RIO DE JANEIRO – Kelvin Gastelum is friendly enough with Ronaldo Souza under normal circumstances. Saturday, they’ll fight each other.

But Gastelum (14-3 MMA, 9-3 UFC) isn’t worried about any kind of good feelings toward “Jacare” Souza (25-5 MMA, 8-2 UFC) ahead of their co-main event at UFC 224. After all, the old fighting adage is that it’s just business.

“We’re both professionals – there’s nothing to it,” Gastelum told MMAjunkie at a media day in support of UFC 224. “As soon as he saw me, he came up to me and shook my hand and shook (coach) Rafael (Cordeiro’s) hand. We’re professionals. We know how to put those feelings of friendship aside, and when it’s time to fight, it’s time to fight. It’s just business.”

UFC 224 takes place Saturday at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, and the main card airs on pay-per-view following preliminary-card bouts on FX and UFC Fight Pass.

Gastelum is coming off a knockout win over former middleweight champion Michael Bisping. His run in the weight class has been solid – but would look better if not for an overturned TKO win over Vitor Belfort that got flipped when he tested positive for marijuana.

If not for that, he’d have three wins in his past four fights at 185 pounds with just a loss to ex-champ Chris Weidman against him. But despite that loss in July 2017 in the UFC on FOX 25 main event, Gastelum believes a decisive win over Souza could have him fighting for a title.

“I feel like I need to beat him and make a statement,” Gastelum said. “If I don’t make a statement, I don’t think I’ll be able to contend for the title next. But if I go in there and knock him out in the first round, then I have no doubt that the next fight will be for the title.”

And getting that elusive UFC belt would be a massive accomplishemtn for the winner of Season 17 of “The Ultimate Fighter.” It would mean a lot more than just the three letters on the title, too.

“It means more than being a UFC champion – it means being a champion in life,” he said. “I’ve had to overcome a lot of obstacles in life … it would mean much more than just a UFC championship. That no matter where we come from, we can achieve whatever we want.”

For more from Gastelum, check out the video above.

And for more on UFC 224, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.