FloCombat Road Trip (#FCRoadTrip) -- West Coast

Kelvin Gastelum Open to Fight With Georges St-Pierre

Kelvin Gastelum Open to Fight With Georges St-Pierre

Rising UFC star Kelvin Gastelum shares his thoughts on the return of former welterweight king Georges St-Pierre.

Feb 20, 2017 by Duane Finley
Kelvin Gastelum Open to Fight With Georges St-Pierre
Kelvin Gastelum is looking to make 2017 the year his MMA career hits a new level.

The Ultimate Fighter winner stamped a strong 2016 campaign with back-to-back victories over tough competition, and wasted no time making sure his targets were even bigger in the new year. The Kings MMA representative will face former two-division title challenger and MMA legend Vitor Belfort at UFC Fight Night 106 on March 11 in Brazil, in a fight that has the potential to lift Gastelum to an entirely new realm of visibility in the MMA realm.

While "The Phenom" hasn't resembled the legendary knockout machine he once was in recent years, Belfort still carries fight-ending power in his hands and feet. Gastelum is well aware of the dangers the pioneer will present, and is confident he'll have an answer for everything his opponent will bring to the table in Fortaleza, Brazil.

Gastelum has every intention of getting 2017 off to an impressive start, and believes he will solidify himself as a legitimate title contender before the year comes to a close. And while a win over Belfort would give Gastelum considerable momentum in the 185-pound division, the California native isn't ruling out a return to the welterweight ranks in the future.

Should Gastelum and the UFC come to an agreement and the Rafael Cordeiro-trained fighter is allowed to drop back down to the 170-pound fold, the 25-year-old plans to keep aiming at the biggest names possible en route to a shot at championship gold. When it comes to high profiles under the UFC banner, there is perhaps none bigger than Georges St-Pierre.

The pound-for-pound great ruled the welterweight division for nearly a decade before walking away from the sport in late 2013. St-Pierre edged out Johny Hendricks in a controversial split decision at UFC 167, then went on hiatus citing changes that needed to be made in the UFC's drug testing policy. The French-Canadian star vowed he would not return until such issues were overhauled, and it appears as if St-Pierre has seen enough to set his return in motion.

UFC President Dana White told the Los Angeles Times St-Pierre has signed a new deal, and the news immediately dominated headlines around the sport. Upon hearing the news, Gastelum was excited to learn the former welterweight king would be returning to the Octagon, and shared his reaction with FloCombat Senior Editor Duane Finley during their interview on the FC Road Trip Project.

"He came back finally," Gastelum said. "I heard he finally has a contract so I hear that's good news. 

"He's 34 or 35 years old now, and I remember sitting down and having lunch with him because I helped him for his last training camp against [Johny] Hendricks. I remember sitting down and he told me he was going to retire after that last fight, but then eventually he would come back. But he didn't know he'd come back to fight me maybe. It would be an honor to share the cage with a legend like GSP."