UFC 287 Prelims: Kelvin Gastelum Outduels Chris Curtis in Middleweight Slugfest

WHAT A FIGHT TO END THE PRELIMS AT #UFC287 👏 pic.twitter.com/mJEdGcKA5k

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) April 9, 2023

Kelvin Gastelum needed a win in the worst way possible, and Chris Curtis made him go through heavy fire to earn it.

“The Ultimate Fighter 17” winner went toe-to-toe with Curtis for three entertaining rounds, earning a unanimous decision triumph in the featured UFC 287 prelim at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, on Saturday night. Gastelum, who had lost five of his previous six promotional appearances, received scorecards of 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27 from the cageside judges.

Related » UFC 287 Round-by-Round Scoring

Both middleweights traded willingly for the duration of the contest. Gastelum (18-8, 12-8 UFC) enjoyed success landing quick punching combinations to the head — opening a cut over Curtis’ eye in the process — and low kicks. Curtis (30-10, 4-2 UFC), meanwhile, stood in the pocket and fired back, doing some of his best work digging to the body of his opponent. Curtis also had to weather an accidental clash of heads in Round 2, which led to Gastelum swarming with ground-and-pound in hopes of a finish. Curtis kept his head and did his best work of the fight in Round 3, as he upped his volume with punching combinations while adding the occasional elbow and knee to the body in close quarters. It wasn’t enough to overcome the lead Gastelum had already built on the scorecards, however.

Pinheiro Edges Waterson-Gomez

Nova Unia export Luana Pinheiro secured her most significant triumph to date with a split-decision victory over former Invicta FC atomweight title holder Michelle Waterson-Gomez in a strawweight showdown. Chris Lee and Eliseo Rodriguez scored the contest 29-28 for the Brazilian, while Eric Colon had it 29-28 in favor of “The Karate Hottie.” Waterson-Gomez (18-11, 6-7 UFC) has lost five of her last six UFC appearances.

Pinheiro (11-1, 3-0 UFC) attacked with a steady diet of low kicks and powerful right hands, rocking Waterson-Gomez with one right during an exchange in the second stanza. Waterson-Gomez kept things interesting throughout with a varied striking attack, including a spinning back elbow to the chin and a front kick that sat Pinheiro down during an impressive opening stanza. Still, Pinheiro’s ability to land with superior power during exchanges likely made the difference on the scorecards.

Pyfer Rocks Meerschaert

It’s still good to be Joseph Pyfer.

The Dana White’s Contender Series alum secured his fourth straight KO/TKO triumph, as he finished Kill Cliff FC product Gerald Meerschaert with punches in a middleweight pairing. Pyfer dropped his foe with a left hook-right hand combination and sealed the victory with a barrage of standing-to-ground punches at the 3:15 mark of Round 1.

Pyfer took his time wanting for an opening to strike. After a measured beginning, the Pennsylvanian snapped Meerschaert’s head back with a crisp straight right. Shortly thereafter, Pyfer (11-2, 2-0 UFC) sent his opponent to his knees with the aforementioned combination. Meerschaert (35-16, 10-8 UFC) could do little more than cover up on the canvas from there, but referee Marc Goddard gave “GM3” a fairly long leash to turn things around before finally intervening on his behalf.

Godinez Hands Calvillo Fifth Straight Defeat

Ex-Legacy Fighting Alliance strawweight champion Lupita Godinez took a hard-fought split-decision triumph against Cynthia Calvillo in a 115-pound matchup. Eliseo Rodriguez scored it 29-28 and David Tirelli had 30-27 — both for Godinez — while Eric Colon submitted a 29-28 scorecard in favor of Calvillo, who has lost her last five promotional appearances.

Buoyed by consistent forward movement, Godinez (9-3, 4-3 UFC) landed heavier straight punches while blending in the occasional front kick to the body. While Calvillo connected with her left jab repeatedly — bloodying Godinez’s nose in the process — her offense generally lacked the impact of her Mexican opponent. Calvillo’s only takedown of the fight occurred late in Round 1, but she was unable to do anything significant with the position.

Bahamondes Confounds Ogden

A technical striking attack propelled Dana White’s Contender Series alum Ignacio Bahamondes to a clear-cut unanimous decision triumph over Trey Ogden in a 160-pound catchweight bout. All three judges submitted tallies in favor for the Valle Flow Striking representative: 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28. Bahamondes has won three straight since dropping his Octagon debut.

Bahamondes (14-4, 3-1 UFC) kept his opponent guessing with straight punches, kicks to all levels and consistent stance switches. While the Chilean fighter controlled the range, Ogden (16-6, 1-2 UFC) struggled to put together more than one strike at a time. That led to Bahamondes racking up an insurmountable lead on the scorecards.

Garcia Folds Shayilan

Jackson-Wink MMA product Steve Garcia rallied from the brink of defeat to put away Nuerdanbieke Shayilan with a wicked uppercut to the body and follow-up hammerfists in their featherweight encounter. “Mean Machine” ended the contest 36 seconds into Round 2 for his third win in his last four outings. Shayilan (39-11, 3-2 UFC) sees a three-bout winning streak snapped in defeat.

Shayilan set the tone early when he floored Garcia (14-5, 3-2 UFC) with a massive counter right hand. The China Top Team member was unable to seal the deal with standing-to-ground punches, and Garcia eventually regained his senses while holding his opponent close in guard. The tide began to shift late in Round 1, when Garcia returned to his feet and rocked Shayilan with a left hand before the horn.

The Garcia onslaught continued in the second frame, as he put his adversary on the defensive with a pair of heavy hooks to the chin. With Shayilan reeling against the cage, Garcia folded the Chinese featherweight with a kick and uppercut to the liver before unloading with hammerfists on the canvas to force the stoppage.

Hughes Rallies Past Fading Amorim

Fortis MMA export Sam Hughes survived a few precarious moments in Round 1 before rallying for a unanimous decision triumph against former Legacy Fighting Alliance strawweight queen Jaqueline Amorim in a 115-pound tilt. All three judges saw the contest 29-28 in favor of Hughes, who snapped a two-bout losing streak.

Amorim faded badly after a strong opening stanza in which she nearly had rear-naked chokes secured on two separate occasions. When the finish didn’t materialize, the American Top Team representative spent the rest of the fight on her heels. Hughes (8-5, 3-4 UFC) capitalized by walking her foe down, repeatedly denying takedowns and landing solid ground-and-pound from top position. “Sampage” punctuated her victory by landing a flurry of punches near the fence before the final horn sounded. Amorim (6-1, 0-1 UFC) went past the first round for the first time in her professional tenure.