Gastelum looking for No. 1 contender bout at 185 or 170 lbs

Kelvin Gastelum isn't going to let the scale stand between him and a UFC belt.

After using his post-fight interview at UFC 206 to call out former light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort, the 25-year-old Gastelum could be poised for a jump up the rankings. The question is whether it will be in his part-time division of 185 pounds, or at 170 pounds where he has established himself as a contender that has struggled to make weight.

Either way, Gastelum hopes that a win over Belfort at UFC Fight Night 106 puts him on the doorstep of a title shot.

"I'm not against (staying at 185), but I feel like welterweight is my optimal weight class," Gastelum told Guilherme Cruz of MMA Fighting. "But I'm not against staying at 185.

"What I want is the No. 1 contender fight after this fight, whether it's at middleweight or at welterweight. I want to fight for the No. 1 contender so I might get my title shot. But it doesn't matter if I'm at middleweight or welterweight, I just want to fight the No. 1 contender."

Gastelum owns a 3-0 record at 185 pounds, but he maintains that his optimal fighting weight is 170 pounds. His attempts to challenge a champion at welterweight have been thwarted by his inability to make the 170-pound limit on multiple occasions.

When Gastelum fights Belfort on March 11 in Fortaleza, Brazil, he'll be facing a 20-year-veteran whose name still resonates with MMA fans even though he only has one win in his past four outings. "The Phenom" is famed for his knockout prowess, but Gastelum predicts that he has what it takes to give Belfort a taste of his own medicine.

"For some reason in the first round, (I see myself) knocking him out," Gastelum said. "I don't know why. It could be a 25-minute war, but I have a feeling it will be in the first round."