UFC middleweight vet rues widespread mispronunciation of name

UFC middleweight Kelvin Gastelum reminded fans that there is an L in his first name.

Gastelum has fought in the UFC 21 times, making his name well-known in the MMA community. Despite earning respect as a fighter, fans are still mispronouncing his name by calling him Kevin instead of Kelvin. The 31-year-old went on Twitter and had this to say:

“Please stop saying Kevin!!! That’s not my name!!! It’s KELLLLLLLLLLLVIN. There is a clear “L” in the middle of the two syllables.”

Gastelum last fought on April 8, ending his two-fight losing streak with a unanimous decision win against Chris Curtis. Not only did he emerge victorious, but the former UFC interim middleweight title challenger also left with a $50,000 performance bonus for having the fight-of-the-night at UFC 287.

Gastelum’s win against Curtis ended a slump dating back to 2019. After losing against Israel Adesanya for the UFC interim middleweight title, the California native lost his next two fights against Darren Till and Jack Hermansson.

In February 2021, the Ultimate Fighter Season 17 winner bounced back with a win against Ian Heinisch. Gastelum continued to struggle against the elite middleweights with two more losses against Robert Whittaker and Jared Cannonier. The 31-year-old seemed to be regressing before silencing the doubters at UFC 287.

Please stop saying Kevin!!!
That’s not my name!!!
It’s KELLLLLLLLLLLVIN.
There is a clear “L” in the middle of the two syllables. 😢

UFC middleweight Kelvin Gastelum trolls fans with fake video of how to pronounce his name

Kelvin Gastelum doesn’t have a hard name to pronounce. Although he’s tired of people calling him Kevin, the UFC middleweight is still willing to make a joke about the situation. A fan commented a soundbite claiming that was how Gastelum’s name is pronounced. In the short video, sexual noises blare, which was shared by the UFC fighter with the caption jokingly saying:

“THANK YOU! Someone gets it!!! This is how you pronounce my name!”

Gastelum made his UFC debut in 2013 after winning The Ultimate Fighter Season 17. Since then, the California native has established a record of 12-8 with one no-contest. He is currently the No.11-ranked UFC middleweight.

Be aware that the video shared by Kelvin Gastelum below will feature loud noises:

THANK YOU! Someone gets it!!! 🙏🫶
This is how you pronounce my name! twitter.com/mmagggalaa/sta…