It may be the end of the road for Kelvin Gastelum if things don’t go to plan next time out.

Since putting on the Fight of the Year in 2019 when he pushed Israel Adesanya to the limit, Gastelum has struggled inside the Octagon.

The 2013 winner on The Ultimate Fighter has lost seven of his 11 bouts since missing out on the interim UFC middleweight title, putting him far away from the championship conversation.

That disappointing run has now brought Gastelum to the final fight on his contract, and another deal does not seem to be guaranteed for the 35-year-old.

If you were Dana White, who’s the first fighter you’d cut from the UFC roster?

Kelvin Gastelum admits the UFC may not re-sign him if he loses his next fight

Gastelum’s decline has been clear since his five-round battle with Adesanya.

He has suffered defeats against several established middleweight contenders, including Robert Whittaker, Jared Cannonier and Jack Hermansson, while more recent losses to Sean Brady, Joe Pyfer and Vicente Luque have further complicated his efforts to remain relevant in the UFC.

The Californian’s struggles haven’t been limited to his performances inside the Octagon, either. Gastelum’s attempts to compete at welterweight have proved problematic, with his bout against Daniel Rodriguez being moved to middleweight due to his struggles to cut the weight.

He then also weighed five pounds over the middleweight limit for his last victory in the UFC, which came over Dustin Stoltzfus.

After Gastelum’s submission loss to Luque at UFC 327 this past April, many called for his time in the promotion to come to an end.

If he loses his next fight, those fans may be getting their wish.

“I have one fight left on my contract,” Gastelum revealed during an interview with Max Wawrin.

“We want to renew — this next fight is very important. I gotta win this fight. They want to renew my contract.

“I think after I renew and I complete that contract, I’m going to ride off into my own sunset,” he continued. “I got a few good ones left in the chamber, but I know the end is coming soon.

“Until that happens, I’ll tell you what: I still believe I’m one of the best fighters in the world, and I know I can compete with the best of them. I don’t just say it to say it. I say it because I truly mean it.

“A lot of that competition is still in me, I just haven’t been able to display it. The last few years have not gone the way I wanted them to.”

The UFC has not confirmed that a loss will result in Gastelum’s release, but the absence of a new offer ahead of the ex-title challenger’s final contracted fight suggests as much.

It remains to be seen who Gastelum’s must-win fight will come against.

The 35-year-old was initially set to face Yousri Belgaroui at Noche UFC in September but withdrew one month before the event.