UFC 206's Gastelum wants 170-pound return, but offers up Belfort bout

UFC 206 winner Kelvin Gastelum wants to return to welterweight, but he likes the idea of facing middleweight Vitor Belfort.

Despite beating No. 10-ranked middleweight Tim Kennedy at UFC 206, Kelvin Gastelum still aims at fighting in the weight class below.

Following his TKO win over Kennedy on Saturday, Gastelum revealed he intends to return to welterweight and he will, “show up at (UFC President Dana White’s) doorstep at 170 pounds,” if he has to. However, at the event’s post-fight press conference, Gastelum seemed open to the idea of sticking around middleweight.

“I think if I’m offered a fight that interests me at 185, I don’t see why I wouldn’t stay here,” Gastelum told reporters, “but I think 170 is my optimum weight class. I took this fight as a favor for the UFC. I knew they needed a replacement for Rashad Evans, so I stepped in. And I heard they need another replacement in Brazil with Vitor Belfort, so if they want to make that happen, then I’m willing to step up and do that, as well.”

Is it time to move on from welterweight?

His fight with Kennedy was actually his third at 185 pounds. Gastelum previously beat the likes of Uriah Hall and Nate Marquardt in middleweight outings. With impressive wins against middleweight fighters, why not just stay put and make a run at this weight class?

“I feel like 170 is my optimal weight class,” Gastelum stated. “My height and my reach is at a disadvantage at 185 . These guys are over six feet tall. They have a major height and reach advantage over me, so I feel like 170 is where my body type fits best.

In the past, making the 171-pound welterweight limit has proven difficult for the 25-year-old. Aside from not even weighing in at UFC 205, Gastelum has missed weight three times during his UFC career. According to Gastelum, it is the way he lives outside of training in need of changing.

“I get too heavy outside of camp and that’s my problem,” Gastelum stated. “I like to eat my Mexican food, and it shouldn’t be that way. My whole camp is concentrated on losing the weight that I gained outside of camp. I was able to get away with it the last few fights, but the older I get, the harder it is to cut the weight. I think if I change my lifestyle up a bit and create a better lifestyle where I’m at a better weight outside of training camp, I think it will be a better fit.”

What do you think? Does Gastelum deserve another chance, or should he stay at middleweight? Tell us your opinion in the comments!