Kelvin Gastelum picked up a win at UFC Saudi Arabia but not without a swarm of controversy after he was unable to make weight and that required his welterweight bout against Daniel Rodriguez to become a middleweight affair on Saturday.

Throughout the three round bout, Gastelum continuously put pressure on Rodriguez with his boxing and mixed in takedowns to keep his opponent off balance. When it was over, the judges scored the fight 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 with Gastelum getting the win.

Following the fight, Gastelum issued an apology to the UFC for his latest weight mishap, which was a common problem he faced when he previously attempted to compete at 170 pounds early in his career.

“Dana [White], Hunter [Campbell], I want to be the best company man I can be,” Gastelum said. “I have the best intention for this company. I want to stay in the UFC forever. I’m sorry what happened this week was unacceptable. I promise I will be better. I always try and be better, it is what it is. I’ve been there with the best. This was a very important fight for me.

Both fighters were slinging heavy leather early and often. Gastelum was often trying to close the distance on his taller, longer opponent and he was connecting with the better punches throughout the opening round while also mixing in some well-timed leg kicks.

It wasn’t until late in the first round when Rodriguez finally buzzed Gastelum with a nasty combination of punches that definitely got his attention. When Rodriguez was a little more measured with his punches, he started landing with more regularity.

Rodriguez found a home for a lead straight right hand with a big left behind it that began snapping Gastelum’s head back. That led to Gastelum looking for a takedown but Rodriguez was quick to counter to get up to his feet again.

There were plenty of thudding shots connecting for Gastelum and Rodriguez but it was the former Ultimate Fighter winner who just stayed more active down the stretch . As time ticked away in the final round, Gastelum had a lot left in the gas tank and that allowed him to overwhelm Rodriguez with a takedown late in the fight.

With Gastelum on top, he maintained control and continued dishing out punishment until the horn sounded to solidify his win. Despite how everything played out during fight week, Gastelum still got the job done and he improved his record to 2-3 over his past five fights.