The next UFC fight night at Vegas will see Robert Whittaker and Kelvin Gastelum battle it out in the headliner. Robert, the former middleweight champion who’s currently ranked as the number one contender. Formerly Whittaker and the current number 8 contender, Kelvin, were supposed to square off in 2019.
The bout never came to fruition as the champion called off the fight in need of urgent surgery. At UFC Vegas 24, Robert was supposed to face Paulo Costa, however, due to illness, Paulo withdrew from the event and was replaced by Kelvin.
The Australian won two of his past sessions unanimously ruling against Jared Cannonier and Darren Till. Before that, he was KO’d by Israel Adesanya, who turned into a champion in the division. The American Kelvin Gastelum is coming off an impressive win against Ian Heinisch. Before that, he endured three losses in succession against Jack Hermansson, Till, and Adesanya.
Robert Whittaker of Australia reacts after the conclusion of his middleweight bout against Jared Cannonier during the UFC 254. (Credits – Getty Images)
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‘The Reaper’ is ready for his comeback. If he manages to win against Gastelum, then UFC cannot deny him a go against the reigning middleweight champion Israel Adesanya. But the change of opponent means Whittaker has to follow a new routine and study accordingly. On being asked to talk about Kelvin and how the fight changes because of him.
He said, “I don’t think it’s more tricky. I think it’s different, it is very different. Obviously, he’s a southpaw, so it changes the whole game up but also he’s a very, very different fight, styles, and strategies, and skill sets. This fight, I have to be smart about it, he’s a top-level fighter. I think he’s one of the more dangerous middleweights.”
Being cautious about your enemy’s strength is one of Robert’s plus points. Fighting methodically and not losing shape are Kelvin’s strength. A fiery match awaits us all on April 17th.
