UFC News: Daniel Rodriguez Suspects Foul Play in Kelvin Gastelum Weight Miss

Rodriguez says Gastelum fighting at 185lbs could have been a part of his "strategy" all along.

Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Daniel Rodriguez has never been one to back down from a fight, and that didn't change with Kelvin Gastelum last weekend.

UFC Saudi Arabia was supposed to be another day in the office for the welterweight Rodriguez, who went through one of his 'most disciplined' training camps to date before his weight cut to 170lbs. Rodriguez started off fight week right on schedule at 179lbs with a few more pounds to lose when he got the call from UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby about moving the fight up in weight to cater to Gastelum - who apparently had a tough time getting down to the welterweight limit.

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Rodriguez offered to fight at a catchweight of 178lbs or 180lbs, which was met with a 'no' from Shelby. Under pressure and unable to reach his manager, "D-Rod" ended up taking the fight with Gastelum in a different weight class altogether at middleweight (185lbs), where he'd ultimately lose by unanimous decision on fight night.

"Maybe It Was A Strategy On Their End"

Gastelum has come in heavy at welterweight before on two separate occasions, leaving Rodriguez to wonder if this was all part of Gastelum's plan going into a "do-or-die" fight for him in Saudi Arabia.

Apr 13, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; Kelvin Gastelum (red gloves) runs to the Octagon before a bout against Israel Adesanya (not pictured) during UFC 236 at State Farm Arena. Adesanya won by unanimous decision. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

"To me, I'll never say no to a fight," Rodriguez said on The Culture Crooks Podcast. "I'll never back down from a fight. So, maybe it was a strategy on their end because they knew I wasn't gonna say no. I never say no. They know that I'm not gonna say no."

What "D-Rod" Told Gastelum After Their Fight

To make matters worse for Gastelum, the UFC veteran ironically debuted a new YouTube series called "Missing Weight", trying a variety of Mexican food en route to his fight with Rodriguez.

Following their three-round affair at middleweight, Rodriguez asked Gastelum why he couldn't have relayed the fact that he wasn't going to make the welterweight limit sooner. That would have allowed Rodriguez to not be so depleted as he was during fight week, trying to pack on pounds in the last few days leading up to the fight.

"I was like, 'Fool, what the f***?'" Rodriguez recalled what he said to Gastelum post-fight. "You could've told me that s*** earlier because that s*** made a difference. I'm out here starving, trying to f***ing fight and make weight. Motherf*****, we could've both been eating tacos. We could've both been drinking beers and s***, fool."

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How The Weight Change Impacted Rodriguez's Performance

Rodriguez also believes the fight would have played out differently, had he known he was going to be fighting at middleweight instead of welterweight - as some have suggested online.

Sep 10, 2022; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Li Jingliang (red gloves) fights Daniel Rodriguez (blue gloves) during UFC 279 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

"Imagine if I agreed to fight him at 85. I would've been a different dude. I would've been hitting that motherf****** harder. I would've been stronger, bigger, ready to [fight], more cardio. I'd have been fighting that fool at my normal f****** weight where I'm a beast. That's like a percentage of me when I'm all cut down to 170, but normal s***, I'm solid," Rodriguez reflected.

Gastelum On Coming In Heavy

Kelvin Gastelum would apologize for the sudden weight change in his post-fight interview, pleading to Dana White and the UFC matchmakers to let him keep his job.

Got it done! 😤@KelvinGastelum earns the Unanimous Decision victory over Daniel Rodriguez#UFCSaudiArabia | #RiyadhSeason pic.twitter.com/fakNfiOyfc

— UFC (@ufc) June 22, 2024

"I wanna be the best company man that I can be," Gastelum said following his win over Rodriguez. "I have the best intentions for this company. I love the UFC. I wanna stay in the UFC forever, as long as I can. I'm sorry what happened this week was unacceptable. I promise I will be better. I know I've said that before but I'm not a perfect person. I always try and be better."

While Kelvin Gastelum's future in the UFC is uncertain after disapproval from the boss Dana White, Daniel Rodriguez has been compensated with a new six-fight contract with the promotion, along with 30% of Gastelum's purse, which he says could be between $60-70K.

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