Kelvin Gastelum was initially surprised by the UFC`s decision to match him up against Joe Pyfer for his upcoming fight this weekend.
Gastelum is scheduled to face Pyfer in a prominent main card fight at UFC Mexico City on Saturday. This marks Gastelum`s return to the Octagon since his victory over Daniel Rodriguez at UFC Saudi Arabia last year. That previous fight experienced complications when it was initially set as a welterweight bout, but was changed to middleweight due to weight issues during fight week. Gastelum has confirmed that weight will not be a problem this time, stating that he is committed to the middleweight division.
“Middleweight at 185 pounds is definitely where I belong,” Gastelum stated at the UFC Mexico City media day. “And honestly, I feel great about it. My career highlights have all been in this weight class. I`m staying here now. I feel good, I feel happy, and I feel strong. I`ve built up muscle to compete effectively with these bigger fighters.”
“In the past when I competed at middleweight, I wasn`t fully decided about staying. I even went back down to welterweight. … When I was competing for the title, I remained at middleweight because I was successful. I was winning, earned a title shot, so I stayed. Now, I truly feel this is my home. I feel good here and I`m ready to deliver exciting performances against top-level fighters. I`m completely sure this is where I will compete.”
Despite winning The Ultimate Fighter 17 as a middleweight, Gastelum previously moved down to the welterweight division and achieved considerable success. However, he also struggled with weight issues, which led him back to middleweight where he fought Israel Adesanya for the interim title at UFC 236. Although Gastelum lost that fight by decision, it was recognized as the 2019 Fight of the Year and will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer.
Considering his track record, Gastelum admitted he was underwhelmed when the UFC proposed Joe Pyfer as his opponent at UFC Mexico.
“Initially, the matchup did bother me a bit, simply because he wasn`t the type of opponent I was aiming for,” Gastelum explained. “He wasn`t on my list of desired fights. I was hoping for a ranked opponent, someone with a bigger name. But you know, I see this as a significant test for myself. I need to start rebuilding from the ground up. I need to face these up-and-coming fighters, and that`s exactly what I`m here to do. This is a fresh start in my life and career, and climbing back into the rankings begins with Joe Pyfer.”
If Gastelum is victorious against Pyfer this Saturday, numerous opportunities will open up for his next fight. While he isn`t actively seeking a rematch with Israel Adesanya, his fellow UFC Hall of Fame inductee, Gastelum indicated he would be open to it if the opportunity arose.
“It`s not something I`ve been focused on, but if it happens and the circumstances align, I don`t see why not,” Gastelum said. “But it hasn`t been on my radar. Izzy and I have always been on good terms since our fight. He has always shown me respect, so there`s no animosity from my side. However, if fate leads us to fight again, then it`s something we would have to consider.”
UFC Mexico City is scheduled for this Saturday at Arena CDMX in Mexico City.
