Robert Whittaker has the “anything you can do I can do better” mentality when it comes to Kelvin Gastelum.
Whittaker will serve as a coach on season 28 of “The Ultimate Fighter” Gastelum will be the opposing coach and both men will likely collide sometime next year. The holdup has to do with Whittaker’s hand surgery. “The Reaper” says he hasn’t even begun the rehab process.
During a recent media scrum, Whittaker gave Gastelum credit for his skills inside the Octagon. With that said, Whittaker certainly isn’t lacking confidence (via MMAJunkie.com):
“He’s a tough athlete. He hits like a truck. He’s fast, he’s young, and he wants it. The thing is, though, personally, I think I’m just better at everything than he is. I look forward to going into this fight, putting my skill set against his and seeing how that comes out.”
“The Reaper” was last seen in action last month. He took on Yoel Romero in a non-title five-round affair. Whittaker won the bout via split decision in a “Fight of the Year” worthy battle. Whittaker broke his hand in the fight. He didn’t defend his title because Romero failed to make weight.
Gastelum earned his title opportunity after going 4-1, 1 NC in his last six outings. Wins over former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping and Jacare Souza helped boost Gastelum’s case for a title shot.
There was an argument for Chris Weidman to get the next middleweight title bout. The “All American” defeated Gastelum, but the problem is inactivity. After submitting Gastelum, Weidman had to undergo two thumb surgeries. He hasn’t fought since July 2017. On top of that, he is 1-3 in his last four outings. Weidman is currently the third ranked UFC middleweight, while Gastelum is just behind him at the fourth spot.
Do you think Robert Whittaker has the edge over Kelvin Gastelum?
