Welcome to the UFC: Gaston Bolanos

By
Shawn Bitter
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Gaston Bolanos, UFC Kansas City
Gaston Bolanos, UFC Kansas City ceremonial weigh-in Credit: Eddie Law/Cageside Press

The UFC returns to Kansas City this Saturday for the first time since 2017, with a Fight Night card headlined by featherweights Max Holloway and Arnold Allen. There are a couple of newcomers on the UFC Kansas City card, one of which is Bellator MMA vet Gaston Bolanos. He’s paired up with Aaron Phillips.

Gaston “The Dreamkiller” Bolanos
Standing at five-foot-seven
Fighting at 145 lbs (featherweight)
30-years-old
Fighting out of Lima, Peru/Dublin, California
Training out of Combat Sports Academy
A pro record of 6-3
6 KO/TKOs

How Gaston Bolanos will fare in the UFC

The Bolaños signing was a surprising one. All his pro fights have been for Bellator and he is 1-2 in his last three fights. Although he’s provided a few highlight-reel knockouts he should never lose to Bellator prelim-level fighters. I’d imagine the UFC went after him due to his high violence upside.

Bolaños comes from a muay thai/kickboxing upbringing. I remember watching him fight for Lion Fights back in the day on AXS TV. He even went 2-0 in Bellator kickboxing as well.

Through his muay thai and MMA career he’s known for his spinning back elbow knockouts. Although that’s his special move Bolanos is much more than a spinning elbow; rather Bolanos definitely has that muay thai base in his striking. The clinch work with his knees and elbows is nasty. On the outside, he’ll chop away with leg kicks and find his shots with his hands. Everything he does in the striking department is thought out and set up. He attacks every limb and mixes up his attack really well. His striking is nasty and dangerous every second you stand across from him.
Being the traditional striker his takedown defense is going to be tested. Throughout his career, he has been taken down and he’s been submitted twice. He can usually get back to his feet once grounded but will do it leaving himself open to get his back taken or subbed. I can’t be too excited about the upside of Bolanos due to who he’s lost to already. With the right match-ups, I do think he will put on memorable fights. Fun signing at the very least.

How Bolanos and Aaron Phillips match up:

Still surprised Phillips was signed back to the UFC after going 0-2 in 2014. He’s lacked that one good legitimate win to prove he’s UFC level. He hasn’t fought in almost three years and is coming off a loss to Jack Shore. This is a fight made to set up Bolanos for a win. You want a wrestler to beat Bolanos and Phillips hardly wrestles enough. On the feet, Phillips is low-volume and isn’t the best defensively. Not super confident but this is a perfect stylistic match-up for Bolanos.

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