5 things every UFC fan needs to know about Kelvin Gastelum

#4. Kelvin Gastelum was raised by a single mother

Kelvin Gastelum and his mom [Photo via @kgastelum on Instagram]

Kelvin Gastelum was born to Mexican-hailing immigrants in Yuma, Arizona. Having an absent father, it was Gastelum's mother who raised him. And of course, it was not easy.

Gastelum revealed that his mother worked three to four jobs to make ends meet. The veteran UFC middleweight revealed that his mom's work ethic is what inspired him to put as much effort into his fighting career as she did to support the family. In a previous interview with Fox News Latino, Gastelum said:

“My mom was a single mother, working three to four jobs. She would take a bunch of crazy, grimy jobs at first, then she got into the restaurant business. Then she started to manage restaurants. She was also a chef for a long time. She did a lot in the restaurant business.”

Today, Gastelum's mom has grown into a successful businesswoman. She has her own restaurant called El Campeon in their hometown of Yuma, which specializes in hotdogs and Mexican food.

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#3 Kelvin Gastelum started fighting early in his life

Kelvin Gastelum

Kelvin Gastelum was introduced to combat sports when he joined his high school's wrestling team. He immediately took a liking for the sport and won a Division III AIA state wrestling title for his alma mater, Cibola High School.

Having found success in the discipline, Gastelum continued wrestling at North Idaho College. As a member of the Cardinals wrestling team. Gastelum was ranked as high as fifth in the country (NJCAA) in his freshman year.

But after a year in college, he decided to quit in order to pursue a career path of mixed martial arts. Gastelum started training MMA at 17 years old and worked as a bail bondsman before going full-time as a prizefighter.

Determined to succeed in his chosen profession, Gastelum dominated the regional circuit before he finally caught a huge break. In 2012, he joined The Ultimate Fighter and became the youngest fighter to ever win the show at 21 years old.