two in a row after a first-round stoppage of Marc-Andre Barriault last year. Pyfer’s lone UFC loss came in the fight prior, a unanimous decision against Jack Hermansson. Thus far, Pyfer has yet to reach the judges in his victorious UFC outings.
Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer UFC 316 expert pick, prediction
Filling out the main card is a middleweight rebooking between Gastelum and Pyfer.
This was initially slated to take place a couple of months back in Mexico City, but Pyfer notably fell ill at the eleventh hour and the fight was moved to this weekend.
Gastelum looks to be in solid shape coming into this contest, but it’s impossible to deny his lack of size in this division and the lack of consistency he’s shown throughout this back half of his career.
I suspect that Pyfer will hit his own hard ceilings in this division, but I also believe that he’s a better wrestler and grappler than he’s given credit for – which is particularly relevant to this matchup given Gastelum’s traditional weaknesses.
Add in the fact that Pyfer comes from a grappling-heavy camp that’s currently red-hot in the UFC and already owns wins over his opponent, and I can’t help but pick Pyfer to roll here.
The official pick is Pyfer by submission in Round 2.
Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer UFC 316 odds
The oddsmakers and the public favor the Contender Series product, listing Pyfer -420 and Gastelum +310 via FanDuel.
Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer UFC 316 start time, how to watch
Gastelum and Pyfer are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 10:10 p.m. ET. The fight broadcasts on ESPN+ pay-per-view.
