Kelvin Gastelum inched former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight titleholder Michael Bisping closer to retirement and did so in unceremonious fashion.
Only two other men have stopped Bisping with strikes: Dan Henderson and Vitor Belfort. Neither of them was quicker on the draw than Gastelum. “The Ultimate Fighter 17” winner clanged a two-punch combination off Bisping’s head midway through the first round, a wicked left hook doing a majority of the damage. The Brit kissed the canvas in a defenseless state and required referee Marc Goddard’s assistance after a few follow-up punches.
In the aftermath of UFC Fight Night “Bisping vs. Gastelum,” here are five matches that ought to be made:
Kelvin Gastelum vs. Ronaldo Souza: For all his issues with the scale, Gastelum seems to be settling into life as a middleweight. The Kings MMA star has won three of his four fights since returning to 185 pounds, though his technical knockout against Vitor Belfort on March 11 was later changed to a no-contest after he tested positive for marijuana. Gastelum, 26, now owns a 9-3 record inside the Octagon -- his only defeats were to Chris Weidman, Neil Magny and Tyron Woodley -- and appears to be in line for a shot at another one of the UFC’s premier middleweights. Souza has not fought since he bowed to Robert Whittaker at UFC on Fox 24 in April.
Jingliang Li vs. Alex Oliveira-Yancy Medeiros winner: Li can no longer be ignored at 170 pounds. The China Top Team cornerstone won for the sixth time in eight appearances under the UFC banner, as he disposed of Zak Ottow with first-round punches in the co-main event. Li needed less than three minutes to finish the job. The 29-year-old now finds himself on a four-fight winning streak following consecutive victories over Ottow, Frank Camacho, Bobby Nash and Anton Zafir. Oliveira and Medeiros are scheduled to lock horns at UFC 218 on Dec. 2 in Detroit.
Zabit Magomedsharipov vs. Jason Knight-Gabriel Benitez winner: The considerable hype behind Magomedsharipov only figures to grow after the Dagestani prospect submitted Sheymon da Silva Moraes with an anaconda choke in the third round of their featured prelim at 145 pounds. The former Absolute Championship Berkut titleholder spent the majority of the lopsided affair stifling Moraes with takedowns, top control and ground-and-pound. Magomedsharipov cinched the fight-ending choke and prompted the tapout 4:30 into Round 3, extending his winning streak to 10 bouts. Knight will square off with Benitez at UFC Fight Night 123 on Dec. 9 in Fresno, California.
Alex Garcia vs. Vicente Luque: Garcia has run hot and cold since joining the UFC roster in 2013, having alternated wins and losses in each of his past six outings. The Tristar Gym representative enjoyed his most complete performance to date at the expense of Muslim Salikhov, as he submitted the decorated kickboxer with a rear-naked choke in the second round of their welterweight showcase. Salikhov conceded defeat 3:22 into Round 2, suffering his first setback since Dec. 15, 2012. Luque last competed at UFC Fight Night 119 on Oct. 28, when he submitted Niko Price with a second-round brabo choke in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and improved to 5-2 in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Michael Bisping vs. Nate Marquardt: Nearing the end of his hall-of-fame career, Bisping was no match for the younger, faster and more powerful Gastelum in the makeshift headliner. Now approaching his 39th birthday and with the considerable mileage of a 39-fight career on his odometer, “The Count” appears ready to hang up the gloves when the UFC returns to London in the first quarter of 2018. Marquardt, also 38, has entered a similar stage of his career. The former Pancrase and Strikeforce champion has dropped consecutive decisions to Cezar Ferreira, Vitor Belfort and Sam Alvey. Perhaps Marquardt and Bisping can walk off the stage together.