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By Brian Martin bmartin@scng.com @thebmartin on Twitter
Kelvin Gastelum knew something was off. On the surface, all appeared well. On the inside, turmoil swirled.
The UFC middleweight, less than two years removed from fighting for a title, was now fighting himself.
“You go through motions of the day, go through motions of practice, but it’s important to know how much your mind is involved in that,” Gastelum said. “You might be present at practice physically, but is your mind present? A lot of times, that wasn’t the case.”
Losing three consecutive fights can do that. Uncertainty bloomed as his drive waned.
Gastelum was faced with two choices — controlling his mind or letting his mind continue to control him.
Opting for the former led Gastelum to snapping his skid and accepting a monumental challenge — fighting former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker on four weeks’ notice Saturday in the UFC on ESPN 22 main event at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas.
Fighting is the easy part once you’ve chosen the right path.
With 24 bouts on his résumé, six against fighters who have worn UFC gold around their waist, Gastelum knows the internal conflict proved to be his toughest opponent.
“Oh my god, it probably was some of the most challenging times that I’ve gone through in my life,” Gastelum said.
SAN DIMAS (4-0) AT DIAMOND RANCH (3-1) IE Varsity info:
Baseline League
Citrus 4 League
Cross Valley League
Desert Sky League
Desert Valley League
Hacienda League
Miramonte League
River Valley League
MICHAEL ZARRILLI — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kelvin Gastelum said his confidence and desire to still fight took a hit amid three straight losses.
A look at today’s featured games. All games kick off at 7 p.m.
The Valle Vista League championship is at stake in this matchup. San Dimas is seeking its third league
Valle Vista League title in four seasons, while Diamond Ranch looks for its second straight title after winning the Hacienda League crown last season. San Dimas has outscored its opponents 150-9, and the defense has not allowed more than seven points in a game. The Saints have a run-heavy offense, led by seniors Jacob Buccola (705 yards, 6 TDs) and sophomore Tye Coleman (399 yards, 6 TDs). Diamond Ranch dropped its opener to Glendora, but the Panthers have rattled off wins over St. Paul, Northview and Los Altos. Diamond Ranch’s defense has allowed a combined seven points in those three victories. NORCO (4-0) AT
ROOSEVELT (3-1)
IE Varsity info: Norco already has clinched at least a share of the Big VIII League championship and will try to make it an undefeated title Thursday night. The Cougars averaged 49 points per game and have scored at least 38 points in every game. Kyle Crum has thrown for 883 yards and 12 touchdowns. Grant Gray is coming off a career game against King, in which he caught seven passes for 156 yards and
HANS GUTKNECHT — STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
UFC middleweight Kelvin Gastelum will take on Robert Whittaker on Saturday at UFC on ESPN 22 in Las Vegas. Gastelum won his last fight in February after three straight losses.