Face Off! ‘Reaper’ Stares Down ‘Gorilla’ In Abu Dhabi!

No question “The Gorilla” is happy to be free of the welterweight division.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) recently held a pre-fight staredown for the UFC on ESPN 14 middleweight main event, bringing together former 185-pound champion Robert Whittaker and No. 5-ranked contender Darren Till ahead of their five-round war this Sat. night (July 25, 2020) inside Flash Forum on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi.

Sorry, that Octagon on the beach is just for show.

This marks Whittaker’s first fight since coughing up his 185-pound strap to Israel Adesanya at UFC 243 last October. The defeat snapped the Aussie’s nine-fight win streak, which dated back to his days competing at welterweight.

Till, meanwhile, went undefeated in 17 straight bouts at 170 pounds before dropping back-to-back outings against Tyron Woodley and Jorge Masvidal. “The Gorilla” eventually made the jump to middleweight at UFC 244 last November, defeating Kelvin Gastelum via split decision.

The winner of Whittaker-Till will sit atop a very short list of contenders to challenge the victor of Adesanya vs. Paulo Costa, who collide at UFC 253 in September.

For the complete UFC on ESPN 14 line up click here.