Kelvin Gastelum has already been burnt once this year back at UFC 234 when his UFC Middleweight title fight against Robert Whittaker was canceled on the day of the fight due to gastric issues suffered by the former champion.
Given that history, one would be excused for thinking that he would welcome a backup for his fight against Darren Till. However, that is not the case. Despite the fact that Till is currently facing visa issues, Gastelum has refused a backup option with Jared Cannonier.
Kelvin Gastelum not worried about Darren Till fight ahead of UFC 244
In the middle of the fight week, there was sudden doubt cast on Darren Till vs Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 244. News broke that Till's trip to the United States would be delayed due to visa issues. As a result, it was announced by the UFC that he would not be attending the open workouts or the media day alongside the other fighters.
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A report then surfaced with regards to Jared Cannonier preparing to step in, if required. He was already training and prepared for the eventuality. However, Gastelum has said that if Till cannot make it to the fight then he won't be fighting Cannonier.
He also said that he was not really concerned about the eventuality. He told MMA Junkie that it was not fair to him to have to fight Jared Cannonier on two-days notice.
“To be honest I’m not really concerned about it. If something happens, this is the guy we’ve been preparing to fight and I feel like, for me to fight a Jared Cannonier in the backup is just not fair to me. I can’t take a fight like that on two days’ notice.”
He said that he would fight Till even if the fighter did not make weight due to travel issues.
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