TUF champion Kelvin Gastelum will be entering enemy territory this weekend at UFC Fight Night 106 when he faces Brazilian MMA legend Vitor Belfort.
No matter where the fight is being held, the end result is going to be a knockout -- according to Gastelum.
“For sure, this is a big deal for me,” Gastelum said to MMA Junkie. “It’s a big deal to fight a guy like Vitor. I know how much of a big deal he is, and I give him the respect that he deserves, but once that cage door closes, that respect is gone for 25 minutes. I’m very confident in my abilities to strike with him, too. So for sure I’m looking to get a knockout, but also I’m not going to be dumb to where I’m going to play just his game. We’re going to do MMA. This is MMA, so we’ll do MMA.”
Belfort will be entering the fight while on a two fight losing streak. Gastelum has been preparing for the best Belfort, with or without the losing streak.
“I prepared for the best Vitor,” Gastelum said. “I know he’s coming off two losses. I know nobody wants to lose three times in a row, so he’s kind of got his back up against the wall in this fight. I feel like whenever somebody has their back up against the wall, that’s when they react the hardest and react the quickest, so I expect the best version of Vitor on Saturday.”
UFC Fight Night 106 takes place on Saturday, March 11 from the Centro de Formacao Olimpica do Nordeste in Fortaleza, Brazil with Kelvin Gastelum and Vitor Belfort headlining, the main card airs live on Fox Sports 1. Fightful will be providing live coverage of the event, with a post-show podcast to follow.
