Middleweight

Kelvin Gastelum

21-11

Age
34
Height
5'9"
Reach
5'12"
Stance
Southpaw
Camp
Fight Ready
Out of
USA
Style
striker
Fight IQ
C+ · 61
Finish rate
29%
Win rate
66%

Career methods

KO/TKO
4
Sub
6
Dec
11

FightMetric

SLpM

3.65

SApM

2.40

Str Acc

46%

Str Def

57%

TD Avg

1.04

TD Acc

35%

TD Def

81%

Sub Avg

0.09

Tape read

Pocket striker — suspect hips against the shot, southpaw

Fight IQ

61C+

Built from FightMetric rates, method shares, and 6 loaded UFC rows. Timing and agility are tape proxies, not lab measurements.

IQ

C+

Ground

D

Defense

B

Counter

D

Reaction

proxy

C+

Agility

proxy

D

TD react

C

Chin

A

What they do well

  • Durability

    Gets through fire. Rarely finished by strikes; the later minutes are still theirs to win.

Where they leak

  • Ground game

    Thin offensive ground game. Wins come standing; once taken down this fighter is hunting a stand-up, not a sweep chain.

  • Counter punching

    Limited counter threat. Opponents can miss without paying a finishing tax.

  • Punching agility

    Heavy or economical. Combinations are chosen, not sprayed — opponents can time the entries.

Scouting report

Kelvin Gastelum is a 34-year-old Southpaw middleweight out of USA, camped at Fight Ready. The tape read: pocket striker — suspect hips against the shot, southpaw. Career mark 21-11-0 — 4 by KO/TKO, 6 by submission, 11 by decision. Fight IQ grades C+ (61).

What works. Durability is the standout at 85 (A). Gets through fire. Rarely finished by strikes; the later minutes are still theirs to win. Ground game D on 1.04 TD/15 and 0.09 sub attempts. Striking defense B at 57% / 2.40 SApM. Counter punching D; punching agility D (output × accuracy × age curve). Takedown reaction C on 81% TD defense. These are tape proxies — not lab reaction times — built from FightMetric rates, finish shares, and 6 loaded UFC rows.

Where it breaks. Ground game is the soft spot (33, D). Thin offensive ground game. Wins come standing; once taken down this fighter is hunting a stand-up, not a sweep chain. Opponents who force wrestling and keep the fight on the fence have historically been the ones who make this résumé leak. Losses lean decision more often than a highlight — the issue is usually control of minutes, not a glass jaw.

Recent tape (6 bouts): L Luque (Submission R1) · W 4685871 (Decision - Unanimous R3) · L 4684135 (Decision - Unanimous R3) · W 4426312 (Decision - Unanimous R3) · L 4295192 (Submission R3). Form index negative over the last 5. 3 of those wins reached the championship minutes — cardio and late IQ are real.

Ground game

33 D

Thin offensive ground game. Wins come standing; once taken down this fighter is hunting a stand-up, not a sweep chain.

  • 1.04 takedowns / 15 at 35% accuracy
  • 0.09 submission attempts / 15 · 6 career sub wins

Striking defense

68 B

Serviceable pocket defense. Can be found, but rarely walks into the same shot twice.

  • 57% striking defense · 2.40 SApM
  • 0 KO/TKO losses in 11 defeats

Counter punching

41 D

Limited counter threat. Opponents can miss without paying a finishing tax.

  • 46% accuracy on 3.65 SLpM
  • 0.00 knockdowns / 15 · 4 KO/TKO wins

Timing & reaction

60 C+

Late on the read. High absorb or a leaking TD defense suggests the first move often belongs to the opponent.

  • Str def 57% · TD def 81% — the two read-and-react rates
  • 2.40 shots absorbed / min (lower = sees it earlier)

Punching agility

47 D

Heavy or economical. Combinations are chosen, not sprayed — opponents can time the entries.

  • 3.65 SLpM at 46% — output with cleanliness
  • Throws without paying full retail: 2.40 SApM

Takedown reaction

52 C

A takedown magnet. Low TD defense plus submission losses — this is the hole a grappler builds a camp around.

  • 81% takedown defense — the live reaction to level changes
  • 4 submission losses (once the fight hits the mat)

Durability

85 A

Gets through fire. Rarely finished by strikes; the later minutes are still theirs to win.

  • 0 times finished by strikes in 11 losses
  • 11 decision wins — proof they last and still score

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Fight history

DateOpponentResMethodRndSig
Apr 11, 2026Vicente LuqueLSubmission1 4:089/20
Sep 13, 2025Fighter 4685871WDecision - Unanimous3 5:0057/117
Jun 8, 2025Fighter 4684135LDecision - Unanimous3 5:0033/99
Jun 22, 2024Fighter 4426312WDecision - Unanimous3 5:00112/238
Dec 3, 2023Fighter 4295192LSubmission3 1:4318/32
Apr 9, 2023Fighter 2984770WDecision - Unanimous3 5:0083/188