LAS VEGAS, NV – AUGUST 20: Kelvin Gastelum poses on the weigh-in scale during the UFC Fight Night weigh-ins at UFC APEX on August 20, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Ahead of this Saturday’s UFC in Saudi Arabia, rumors circulated (and were confirmed) that Kelvin Gastelum would miss the welterweight limit and have to move up to 185 pounds for his bout with Daniel Rodriguez, and this isn’t the first time Gastelum has struggled with weight.
Kelvin Gastelum (18-9 MMA, 12-9 UFC)
Welterweight (170 lbs.): 5-2 (UFC), has missed weight three times at UFC
Catchweight (180 lbs): 0-1 (UFC)* (due to being significantly underweight)
Middleweight (185 lbs): 7-6, 1NC (UFC), 4-0 (TUF), former UFC title challenger, Ultimate Fighter Season 17 winner
Kelvin Gastelum has struggled with weight issues throughout his UFC career. He has been featured in the WCC over 10 times, which is unfortunate as he is a very talented fighter and The Ultimate Fighter Season 17 winner who has had a long and successful career with UFC. Kelvin has come close to becoming UFC champion several times throughout his UFC career, and in multiple weight classes.
Weight issues and recent injuries have held Kelvin back big time. At 5’9″ and 71.5″, Kelvin is a stocky guy, but 170 pounds seems like a good place to start for his skill and build. Looking back at his UFC career, Kelvin has had some success at middleweight, but it was limited.
2012
November-December: 21-year-old Kelvin competed in the 185-pound weight class on Season 17 of The Ultimate Fighter. Kelvin was the second-to-last fighter selected to the team. Gastelum defeated Kito Andrews and then defeated Bubba McDaniel, Collin Hart, and Josh Samman on his way to the TUF 17 Finals.
2013
April: Kelvin defeats Uriah Hall by split decision to become the TUF 17 winner.
August: Kelvin moved to the 170-pound division and defeated Brian Melancon via first-round submission.
2014
March: Kelvin defeats Rick Story by split decision.
*June: Kelvin weighed in at 172.8 pounds ahead of his bout with Nico Musoke, but still won by unanimous decision the following night.
November: Kelvin submitted Jake Ellenberger in the co-main event of UFC 180. The first-round submission earned Kelvin a performance bonus and a title eliminator fight.
2015
*January: Kelvin did not make weight before his title bout against Tyron Woodley. Kelvin weighed in at 180 pounds, and “T-Wood” agreed to change the welterweight bout to a 180-pound catchweight bout. To make matters worse, Kelvin lost by split decision. This was also the first of two times that UFC president Dana White commented that Kevin should not fight at 170 pounds. White told Combatte at UFC 183 that “this is the last time he’ll fight at welterweight.” White said:
“He had weight issues and had to go to hospital but the doctor cleared him to come to the weigh-in. He was 10lbs over. He will have to move up to middleweight.”
June: Kelvin will stop Nate Marquardt at 185 pounds.
November: Kelvin returns to the cage at 170 pounds and loses a split decision to Neil Magny.
2016
July: Kelvin takes on former UFC welterweight champion Johny Hendricks, who was two fights away from retaining his belt. He wins by unanimous decision, earning him a spot at UFC 200.
*November: Gastelum was scheduled to fight Donald Cerrone on the historic UFC 205: Alvarez vs. McGregor card in New York. Gastelum was reported to weigh in at around 180 pounds, but never actually stepped on the scale because he was overweight. The bout, which was supposed to be a big opportunity and rank boost, was canceled.
This was the second (and final) time Dana White made this declaration.
“I’m never going to let him fight at 170 pounds again.”
He spoke to FOX Sports ahead of UFC 205.
December: Returning to 185 pounds, Gastelum competed at UFC 206 and defeated Tim Kennedy by TKO in the third round.
2017
March: Gastelum appeared in his first UFC main event, knocking out veteran Vitor Belfort in the first round (the bout was later ruled a no contest).
July: Gastelum loses to former middleweight champion Chris Weidman. “The All-American” had only two fights and had not held the belt for 19 months. Kelvin submits in the third round in just his second main event appearance.
November: Gastelum knocks out former middleweight champion Michael Bisping in the first round and retires him in another main event bout for Gastelum. Gastelum receives a performance bonus for the knockout. This is Bisping’s first bout since losing the belt to GSP.
2018
May: Kelvin wins a split decision over Ronaldo Souza in the co-main event of UFC 224. The bout was a title eliminator and earned Fight of the Night honors.
2019
April: Kevlin loses to Israel Adesanya for the UFC interim middleweight title in a bout that is remembered as one of the greatest fights of all time and is named Fighter of the Day.
November: Gastelum faces Darren Till in his second main event of the year. “The Gorilla” beat Kelvin by split decision in a middleweight bout.
2020
July: Kevlin again competes in the co-main event against Jack Hermansson, who Gastelum loses to via heel hook in the first round.
2021
February: Kelvin wins a unanimous decision over Ian Heinisch at UFC 258.
April: Kelvin loses to former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker. Whittaker wins by unanimous decision, putting him two fights away from losing the title. For Kelvin, this marks his return to the main event of a UFC match.
August: Kelvin loses again to Jared Cannonier by unanimous decision in what will be Kelvin’s fifth main event appearance.
2023
April: Kelvin once again put in his best performance of the night against Chris Curtis, earning a unanimous decision victory.
December: Gastelum returns to 170 pounds for the first time in seven and a half years. Speaking to the media ahead of his return, he specifies his plans to maintain his weight, saying he’s “going to focus a little more on dieting. This has always been my right weight class.”
Unfortunately, on fight day, Kelvin lost by unanimous decision to Shawn Brady.
2024
Kelvin and Daniel Rodriguez had agreed to fight at 170 pounds for their UFC Saudi Arabia bout, but on Thursday morning, Kelvin notified UFC officials that he would not be able to make the weight.
“The matchmaker actually contacted me. They wanted to make it a catchweight, but he had a bad fight camp and can’t even do 180,” D-Rod told media at UFC Saudi Arabia. As of now, the bout appears to be scheduled as a middleweight bout.
This is a very tough situation for Kelvin, he said in an MMA Junee interview with Mike Vaughn on Tuesday, before his weight-cut struggles.
“I’m in a must-win situation. I think we can both win. Whoever loses goes home. Whoever loses is going to pack his bags and go home and won’t sign with UFC.”
