UFC middleweight Kelvin Gastelum steps into the cage not just looking to fight, but to prove he still belongs among the division’s elite. After a rocky stretch and facing doubts from all sides, Gastelum isn’t just preparing for his opponent, he’s looking to build momentum starting with Dustin Stoltzfus at Noche UFC on Saturday night.
Gastelum (19-10) has endured a rough stretch over the past few years, leading many to believe he may be fighting for his roster spot at this point. He doesn’t see it that way.
“You know I know I’m not in the position where I want to be in my career. I want to be back fighting for that title or whatever and I’m nowhere near that,” Gastelum told reporters including Cageside Press on Wednesday.
“I just need to stack some Ws so that I can get back to that.”
At Noche UFC, he faces Stoltzfus, who may not be the picture of consistency but still presents some tough challenges. For Gastelum to get back in form, he’ll have to prove he can still compete at this level.
“I need to display my skills. I’ve gotten better, but I haven’t been able to show that in my fights. It’s unfortunate because I know how good I am, and I just haven’t been able to show that in the fights,” he said.
“I think I put a lot of pressure before into trying to have like a big showing, but instead of putting pressure on that, I think I’m just going to ease off on the pressure. Try to have fun a lot more.”
Watch the entire media day scrum with Kelvin Gastelum above. He faces Dustin Stoltzfus at Noche UFC on Saturday night.
