Kelvin Gastelum
Active 2013–present · rated in 4 editions across 2 divisions · peak overall 85.0
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Kelvin Gastelum at welterweight
Scouting report
Kelvin Gastelum entered the UFC at 21 as the youngest winner in The Ultimate Fighter's history, taking Season 17 as a Yuma, Arizona-raised southpaw. At welterweight across EA 1 (2014) and EA 2 (2016), his rating was built around an 84 Boxing and 79 Wrestling combination — the southpaw 1-2 and wrestling base carried him through a run of contender wins before recurring weight-cutting issues pushed his permanent move to middleweight in 2016.
Peak ratings
By edition
Gastelum established himself as a dynamic contender between 2014 and 2015, beating Rick Story by split decision in Dallas, choking out Jake Ellenberger in round one in Mexico City, and defeating former champion Nate Marquardt in Mexico while dropping a split decision to Tyron Woodley. His 1-2 boxing combinations and wrestling takedowns are reflected in an 86 Boxing and 85 Wrestling.
Gastelum defeated former champion Johny Hendricks at UFC 200 in July 2016, before moving up to middleweight, where he stopped Tim Kennedy in Toronto and knocked out Michael Bisping in round one in Shanghai. His hand speed, power hooks, and wrestling sprawl are captured in an 87 Boxing and 85 Durability.
Kelvin Gastelum, the young winner of a reality show
Kelvin Gastelum won The Ultimate Fighter season 17 by beating Uriah Hall by split decision in the finale. He started at welterweight before moving up to middleweight, where he later lost a decision to Robert Whittaker in 2021. He is a strong boxer with a wrestling base and a big chin. In a draft he is a fighter with heavy hands and good all-round skills. He moved between weight classes during his career, and the welterweight card here shows the version who was still filling out. His chin and his instincts were already obvious, and he made a habit of fighting through moments that ended other people's nights.
Gastelum's card
Boxing. His best number. He throws heavy, accurate punches and mixes the body with the head.
Kickboxing. His lowest number. He is not a kicker, and this part of the game is relatively plain.
Wrestling. Solid. He uses it to shut down takedowns and can take a man down himself.
BJJ. Fair. He can hold his own but does not hunt for submissions.
Strength. Strong. He punches with real force.
Durability. Very good. He can take a punch and keep fighting.
Cardio. Fair. He fights hard, and struggled with weight cuts as his career progressed.
Fight IQ. Good. He is a smart fighter who reads angles well.
Boxing is his best asset
At his peak, the punching is the standout, and it works well with his durability. He can stand in the pocket and trade with strikers, knowing he can take shots too. For a draft, that gives you a confident brawler with real skill. That mix of punching skill and stubbornness is the core of his appeal. He is not the biggest man at the weight, but he rarely looks out of place in a shootout, and his wrestling gives him a fallback if the punching exchange turns against him.
Kicks are the gap: Kickboxing
Kickboxing is the lowest number on the card. A rangy striker who kicks to the legs and body can score from outside while he tries to close. He fits best with a teammate who can cover the outside range.
Kelvin Gastelum at middleweight
Scouting report
Kelvin Gastelum moved up to middleweight in 2016, where the physical size disadvantage he faced at welterweight became less pronounced. He challenged Israel Adesanya for the interim UFC Middleweight Championship at UFC 236 in April 2019, dropping Adesanya in the fifth round of a fight the judges scored for Adesanya. Born in San Jose, California, Gastelum posted a 78–83 Overall range at middleweight across two game editions, with his chin (81 Durability) and fight IQ (peaking at 82 in EA 3) reflecting a stretch defined by narrow decisions rather than dominant wins.
Peak ratings
By edition
Gastelum made an immediate splash at middleweight between 2016 and 2017, stopping Tim Kennedy in Toronto, beating Vitor Belfort by first-round TKO in Fortaleza (later overturned to a no-contest), and scoring a first-round knockout of former champion Michael Bisping in Shanghai after dropping a submission to Chris Weidman. His hand speed, southpaw 1-2 punches, and wrestling defense are reflected in an 88 Boxing and 83 Wrestling.
Gastelum defeated former champion Ronaldo Souza by split decision at UFC 224 in Rio, before engaging Israel Adesanya for the interim title at UFC 236 in Atlanta, losing a five-round unanimous decision. His chin, blitz combinations, and heart anchor his 89 Boxing and 88 Durability.
Gastelum at 185: the fighter the scale pushed up
Gastelum spent years at welterweight, where he missed weight repeatedly. After the cancelled Cerrone fight in 2016, when he did not attempt to make the 171 pound limit at weigh-ins, Dana White said he would never let him fight at 170 again. His middleweight run had already started in 2015 with a win over Nate Marquardt, whose corner stopped the fight after two rounds. He outpointed Johny Hendricks in 2016 and stopped Tim Kennedy in the third round that December. He lost to Chris Weidman by submission in July 2017, then knocked out Michael Bisping in the first round that November. In 2018 he took a split decision from Ronaldo Souza, and in April 2019 he fought Israel Adesanya for the interim title.
Reading the middleweight card
Boxing. 89, the best number on the card. Quick southpaw combinations and a willingness to stand in the pocket.
Kickboxing. 78, tied for his lowest. Kicks are not where his wins come from.
Wrestling. 84. He won a state wrestling title at Cibola High School and wrestled at North Idaho College.
BJJ. 78, tied with kickboxing for the lowest. The submission losses to Weidman and later to Jack Hermansson show it.
Strength. 83. Not the biggest man at the weight, but he still forces exchanges.
Durability. 88. A chin that carried him through five rounds with Adesanya.
Cardio. 84. His style leans on explosive bursts.
Fight IQ. 84. He does well in chaotic exchanges, where timing and toughness decide things.
Why boxing and a chin make him a middleweight to trust
At his peak, Boxing is 89 and Durability is 88, and those two carry the card. The Adesanya fight is the clearest example. Gastelum lost the decision, but the fight earned Fight of the Night, was named 2019 Fight of the Year by outlets including Sherdog and CBS Sports, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame fight wing in the class of 2025. His wrestling at 84 means he can keep the fight where his hands work. For a draft this makes him a striker who will still be swinging in the fifth round.
Kickboxing and BJJ tie at 78
Kickboxing and BJJ share the lowest mark on this card at 78. In practice the ground is where he is exposed. Chris Weidman submitted him in the third round in 2017, and years later Jack Hermansson finished him with a heel hook in round one. A fight that turns into a long-range kicking contest is not his kind of fight. His best route is close and fast.
Keep exploring
Closest welterweight profiles to Kelvin Gastelum, measured by how near their peak attribute ratings sit across all eight categories.
- Josh Koscheckbest wrestling 89 · weakest kickboxing 70
- Jake Ellenbergerbest boxing 86 · weakest bjj 72
- Rick Storybest wrestling 84 · weakest kickboxing 70
- Dong Hyun Kimbest wrestling 85 · weakest kickboxing 72
- Welterweight division guide: how the whole division rates and who to draft from it.
- Middleweight division guide: how the whole division rates and who to draft from it.
- Grappling vs striking in the draft: a guide that fits Kelvin Gastelum's strongest attribute, Boxing.
Draft Kelvin Gastelum into your build
Kelvin Gastelum enters the pool on any spin landing on welterweight or middleweight between 2014 and 2019. Spin, draft eight attributes, then simulate 25 fights.
Ratings shown are our own, built from independent research and from how Kelvin Gastelum is regarded by the MMA community, with earlier MMA video games used only as a starting baseline for the scale. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Kelvin Gastelum's real-world abilities. See the disclaimer below. Last reviewed 2026-09-30; spot an error? Tell us. Read how we check our write-ups in our editorial standards.