Kelvin Gastelum isn’t wasting any more time looking in the rearview mirror. He’s focused on the road ahead, which the 24-year-old is confident will lead to championship gold.

"The Ultimate Fighter" Season 17 winner is quick to acknowledge there have been bumps in the road, but growing pains and personal construction be damned—Gastelum is ready to tear up the terrain once again. He wants to prove to the world the potential they saw in him storming through the TUF tournament and the welterweight ranks was valid, and furthermore, the best is yet to come.

Experience Can't Be Bought

“The good is coming back around in my life and I’m going to make this a year to remember,” Gastelum said. “I had a great 2014 but a bad 2015, and I’ve put all the negativity of last year behind me. I want people to start talking about the 2016 Kelvin Gastelum—the new and improved K.G. I want people to start talking about me as a title contender, because that’s what I intend to be by the end of the year.”




In Gastelum’s mind, he simply needed time to mature on both the personal and professional fronts. Experience can’t be bought in the fight game, and the Arizona native has learned to appreciate hardships for the lessons they’ve taught him.

His most recent bout against Neil Magny at Fight Night 78 fits that description.

After his inability to hit the required weight limit led him to rough waters at the UFC and a move up to middleweight, Gastelum was finally allowed to return to the division that suits him best when the promotion debuted in Monterrey, Mexico, last November.

A Return to Form

Despite overcoming a slow start, Gastelum’s efforts in the final two frames weren’t enough to tip the balance at the judges’ table. Nevertheless, the fight with Magny proved he could still bring the excitement from bell to bell, as both men netted a “Performance of the Night” bonus for their respective efforts.

Gastelum’s showing at Fight Night 78 may not have yielded a victory, but it showed signs he was returning to form.

“That was a tough pill to swallow for me because it wasn’t just the training camp or that fight, it was more than a year of preparation invested for that moment,” Gastelum said. “It was difficult to get over, but you have to turn the page.

“You have to learn from every experience, good or bad, and you have to continue growing as a person and a fighter. I’ve learned more from my two losses than all of my wins put together.”

The Biggest Opportunity of His Career

The loss in Mexico lit a fire beneath him, and Gastelum is leveraging that motivation at Kings MMA to prepare for his next chance to show and prove. The work invested has him running on a new level of confidence, and Gastelum is adamant a new type of monster will be unveiled on July 9 at UFC 200.
That’s where he’ll face former champion, Johny Hendricks, in what will undoubtedly be the biggest opportunity of his career. Gastelum isn’t interested in being a regular player in the divisional picture; he wants to be king.

“I want to be the champion,” Gastelum said. “Johny [Hendricks] was the champion not too long ago, so this is like a title shot to me. It’s my way of getting closer to the belt. I know there are already several title fights on UFC 200 but in my mind, this is another one, and it’s one fans won’t want to miss.

“Johny has never lost twice in a row, and I’m sure that’s something he doesn’t want to happen. He’s a winner for a reason and he’s going to bring it. I know I’m going to bring it and that should make for an awesome fight.”