UFC Hall of Famer Kelvin Gastelum admitted that “the end is coming soon” as he knows his MMA career isn’t going to last much longer.
The 35-year-old Gastelum has been in the UFC since 2013, when he won “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 17. While he has had a great career overall, including entering the UFC Hall of Fame for his classic 2019 interim middleweight title bout against Israel Adesanya, he knows that the end is coming up soon.
Kelvin Gastelum Admits UFC Career Coming to an End
Speaking to Max Wawrin, Gastelum admitted that he doesn’t have much time left in the UFC. He is entering the last fight on his UFC contract, and having lost two of his last three bouts, he knows that he needs to win if he wants to get another UFC deal.
“I have one fight left on my contract, man. We want to renew — this next fight is very important. I gotta win this fight. They want to renew my contract. I think after I renew and I complete that contract, I’m going to ride off into my own sunset. I got a few good ones left in the chamber, but I know the end is coming soon,” Gastelum said (via MMAMania.com).
“Until that happens, I’ll tell you what: I still believe I’m one of the best fighters in the world, and I know I can compete with the best of them. I don’t just say it to say it. I say it because I truly mean it. A lot of that competition is still in me; I just haven’t been able to display it. The last few years have not gone the way I wanted them to.”
Kelvin Gastelum UFC Career
In 26 UFC fights, Gastelum is 14-11, 1 NC. He holds notable wins over Michael Bisping, Daniel Rodriguez, Chris Curtis, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, Tim Kennedy, Johny Hendricks, and Uriah Hall, among others.
In Gastelum’s last fight, he was finished by Vicente Luque in a big upset at UFC 327. He was supposed to fight at Noche UFC against Yousri Belgaroui, but pulled out and has not fought since then.
UFC Hall of Famer Kelvin Gastelum: ‘The End Is Coming Soon’