Kelvin Gastelum and Vitor Belfort both hoping for Rio return

Kelvin Gastelum and Vitor Belfort are at very different points in their respective careers, however, especially after Gastelum knocked out Belfort in the first round of Saturday’s middleweight main event.

Belfort hopes a fight on the UFC 212 card on June 3 can serve as a retirement bout in his native country as he has just one fight left on his contract.

Gastelum is still climbing the ranks and believes a headlining spot against Anderson Silva, who he specifically called out, could accelerate that process.

“It’s a combination of a lot of things,” Gastelum said of why he wants to fight Silva. “(He) is a big name, he’s another legend, and he’s ranked above me. I want to keep moving up the rankings. I want a fight that will eventually give me a title shot. If we want to go ahead and make it happen on June 3 in Rio, I’d love for it to happen.”

Gastelum is now 4-o at middleweight with his last two fights coming in the weight class and ending in knockout. He continues to tease a return to welterweight, where he has had issues making 170 pounds, but says he will stay up at 185 as long as he gets big fights.

“I said I wanted to get a fight that interests me at middleweight,” he said. “If I get a fight that interests me at middleweight I’d definitely stay, and Anderson is one of those guys that I definitely would be interested to fight.”

Belfort doesn’t have a specific opponent in mind. The 39-year-old Brazilian just realizes that with three straight knockout losses and just one fight left on his contract, one final hurrah in Rio makes sense.

“I want to continue fighting, but I have to recognize there comes a time the training is very tiring for someone who’s been fighting 20 years,” Belfort said. “I was confident I was going to knock him out, and everything happened in reverse.

“I want to do the last fight of my contract. I think it’s my time to finish my chapter in this as a professional fighter.”

Belfort has actually expressed interest in the formation of a sort of legends league for older fighters with modified rules.

For now, he just wants one more shot to go out on a high note.

DIAZ GIVES MCGREGOR A ‘CHANCE’

Most analysts don’t give Conor McGregor much of a shot to beat Floyd Mayweather Jr. if the two ever do step into a boxing ring for what could be the biggest-selling fight in combat sport sports history.

Mayweather is undefeated, while McGregor has never had a professional fight in the sport.

One of McGregor’s biggest rivals in the UFC thinks McGregor poses a threat to Mayweather in the theoretical fight should it ever come to fruition.

“I think it is a publicity stunt but McGregor, when it comes to boxing, is good,” Nate Diaz said on CSN Fights. “He’s got a good chance to make something happen in two or three rounds. If anything, he has two or three good rounds. He’s got an amateur style; he’s got good movement and good punches for six or eight minutes.

“He’s got a puncher’s chance, if anything.”

There are still many logistical issues to be worked out before any analysis is relevant.

UFC 211 STACKED

A matchup of featherweight contenders has been added to an already loaded UFC 211 card in Dallas.

Top prospect Yair Rodriguez will fight Frankie Edgar on the May 13 card.

UFC 211 is scheduled to be headlined by a heavyweight title fight between champion Stipe Miocic and former champ Junior dos Santos. Women’s strawweight champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk will also defend her belt against Jessica Andrade.

Top welterweight contenders Demian Maia and Jorge Masvidal will also meet on the card, which also includes a lightweight bout between Eddie Alvarez and Dustin Poirier as well as a flyweight contest pitting Henry Cejudo against Sergio Pettis.

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Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-277-8028. Follow @adamhilllvrj on Twitter.