Kelvin Gastelum’s weight cutting past is well documented. The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season 17 winner has had three mishaps when it came time to step on the scale. His last weight cut for a welterweight bout was a disaster. It was so bad, that his fight with Donald Cerrone at UFC 205 was canceled and he was forced to move back up to middleweight.
Speaking with MMAJunkie.com, Gastelum admitted he is irked by his critics. On the flip side, he also understands that he has no one to blame but himself:
“It does bother me. But at the same time, I’ve brought it onto myself. I have to face the consequences on a media standpoint now. It does bother me. It bothers me a lot. But I have to take it. I’m not one of those guys who shies away from his problems. I like to handle it upfront and kind of grab the bull by the horns.”
Gastelum was once firmly set on staying at 170 pounds. Now, he is more open to sticking around as a middleweight. Many feel the Mexican warrior’s size may be a detriment to him in the 185-pound division. Gastelum disagrees and actually believes his height is an advantage.
“I don’t see (height) as a problem at all. Guys are going to have to come down to me. What I mean is my center of gravity is going to be lower than a lot of these taller guys. It’s hard to even take me down. You have to really come under me to take me down, which is kind of hard to do if you’re tall.”
The next stop for Gastelum is Fortaleza, Brazil. There, he will be taking on former UFC light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort. The fight will headline a UFC Fight Night Event on March 11.
