Kelvin Gastelum defeated Daniel Rodriguez on the main card at UFC Saudi Arabia on Saturday, but at the end of the event, it felt like he was one of the losers.
UFC CEO Dana White was visibly disappointed with Gastelum’s failure to meet the contracted weight of 170 pounds for the fight and his refusal to agree to a 180-pound catchweight.
Instead, the fight took place at 185 pounds, which required Rodriguez to gain weight in an attempt to limit his opponent’s advantage.
During the post-event press conference, White said he was “not thrilled with Kelvin Gastelum” after his latest weight fiasco.
White wasn’t the only one upset or put off by Gastelum’s inability or unwillingness to make weight. Rodriguez, who felt like he was caught between a rock and a hard place after losing two straight fights, expressed his displeasure with his opponent before and after the fight.
In the post below from MMA Fighting, you can hear Gastelum discuss his “rough weight cut” in his own words, and you can listen to Rodriguez’s direct reaction to the situation.
Seconds after the fight ended, Rodriguez appeared to give Gastelum a piece of his mind. The two fighters acknowledged each other before the judges’ scorecards were read.
During the fight, the UFC’s commentary team of Jon Anik, Daniel Cormier, and Michael Bisping (one of Gastelum’s former opponents) took shots at the 32-year-old’s weight miss.
Gastelum, a talented veteran and former world title challenger, has struggled to make weight throughout his career. Counting the issue in Saudi Arabia, Gastelum has missed weight four times in his career, and each time, it’s been an issue for him to get down to 170 pounds.
During his post-fight interview, Gastelum sounded like a man trying to advocate for himself and like a fighter praying he doesn’t get cut by the promotion for repeated failures to make weight.
While his days as a legitimate title contender are likely over, Gastelum is still one of the Top-15 fighters at 170 pounds in the UFC. Gastelum is a homegrown UFC talent. He won the Ultimate Fighter Season 17 at 185 pounds when he was just 5-0 as a professional.
He went on to win his first six fights with the promotion before losing to Tyron Woodley in January 2015 at UFC 183. Gastelum missed weight for that fight. Lately, things have been more rocky for Gastelum as he has fluctuated between 170 and 186 pounds.
When he fought Rodriguez, Gastelum was coming off a submission loss to Sean Brady in December 2023. He out-scrapped Chris Curtis in April 2023, but that win snapped him out of the worst stretch of his pro career, losing five of six fights.
Gastelum is likely at a crossroads in his career. He may have to move up to 185 pounds permanently, as it would make sense for the UFC to refuse to book him for more fights at welterweight.