Issue 114

May 2014

Kelvin Gastelum is now considered one of the most exciting young fighters in all of the UFC. Not bad for a guy who was picked last on TUF

From rank outsider and last coaches’ pick on The Ultimate Fighter season 17, to becoming one of the planet’s most exciting welterweight prospects, Kelvin Gastelum’s UFC journey was one of the highlights of 2013.

The 22-year-old entered the TUF house as a cash-strapped bail bondsman from Yuma, Arizona, US, yet emerged with his undefeated record in tact and as the biggest underdog winner in the history of the hit reality TV series.

Ever since Gastelum outpointed the heavily favoured Uriah Hall in the TUF Finale last April his life hasn’t quite been the same. Yet he insists, despite having one or two famous fans of his own, that being a UFC star hasn’t changed him. 

“My life hasn’t changed at all at home, but going to these events and meeting so many fans and actors, musicians and people like that, that’s all very new. Now I’m in the UFC, you get to meet all kinds of different people and opportunities really start opening up,” Gastelum reveals to FO. 

“Probably the most surreal moment was when I was at the fights in Sacramento and I went up to the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ lead singer Anthony Kiedis to introduce myself, and he said, ‘Hey, I know you. I’m a big fan!’ That was really cool. I’ve been a huge fan of his group and now he’s telling me he is a big fan of me. That was a really cool moment. 

“I also got the chance to see Georges St Pierre fight live. Whether it was his last fight or not, he’s always been my favourite fighter and someone I always looked up to as I was coming up. If he does decide not to return at least I got to see him fight live.”

It’s not only Gastelum’s impressive pro record that’s got the likes of Kiedis and so many others excited about the former state champion wrestler, it’s the fact he’s finishing off his opponents too. Even on TUF, where fights are recorded as exhibitions, three of his four straight victories came inside the distance. 

That kind of crowd and, even more importantly, UFC top brass-pleasing form has fired him up the rankings and his last fight on March 15th saw him taking on top 10 gatekeeper Rick Story at UFC 171, a fighter ranked by the UFC at least as 14th in the 170lb division.

Prior to the Story fight, Gastelum said of his finishing reputation: “Any opportunity I get to finish I will go for it. That’s what it’s all about, taking those risks, taking those chances and taking advantage of them. That’s just what I do. I take risks. So far it has worked out for me.” 

In his previous outing, at UFC Fight Night 27 in Indiana back in August, Gastelum, who signed with award-winning MMA brand Bad Boy last year, tapped out Brian Melancon with a rear naked choke – his go-to submission move – and he believes it showed he’s got a huge future inside the Octagon.

“I was really happy with my performance against Brian Melancon,” he explains. “It’s important to keep improving, and I believe I am doing that. I’m particularly proud of the circumstances in which I got my career going in the UFC. Turning up with nothing, yet winning the whole thing. But most people fail to get their career going and so to get that first post-TUF win was great. It was really exciting.

“Plus, people don’t realise that Brian Melancon is a big hitter. I mean that guy can really punch. He’s easily the strongest guy I’ve ever faced. He has some heavy, heavy power in his hands. I was a little bit more patient in that fight, and that made me happy. But I definitely felt his power.” 

Whatever the future now holds for the 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu purple belt, you can guarantee the world will be watching with interest to see if he can maintain his remarkable run up the division’s rankings. And Anthony Kiedis, for one, will be booking ringside seats.

KELVIN THE BOUNTY HUNTER

After working as a bail bondsman, it’s unlikely Gatselum will ever encounter anything inside the cage as dangerous as he has outside it. Here, he tells FO about one of his favourite days on the job.

“I remember bailing out two brothers and they went on the run; they didn’t go to court for their cases. So they now have warrants out for their arrests. This was our bond so we had to go arrest these guys. We set them up by calling the girlfriend of one of the brothers and the girlfriend eventually ratted them out. 

“With her help we set them up to bust them at a gas station. The girlfriend drove them to the gas station and they were met by us, in three cars, and we rolled up on them. These guys were legit gangsters, so we figured they were pretty dangerous. We had our bulletproof vests on and guns and did it like a drug bust. It was cool.”