Kelvin Gastelum says he is far from done in MMA.

At UFC on ESPN 52, Gastelum (18-9 MMA, 12-9 UFC) competed in the middleweight division for the first time since 2016. It was his second appearance of 2023 following a unanimous decision win against Chris Curtis, but his return to 170 pounds was met with heavy resistance from Sean Brady, who won by third-round submission.

Immediately after the loss, Gastelum congratulated Brady, while also promising to return in better form soon. Gastelum believes he is “100X better” than his performance showed.

Over a week later, Gastelum addressed his disappointing outing again on the X, with a fuller outlook on his career journey.

Such is life.
It is constant learning.
I know what I need 2do and I’ll be back better than before like I always have.
My friend Triple C says.
Redemption is beautiful.
My story in MMA is far from OVER.
Thank you all that continue to support.
Love U all. #OnAmission4Gold pic.twitter.com/7rY1noh8pd

— #OnAmission4Gold (@KelvinGastelum) December 11, 2023

Such is life.
It is constant learning.
I know what I need 2do and I’ll be back better than before like I always have.
My friend Triple C says.
Redemption is beautiful.
My story in MMA is far from OVER.
Thank you all that continue to support.
Love U all. #OnAmission4Gold

After a few struggles on the scale in his first welterweight stint, Gastelum moved up to middleweight for 12 appearances, including a shot at the vacant interim title against Israel Adesanya at UFC 236.

Overall, his middleweight run led to a 5-6 record including wins over Ronaldo Souza, Tim Kennedy, and former champion Michael Bisping.

Gastelum, 32, has consistently competed against the top names of the welterweight and middleweight divisions throughout his career. He now appears poised to get back on track at 170 pounds after silencing doubters about his ability to make weight.