After overturned win, UFC's Kelvin Gastelum says he's done fighting in Brazil

Don’t expect to see Kelvin Gastelum returning to Brazil for a future fight.

The UFC middleweight contender said his days fighting in the South American country are done. He made the announcement just hours after news of a settlement that resulted in an overturned win.

As MMAjunkie reported on Sunday, Gastelum (13-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) had his recent first-round TKO win over former champion Vitor Belfort (25-13 MMA, 14-9 UFC) overturned due to a failed drug test.

Gastelum tested positive for carboxy-tetrahydrocannabinol (otherwise known as “THC,” a metabolite found in marijuana) in a sample collected on the day of UFC Fight Night 106, which took place March 11 and aired on FS1 from Fortaleza.

In addition to having the win overturned, Gastelum has been suspended 90 days (retroactive to the event/collection date) and has been fined 20 percent of his purse, which stays with the Comissao Atletica Brasileira de MMA (CABMMA, which is Brazil’s MMA commission).

Gastelum accepted the settlement, but he won’t accept future fights in the country (via Twitter):

The Superior Tribunal de Justica Desportiva do MMA (STJDMMA) – Brazilian Superior Justice Court of MMA – confirmed Gastelum’s punishment on Sunday.

Gastelum, who’s No. 13 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA middleweight rankings, had never fought in Brazil before the high-profile Belfort bout. The former welterweight now appears one-and-done with the country.

According to STJDMMA President Marcelo Sedlmayer, Gastelum’s plea agreement was made in accordance with representatives from U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), the UFC and Cristiano Sampaio, who oversees operations for Comissao Atletica Brasileira de MMA (CABMMA, which is Brazil’s MMA commission). Because USADA was involved in the STJDMMA agreement, Gastelum is unlikely to face additional penalties from USADA, Sedlmayer told MMAjunkie.

That could be good news for Gastelum, who was pulled from a UFC 212 bout with former longtime middleweight titleholder Anderson Silva (34-8 MMA, 17-4 UFC) due to the failed test. However, with his current suspension expiring on June 11, Gastelum would theoretically be available for a desired July 22 rebooking with Silva at UFC on FOX 25 in New York.

For more on UFC Fight Night 106, check out the UFC Events section of the site.