Robert Whittaker has yet to defend the UFC middleweight championship since winning it. Back in July of last year, Whittaker defeated Yoel Romero to capture the interim 185-pound strap. He was later promoted to undisputed champion after Georges St-Pierre vacated his title. Whittaker was booked for a rematch with Romero nearly a year later, however, Romero missed weight for the contest.
As a result, the fight was a non-title fight, which Whittaker won via split decision. With the victory, Whittaker now improves his win streak to nine-straight. He hasn’t lost since his days back at welterweight, as he was finished by Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson in the first round back in 2014. Now, Whittaker is prepared to make his first title defense at 185 pounds. He’ll face Kelvin Gastelum in the main event of UFC 234 on pay-per-view (PPV) from the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia on February 10, 2019.
Gastelum has done very well for himself inside the cage since moving up to 185 pounds. He currently holds back-to-back wins over the likes of Michael Bisping and Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza. Those were enough to earn him the title nod next. After coaching opposite Whittaker on The Ultimate Fighter season 28 (TUF 28), they’ll go head-to-head inside the Octagon. Check out their face-off in Australia over the weekend here below:
What do you think about the match-up between Whittaker and Gastelum?
