Gastelum Confirms UFC Contract Hinges On Next Fight

Kelvin Gastelum faces a simple ultimatum from the UFC: win your next fight or risk losing your spot on the roster.

The 35-year-old middleweight told MMA Mania he has one bout remaining on his current deal and that the promotion wants to bring him back only if he delivers a victory. "I have one fight left on my contract, man," Gastelum said. "We want to renew — this next fight is very important. I gotta win this fight. They want to renew my contract."

Gastelum Planning To Retire After Next Contract

Even if Gastelum secures another deal, he does not expect to fight much longer. He described having "a few good ones left in the chamber" but acknowledged the end of his career is approaching. The former interim title challenger has alternated wins and losses in his last six appearances dating back to 2023. He most recently dropped a first-round submission to Vicente Luque at UFC 327.

Weight management has plagued Gastelum's recent run. He weighed 191 pounds for his win over Dustin Stoltzfus in 2025, five pounds over the middleweight limit, and forfeited 35 percent of his purse. A year earlier, his welterweight bout against Daniel Rodriguez was bumped to middleweight after Gastelum arrived in Saudi Arabia unable to make 170 pounds. UFC CEO Dana White called that situation "extremely disappointing."

Gastelum pulled out of a September Noche UFC bout against Yousri Belgaroui with an undisclosed injury. The UFC has not announced an opponent for his final contracted fight.

Reported via:

• MMA Mania — Chamber-loading Kelvin Gastelum claims UFC wants to renew his contract (with a winning exception) – ‘The end is coming’