Kelvin Gastelum shattered UFC record at 21 by upsetting scariest 'Ultimate Fighter'
03/28/2025 01:41 PM
Long before fighting at UFC Mexico, Kelvin Gastelum was the last contestant to be picked on ‘The Ultimate Fighter’.
The UFC’s reality TV show ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ has been around since 2005, spanning 33 seasons (and counting). Many fighters, regardless of whether they won or lost on the show, have gone on to win UFC titles such as Mexico’s Brandon Moreno, who like Gastelum, was the last seed on his season.
The 33-year-old Kelvin Gastelum might not have won a world championship yet, having Israel Adesanya ‘prepared to die’ in their 2019 interim title fight, but the UFC middleweight did win season 17 of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ – one of the toughest gauntlets in sports.
Gastelum, a bail bondsman at the time in 2012, was the youngest-fighter ever to enter the ‘TUF’ house at 21 years old. He was coach Chael Sonnen’s final pick out of 14 contestants.
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Kelvin Gastelum’s final ‘TUF’ opponent Uriah Hall had terrifying KO power
On ‘TUF 17’, Gastelum won four fights in a matter of six weeks.
After fighting to a decision to secure his place on the show, Gastelum finished the likes of Bubba McDaniel, Collin Hart, and Josh Samman, all in two rounds or less.
Gastelum had 5 pro fights before competing on the show.
On the other side of the middleweight bracket stood arguably the most threatening fighter in the history of the reality TV show: knockout artist Uriah Hall.
Hall turned the cast of TUF 17 into his personal highlight reel. The striker pulled off a brutal walk-off KO in his second fight, sleeping Adam Cella with a spinning hook kick in the opening round.
“Sorry Adam,” Hall said as it took a while for Cella to regain consciousness.
Hall won his next fight by 8-second knockout, later breaking through to the finals with a second-round knockout of Dylan Andrews.
Gastelum entered ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ finale on Apr. 13, 2013, as a 3-to-1 underdog against the highly-touted Uriah Hall.
“Uriah Hall, Uriah Hall, Uriah Hall… Kelvin has been the dark horse in this thing,” Dana White said of the finale.
“He does have that one-punch knockout [power] and he can dominate guys on the ground,” White said of Gastelum. “I can’t tell you the last time that I’ve been this excited for the finale.”
‘Dark horse’ Kelvin Gastelum pulls off insane upset at 21 years old
Against all odds, it was Gastelum who ultimately came out on top against Hall.
Gastelum pushed a pace on Hall with both his striking and wrestling, scoring over 6 minutes of control time on three takedown attempts.
After three rounds of back-and-forth action and their total strike totals dead even at 81, Gastelum earned the split decision nod from the judges to win ‘The Ultimate Fighter 17’.
Gastelum had become the youngest fighter in UFC history to win the show at 21 years and a half, a record he still holds onto today, more than 10 years later.
Kelvin Gastelum returns this weekend on the main card of UFC Mexico City where he takes on another fighter known for his KO power, Joe Pyfer.
Gastelum’s UFC resume includes wins over Michael Bisping, Jacare Souza, Johny Hendricks, Daniel Rodriguez and more.
