K. Gastelum lost to R. Whittaker in his last fight. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
When winning Marvin vettori No. UFC 263 last Saturday (12), Israel adesanya continued with the position of 'dominant champion' in the middleweight category (up to 83,9kg.). However, a former opponent claims that another old rival could defeat him in the near future. In a post-event interview, Kelvin Gastelum analyzed the division and believes that Robert whittaker can face the current champion.
See too
“Whittaker really impressed me in that fight against me. If he fights the way he fought me, he will have a real chance of winning back the middleweight title,” says Gastelum.
With a fight scheduled against Cannonier in August, Kelvin still says that the fight against Whittaker is present in his memory. The North American even acknowledged that the Australian showed great superiority in combat and indicated that not even Adesanya touched him in this way.
“He was just one step ahead the whole time. This really motivated me. It really lit a fire in me, knowing that I still have a bit of work to do to get to that level. He impressed me a lot. I didn't think he was that good. Looking back, I never felt like this in a fight. Not even Israel adesanya made me feel this way. He really frustrated me and made me look bad”, concluded the American.
Former challenger for the interim middleweight belt (up to 83,9kg.), Kelvin Gastelum is experiencing a moment of fluctuation in Ultimate. In his last five challenges, the athlete won in a fight, against Ian Heinisch, in February this season. From 2019 to 2021, Gastelum accumulates defeats against Israel adesanya, Darren till, Jack hermansson e Robert whittaker.
Comments