Gastelum on middleweight move: 'Don't think I can beat' Weidman, Rockhold, Jacare

Kelvin Gastelum doesn't like his chances against the meat grinders at the top of the UFC's middleweight division.

A long-time welterweight, Gastelum's weight-cutting issues forced him to 185-pounds, a division he hopes to abandon after he faces Nate Marquardt - a former middleweight contender who failed to catch on at welterweight - at UFC 188 on Saturday night.

"I think I can either be a mediocre middleweight, or I can be the welterweight champion,” Gastelum told MMAjunkie.com “And I want to be the welterweight champion.”

Although Gastelum has fought at middleweight before (he won TUF 17 as a 185-pounder), he doesn't think his size and strength matches up well with the upper echelon of the division.

"I plan on going back (to welterweight) and getting in the boss' good graces after this Saturday night," Gasteulm said. "Honestly, I don't think I can beat (champion Chris) Weidman, or (Luke) Rockhold or (Ronald) Jacare (Souza). Those guys are beasts.

"I think my skill level matches up pretty well with all of them. But I'm at a height disadvantage, a reach disadvantage, and a strength disadvantage."