LAS VEGAS, NV - APRIL 13: Kelvin Gastelum (top) elbows Uriah Hall in their middleweight fight at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on April 13, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) (2013 Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC)
At 21 years old, Kelvin Gastelum has won his first major accolade in MMA.
Saturday he defeated teammate, friend and 3-1 favorite Uriah Hall to become this season’s Ultimate Fighter winner at middleweight.
The young fighter who shares a small apartment with his mother in Yuma, Ariz., now holds a six figure UFC contract, a brand new Harley Davidson motorcycle and has a win over the most touted prospect in his division.
“I can’t even put it into words man,” Gastelum told UFC commentator Jon Anik.
He was visibly emotional after being announced the winner, holding back tears and thanking God.
Other UFC news at Saturday’s Ultimate Fighter finale, champion Ronda Rousey will now face undefeated women’s bantamweight Cat Zingano who scored a controversial but “Fight of the Night” victory over Miesha Tate.
A possible early stoppage and illegal knees to the head were debated in the aftermath but Zingano know hosts next season’s Ultimate Fighter show opposite Rousey and goes down as the first mother and wife to fight in the Octagon.
Also announced during the telecast is that next season’s Ultimate Fighter will move from FX to the newly rebranded Fox Sports 1 network.
Also on the card Urijah Faber submitted Scott Jorgenson in the fourth round of the main event proving again he may be just another fight away from a title shot.
Travis Browne showed the world he deserves to be a title contender by KO’ing Brazilian Gabriel Gonzaga who had reestablished himself as a UFC heavyweight.
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