Kelvin Gastelum is standing at a crossroads.

In one direction there are the missteps, past and present, following his recent failure to make weight, which caused a landslide of controversy at UFC 205. Gastelum has struggled numerous times to make the 170-pound mark, and those incidents have served to take some shine off of a career that should be filled with nothing but promise.

"The entire situation sucked, and it was my fault it happened," Gastelum said regarding his failure to make weight at UFC 205. "The only thing I wish is that they would have given me more time. They came to me and asked me to cut down to 176, but they only gave me an hour to do it, and I was done, man. By that time I was done and cutting two or three pounds in an hour would be hard enough, but where I was at it was damn near impossible.

"I told them I couldn't do it, and they came back and said they were going to have to call the fight off. I said, 'OK...that's what we have to do then according to you guys.' So that's what they did.

"I wanted to make the weight. I went into fight week intending to make the weight, but it just didn't happen. I apologize to all the fans, and I apologize to Donald Cerrone because I was really looking forward to that fight."


Jul 9, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Kelvin Gastelum (blue gloves) punches Johny Hendricks (red gloves) during UFC 200 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joshua Dahl-USA TODAY Sports

The only direction Gastelum cares about in the here and now is the road ahead. He's well aware of how crucial his next step will be, and therein lies a hint of who Gastelum is as both a person and a fighter.

There are no excuses to be made. No blame to be placed on anyone but himself. Every step taken is his and his alone, and come hell or high water "The Ultimate Fighter" winner plans to learn and overcome.

"I came into this game at a very young age and didn't know much about anything," Gastelum said. "I'm slowly learning my way as I go, and that's how it's always been. It hasn't been easy. My growing pains have been public more than the majority of other people ever experience, but it's been a learning experience I've grown from.

"I'm still growing as a man and a fighter. This last experience only motivated me more and lit a fire for the future. I'm determined to carve out my place. Nothing I can do will make past missteps just vanish and disappear. That's out of my control now. The only thing I can do is prove who I am and what I can do. That's the thing that motivates me, and I've never been more fired up than I am right now."


Joshua Lindsey-USA TODAY Sports

Although Gastelum left New York under a cloud of scrutiny from the UFC, it didn't take long for the door to potential redemption to open up. A middleweight tilt between Tim Kennedy and Rashad Evans was also scratched from the ticket at UFC 205 but was quickly rescheduled for UFC 206 in Toronto on Dec. 10.

As fate would have it, Evans, the former light heavyweight champion, failed to receive medical clearance, and this left Kennedy without an opponent once again. Gastelum saw the opportunity and immediately set his team on the path of securing a bout with the former Strikeforce title challenger.

Gastelum knew the suspension he had hovering in New York state could present a potential roadblock, but he kept a positive mindset all would be settled. And fortunately for the 25-year-old, the road has now become clear for him to scrap with Kennedy in Ontario.

"My team and my management deserve all the credit," Gastelum said. "They are the ones who have been busting their asses trying to get this damn suspension taken care of. It looks like they are getting the job done. I had to pay a fine to the commission and it looks like they'll accept it and pretty soon it looks like we'll see the suspension lifted.

"These last few weeks have been hard to stay positive. There have been a lot of people commenting and saying nasty things on the internet, but it is what it is. I'm staying positive, and the last time I went through this it ate me up, man. It ate me up with all of the negativity being thrown at me, but I'm not going to let that happen this time."


Jan 31, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Tyrone Woodley (red gloves) takes a punch from Kelvin Gastelum (blue gloves) during their welterweight bout during UFC 183 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

While Gastelum is excited to have another target on the calendar so quickly, his recent turn of good fortune hasn't taken his mind off being scratched from the card at Madison Square Garden. Missing the chance to compete against a legendary opponent in a historic venue is something he'll never discard, but that event will forever be in the past.

Therefore, the path ahead will receive every drop of his focus, and he'll make that walk with the intention of righting whatever wrongs he can manage.

"I made a mistake, a big one. But the road I'm looking to travel now is one where I learn from what happened, and I turn that into something very positive," Gastelum said. "I want to make it right, and wanting to make it right is a big part of why I wanted to step in on this short notice fight to face Tim Kennedy.

"I did them a disservice in New York, but now I get to help out the UFC by stepping up in Toronto. I'm sure it will take awhile to get back in Dana [White's] good graces, but that isn't going to stop me from trying. I'm not just going to go away. I sent him a nice little text wishing him a happy Thanksgiving, and I'll let my actions do the rest.

"I plan on making a big statement against Tim Kennedy. I have a lot of frustrations to let out and a big statement to make in Toronto. I'm just waiting for the moment to come and staying positive. He's a tough veteran, and I think this is going to be a gritty fight where both guys put it all on the line. That's what Tim and I do, and that's what will give the fans something to get excited for."



There are plenty of gym days and long nights for Gastelum to contemplate where he currently stands. The upcoming bout against Kennedy will be a tough test in a weight class he's found plenty of success in, although it's not the place the California native planned on making his run.

Nevertheless, competing at 185 pounds is the opportunity that presented itself, and Gastelum is damn sure determined to make the absolute most of his shot at personal redemption.

"I'm ready for this war, and I've been ready," Gastelum said. "I immediately went back to the gym and started sharpening the tools I already had ready to go. I'm ready to start crawling out of this ditch I dug for myself, and I'm ready to start down a new path."

Furthermore, the struggles of the past six weeks have changed his entire outlook on life as a professional fighter, and Gastelum has vowed to make an entire lifestyle change in order to prove his commitment to becoming the best fighter he can be.

"I'm trying to make some serious changes in my life," Gastelum said. "This fight will take place at middleweight, and I'm walking around just a few pounds out from that limit. I'm staying light from here on out, because it's no secret I blow up a bit between fights, and it happens easily. It doesn't happen when I'm in camp, but outside of camp I can get up there.

"I'm not sure if people realize it, but I lost 35 pounds in my two months of camp and that's not including the weight cut. It's not an easy thing to do but it's all on me. I think people thought I was chilling out and slamming down burgers throughout the camp, but that's not true. I lose nearly 40 pounds, but again, that's all on me.

"I have to make serious changes to my lifestyle and stay lighter and that's what this bad experience in New York taught me," he added. "It doesn't change what happened, but it can change how I do things going forward. And that's what matters."