GLENDALE, Ariz. – After going five rounds with both men, Kelvin Gastelum thinks Robert Whittaker has the tools to beat Israel Adesanya.
Gastelum (16-7 MMA, 11-7 UFC) took UFC middleweight champion Adesanya to the brink when they competed for the interim title in 2019, but ultimately fell short. Adesanya (21-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) went on to unify the belts with then-champion Whittaker, picking up a mostly flawless second-round knockout.
Since then, Whittaker (23-5 MMA, 14-3 UFC) has beaten three top contenders in Darren Till, Jared Cannonier and, most recently, Gastelum in the main event of UFC on ESPN 22 in April. Gastelum thinks Whittaker has made marked improvements and this version will give Adesanya a run for his money.
“Rob impressed me a lot in that fight against myself,” Gastelum said at UFC 263, where he was a guest fighter. “If he fights the way that he did against myself, he will have a real chance at regaining that middleweight title.”
It’s been a rough stretch for Gastelum since his “Fight of the Year” contender against Adesanya. The Season 17 “Ultimate Fighter” winner has lost four of his past five. Next, he faces Jared Cannonier in the UFC on ESPN 28 headliner in August.
Gastelum was honest when assessing his loss to Whittaker, claiming it was a real wake-up call for him.
“He was just a step ahead the entire time,” Gastelum said. “It really motivated me. It really lit a fire in me to know that I still kind of have a little bit of work to get to that level. He impressed me a lot. I didn’t think he was that good. Looking back at the fight, I’ve never felt like that in a fight. Not even Israel Adesanya made me feel like that. He really frustrated me, really made me look bad.
“He was much faster than me. He really utilized his footwork really well. He did not want to stand and pocket with me. I kept hearing his corner saying, ‘Get out of the pocket. Get out of the pocket. You don’t want to stand in the pocket.’ And he used his jab really well. He was little bit faster than I am.”
Kelvin Gastelum: Robert Whittaker has a ‘real chance’ of dethroning Israel Adesanya
