Gutierrez’s UFC 313 Booking Unraveled Through Two Opponent
Chris Gutierrez’s scheduled meeting with Jean Matsumoto did not reach UFC 313 on March 8, 2025. A reshuffle sent Matsumoto to Seattle, and a replacement matchup with John Castaneda was then canceled before the Las Vegas card began.
Matsumoto moved to a different assignment
Matsumoto was rebooked against Rob Font at UFC Seattle on February 22. The pair fought at a 140-pound catchweight at Climate Pledge Arena.
Font won a split decision, with two judges returning 29–28 in his favor and the third scoring the same margin for Matsumoto. That change left Gutierrez needing another opponent for UFC 313.
A short-notice replacement also fell through
Castaneda agreed to face Gutierrez at featherweight because of the limited preparation time. Their proposed 145-pound contest was added to the T-Mobile Arena event during fight week.
Castaneda had also lost a previous booking when Douglas Silva de Andrade was not medically cleared. The new opportunity ended in another cancellation when Castaneda became ill, according to the UFC’s official event update.
The replacement fight eventually happened elsewhere
Gutierrez and Castaneda finally met at UFC Kansas City on April 26, 2025. Gutierrez won the three-round contest by split decision.
Two judges scored the bout 29–28 for Gutierrez, while the third favored Castaneda by the same margin. The later result completed that replacement pairing, but it came at a different event after neither of Gutierrez’s proposed UFC 313 opponents made it into the cage with him.
Sources
- MMA Fighting: original pairing, replacement and featherweight terms
- UFC: illness cancellation and March 8 venue
- UFC: Font–Matsumoto scores and Seattle date
- UFC: Gutierrez–Castaneda official scorecards
- UFC: April 26 bout date
