The UFC wants its first trip to New York since 1995 to be a special one, so they're turning to one of their most popular fighters.
According to ESPN's Brett Okamoto, Donald Cerrone has been added to the UFC 205 card. His opponent? The Ultimate Fighter season 18 winner Kelvin Gastelum.
Just confirmed with @danawhite, Cowboy Cerrone vs. Kelvin Gastelum agreed for UFC 205 on Nov. 12 at MSG.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) September 14, 2016
A longtime contender at 155 pounds, Cerrone has looked absolutely phenomenal since moving up to 170. He debuted in the weight class in February by submitting Alex Oliveira and has since knocked out two enduring veterans in Patrick Cote and Rick Story. This fight with Gastelum offers him the opportunity to cement his place in the top 10, and potentially work his way into a title shot in the competitive, but wide open, welterweight field.
Gastelum is no slouch, however. Since winning TUF18 in 2013, Gastelum has quickly developed into one of the best young fighters in the UFC. Despite being just 24 years old, he owns a 7-2 UFC record with his two losses coming via hotly contested split decision. A big fight on a big card against a big name will help to build him up further, win or lose.
Of course, this is something of a "Plan B" fight for the UFC. Cerrone was initially attached to the card for a fight with former welterweight champion Robbie Lawler, but the fight fell through due to the lingering effects of Lawler's loss to Tyron Woodley at UFC 201. Gastelum, meanwhile, was penned to face Jorge Masvidal at The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America 3 Finale.
Cerrone vs. Gastelum isn't the only fun fight scheduled for UFC 205, either, with former light heavyweight champ Rashad Evans dropping down to 185 pounds to face Tim Kennedy, and Al Iaquinta returning from a long layoff to face former welterweight contender Thiago Alves.
With the card's November 12 date fast approaching, there is sure to be plenty more UFC 205 news coming down the pipeline in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.
