The highly anticipated middleweight fight between Kelvin Gastelum and Joe Pyfer, previously cancelled at UFC Mexico, has been rescheduled. The two fighters are now set to clash at UFC 316, taking place on June 7th at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Sources familiar with the promotion`s plans confirmed the rebooking to MMA media outlets, following an initial announcement by Pyfer’s head coach, John Marquez, on a sports program.
Their initial matchup was called off just before the event in March due to Pyfer falling ill. Following the cancellation, Pyfer expressed strong negative feelings towards Mexico, stating he would never compete there again, attributing his illness to the environment and altitude of Mexico City.
Pyfer explained on social media that despite taking precautions to acclimatize to the altitude, he still became sick. He voiced his frustration and declared his intention to avoid fighting in Mexico in the future.
Now, Pyfer will not need to return to Mexico. Instead, he will participate in UFC`s June event in New Jersey.
UFC 316 is set to be headlined by a bantamweight title fight rematch between champion Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley. The co-main event will feature Julianna Peña defending her women’s bantamweight title against newcomer Kayla Harrison.
Marcus Blakely