UFC 180: Ellenberger vs. Gastelum

Jake Ellenberger (29-8) vs. Kelvin Gastelum (10-0)

Two of the very best in the welterweight class go at it on Saturday at UFC 180 in Mexico City, as Jake Ellenberger and Kelvin Gastelum square off.

Ellenberger is looking to bounce back after two consecutive losses. In his last fight, he fell to Robbie Lawler by way of TKO (knees and punches). The other loss was to Rory MacDonald, showing that he has faced some of the very best the sport has to offer. Despite those two defeats, the 29-year-old from Omaha still is considered one of the best in the welterweight class. He is very strong for this class, with knockout power that competes with anybody. Ending his losing skid will not be easy, as Ellenberger is going up against a guy who is undefeated in the UFC. In his last fight on June 28, Gastelum was able to defeat Nicholas Musoke by way of unanimous decision. The 23-year-old from Arizona is new to the sport, but his performances have helped him quickly move up among the top of the ranks in the UFC. While Ellenberger is looking to bounce back from two consecutive tough losses, Gastelum has an opportunity to move into the top-10 of the welterweight class. This is his time to shine, and in the end, GASTELUM will do enough to get the victory.

Gastelum will enter the octagon with a record of 10-0, with four of those victories coming by way of knockout. However, he has shown the ability to win in many other ways, as he has three wins by both submission and decision. He will have a big advantage in this fight when it comes to landing significant strikes, as he connects on 3.61 compared, to 2.44 for Ellenberger. Both guys land about the same percentage of their punches (42% for Gastelum and 39% for Ellenberger), but they don’t get crazy when throwing them. For Gastelum, he was gone the distance in many fights, so he has shown he has the cardio to compete. This is a huge opportunity for him, but he will have to stick to his game plan and not get out of control. If he is ready to fight, he has a great chance to get the win. However, Ellenberger is the type of fighter that can come out and establish himself early.

Ellenberger has 29 victories in his career, with 18 of them coming by way of knockout. He also has six wins by decision and five victories by submission. While Gastelum has an advantage when it comes to striking, Ellenberger has a bigger advantage when it comes to the ground game. In his career, Ellenberger has a takedown average of 2.65, while Gastelum has only 1.58. While Ellenberger is great at taking people down, he also does a tremendous job of defending the takedown (94% takedown defense). Ellenberger will also have advantages in speed and quickness in this fight, so he will have to use that. This match is going to come down to who is able to control the fight, as both have huge advantages in certain areas.