Kelvin Gastelum disagrees with Tyron Woodley title shot, believed Demian Maia was next

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight division is a fight fan's dream. With a plethora of world-class strikers, relentless wrestlers, proven finishers and a champion in Robbie Lawler who simply does not quit, the 170-pound faction represents everything that is unpredictable, barbaric, and artistic about mixed martial arts (MMA).

But with such a collection of deserving title contenders, not everyone is going to agree on who should be next in line to challenge the champion for divisional gold. Just ask current Welterweight hopeful Kelvin Gastelum, who recently argued that No. 3 ranked Tyron Woodley may not have been the best choice for Lawler's next opponent at UFC 201 on July 30.

"I think he needs to beat somebody like Rory MacDonald or somebody like Demian Maia," said Gastelum following UFC 199 this past Saturday (h/t MMA Fighting).

It's ironic that Gastelum mentioned MacDonald, who lost to Lawler in an epic title fight back at UFC 189, considering "Red King" also recently expressed his own frustrations that Woodley got the shot over Maia. It just goes to show you that not everyone in the division sees matchups, rankings, strength of victories, and future potential the exact same way.

"For sure, I would have given it to Demian, because he’s got the most consecutive victories, and there’s not really a top contender right now – a clear top contender," added Gastelum. "I think he would probably be the most deserving."

For what it's worth, Gastelum lost to Woodley back at UFC 183 via split-decision. It was the first loss of his professional mixed martial arts (MMA) career and one that the TUF winner would love to have back, especially considering he missed weight by four pounds.

Gastelum is currently scheduled to fight former UFC Welterweight champion Johny Hendricks at UFC 200 on July 9.