“I feel really healthy, I feel really good,” Gastelum said, with an air of tranquility about him. “I haven’t felt this good in a long time, actually.”
While he feels like he’s in a good spot athletically, Gastelum has confessed that he feels like he’s not just fighting for redemption at UFC 258, but he could be fighting for his job, as well. This assumption would normally add an insurmountable amount of pressure to an athlete’s plate, but it’s a circumstance that Kelvin welcomes.
“I believe I thrive under that pressure,” he said. “I need it sometimes. Maybe [the Hermansson loss] was a wakeup call that I needed.”
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We’ll see if the wakeup call has served Gastelum well on Saturday when he’s put to the test against Ian Heinisch, who says he’s releasing the “3.0 version” of himself.
“I know Ian, I’ve seen him break people,” Gastelum said. “He’s a dangerous guy, an up-and-coming guy, but also I know what I bring to the table and what I can do, and I expect to do that.”