SAN ANTONIO – A tough weight cut added to the challenges welterweight Kelvin Gastelum faced both before and during his previous fight with Rick Story, but the winner of “The Ultimate Fighter 17” claims his waistline isn’t an issue heading into his next bout.

This time around, in what will be his third appearance at 170 pounds after winning “TUF” as a middleweight, Gastelum (8-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) said weight isn’t an issue heading into Saturday’s FOX Sports 1-televised UFC Fight Night 44 event. He meets Nico Musoke (12-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) in the night’s co-headliner at San Antonio’s AT&T Center.

And, he added, he’s stayed on target without the direct help of a famous figure in the world of MMA weight-cutting: Mike Dolce.

As it turns out, the cost of keeping the nutrition guru beside him was prohibitive. It’s cheaper to go by the nutrition guru’s book, he said.

“He’s expensive,” Gastelum said with a laugh.

How expensive? He won’t say.

“At this point, I think it is (too expensive),” he offered. “I tried him once because I wanted to make that cut to 170 right the first time, and I thought I was going to be able to handle it the second time on my own, but I had some complications.”

Gastelum said he hit a plateau in his weight cut for Story that led to an unsatisfying split-call win, despite the fact that he rebounded from a near-knockout in the second round.

“Your body just hits a limit, I guess,” he told MMAjunkie at an open workout in support of this weekend’s event.

Dolce’s book, “The Dolce Diet,” could be the companion to a fighter (or a civilian) looking to shed excess pounds. In Gastelum’s case, however, it will have to be the source.

Despite his previous issue, Gastelum doesn’t think he’s putting himself in danger by fighting at 170 pounds. Although he’s only 22 years old and likely has several more years before hitting his physical peak, he said he’s adapting despite changes in his physique.

“I feel great coming into this fight,” he said. “My weight dropped pretty good this time. I stuck really strictly to my diet because I was scared this was going to happen again. But now, my weight is pretty good, and I should be ready to go (for Friday’s weigh-ins).”

Gastelum is the heavy favorite leading into the fight and could potentially earn the right to face a top-10 opponent with a win over Musoke, who’s won his past two. Although he currently is unranked in USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA welterweight rankings, he’s No. 11 on the UFC’s list.

“There’s a little bit of added pressure, just because people expect me to win this time,” Gastelum said.

If he does, however, the youngster said he has a location in mind for his next bout. The UFC is holding its first event south of the border, UFC 180, in Mexico, which takes place Nov. 15 in Mexico City and is headlined by heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez opposite challenger Fabricio Werdum.

“I’m 100 percent completely focused on Musoke, but if everything goes as planned, I can’t help but be excited for a Mexico card.”

For more on UFC Fight Night 44, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.