Robert Whittaker will not say it, however others have been (rightfully) saying it for him. He must be preventing for an additional UFC championship now.
The previous middleweight champ is ready to face Kelvin Gastelum at UFC Struggle Night time on Saturday in Las Vegas. This combat was alleged to occur in February 2019 — when Whittaker nonetheless held the belt — but it surely fell by way of the day of the occasion when Whittaker was hospitalized and wanted emergency surgical procedure.
Whittaker (23-5) versus Gastelum (17-6) is a stellar matchup at 185 kilos, and the game is joyful to see it — but it surely’s value noting that Whittaker deserves extra.
He is received 11 of his final 12 fights within the UFC, together with back-to-back five-round title fights towards Yoel Romero. His lone stumble was towards Israel Adesanya, who remains to be the champ, in October 2019. Since that loss, he is decisively crushed Darren Till and Jared Cannonier, each of whom might need earned a title shot had they crushed him.
Going into this weekend, there isn’t any query Whittaker is the division’s No. 1 contender. But the UFC hasn’t acknowledged him as such. And Adesanya has by no means expressed curiosity in a second combat.
Fortunately for Whittaker, he does not care. He is by no means been the kind to name for a title shot, even when reporters mainly hound him to take action. He is stated he would welcome a rematch with Adesanya, but it surely’s not one thing he’ll particularly chase. Within the buildup to this combat towards Gastelum, he has repeatedly stated his complete focus is on Saturday and that his calendar does not exist past that.
Whittaker’s mentality is a profit to the game, as we get to see a sensational five-round combat this weekend — one which simply two years in the past would have been for a UFC championship.
We’re all joyful to have it. However in a sport the place title pictures are sacred and there’s such an enormous distinction between being a champion and never, some in Whittaker’s place would have by no means taken this combat. So if he isn’t getting the title shot he deserves this weekend, we should always at the least give him recognition because the unofficial No. 1 contender entering into.
By the numbers
798: Days it’ll have been, on Saturday, since Whittaker and Gastelum initially had been scheduled to combat. Their middleweight title bout at UFC 234 on Feb. 10, 2019, was canceled that morning after Whittaker was hospitalized for emergency surgical procedure to handle an belly hernia and collapsed bowel.
10: Middleweight wins by Whittaker within the UFC, making him one in all 12 fighters with double-digit victories within the division. Amongst energetic 185-pounders, solely Brad Tavares (13), Derek Brunson (13) and Chris Weidman (11) have extra UFC wins.
675: Important strikes landed by Whittaker as a UFC middleweight, the fifth most in division historical past, behind Michael Bisping‘s 1,384, Chris Camozzi‘s 800, Anderson Silva‘s 770 and Tavares’ 753.
13: Knockdowns by Whittaker and Gastelum mixed in UFC middleweight bouts. Whittaker has seven, the fourth most amongst energetic 185-pounders, and Gastelum is correct behind with six.
7: Struggle evening bonuses awarded to Whittaker (4 for combat of the evening, three for efficiency of the evening), tying him with Weidman, Israel Adesanya and Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza for probably the most amongst energetic middleweights. Gastelum has earned 4 bonuses (three every for combat and efficiency of the evening).
Sources: ESPN Stats & Info and UFC Stats
5 vs. 5
Robert Whittaker’s most up-to-date outcomes
Win: Jared Cannonier (UD, Oct. 24, 2020; watch on ESPN+)
Win: Darren Till (UD, July 26, 2020; watch on ESPN+)
Loss: Israel Adesanya (KO2, Oct. 6, 2019; watch on ESPN+)
Win: Yoel Romero (SD, June 9, 2018)
Win: Yoel Romero (UD, July eight, 2017)
Kelvin Gastelum’s most up-to-date outcomes
Win: Ian Heinisch (UD, Feb. 13, 2021; watch on ESPN+)
Loss: Jack Hermansson (Sub1, July 19, 2020; watch on ESPN+)
Loss: Darren Till (SD, Nov. 2, 2019; watch on ESPN+)
Loss: Israel Adesanya (UD, April 13, 2019; watch on ESPN+)
Win: Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (SD, Could 12, 2018)
And the winner is …
“[Whittaker] likes to get into firefights a bit of bit,” Struggle Prepared putting coach Eddie Cha stated. “I feel he understands what’s at stake; he is in all probability subsequent in line for a title shot. You’d assume he’d observe a recreation plan and combat a bit of smarter and protected.”
Try here how Cha and different specialists break down and predict a winner for Saturday’s fundamental occasion.
Methods to watch the fights
Watch the whole card on ESPN. Haven’t got ESPN? Get instant access.
All the fights are additionally accessible on ESPN Deportes and ESPN+. ESPN Deportes is obtainable on the similar hyperlink above for ESPN.
If you do not have ESPN+, get it here. Additionally: Download the ESPN App | WatchESPN | TV schedule
There’s additionally FightCenter, which provides dwell updates for each UFC card.
Saturday’s combat card
ESPN/ESPN Deportes/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET
Robert Whittaker vs. Kelvin Gastelum | Middleweight
Jeremy Stephens vs. Drakkar Klose | Light-weight
Andrei Arlovski vs. Chase Sherman | Heavyweight
Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Jacob Malkoun | Middleweight
Luis Pena vs. Alexander Muñoz | Light-weight
ESPN/ESPN Deportes/ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET
Tracy Cortez vs. Justine Kish | Ladies’s flyweight
Alexander Romanov vs. Juan Espino | Heavyweight
Jessica Penne vs. Lupita Godinez | Strawweight
Gerald Meerschaert vs. Bartosz Fabinski | Middleweight
Austin Hubbard vs. Dakota Bush | Light-weight
Tony Gravely vs. Anthony Birchak | Males’s bantamweight
5 extra issues to know (from ESPN Stats & Info)
1. Jeremy Stephens will likely be searching for his first win since 2018 when he faces Drakkar Klose within the co-main occasion. It will likely be Stephens’ 34th UFC combat, the fourth most all time. Jim Miller leads with 37, another than Donald Cerrone. Andrei Arlovski will make his 35th look earlier on Saturday’s card.
2. Arlovski’s opponent, Chase Sherman, leads all energetic heavyweights with 6.02 important strikes landed per minute.
three. Luis Pena, who faces Alexander Munoz, is third amongst energetic lightweights in each management time proportion (45.eight%) and high place proportion (40.1%).
four. Tracy Cortez has received eight fights in a row since dropping her professional debut in 2017. She takes on Justine Kish, who has misplaced three of her final 4.
5. Alexander Romanov is 13-Zero, with all of these wins coming by end. His heavyweight opponent, Juan Espino, has had an 80% putting accuracy and 77% takedown accuracy in his two UFC bouts.
ESPN’s Jeff Wagenheim contributed to this combat preview.