Robert Whittaker and Kelvin Gastelum were supposed to fight at UFC 234 back in February 2019, when the middleweight title match was scratched due to Whittaker needing an emergency surgery for a twisted and collapsed bowel and an internal hernia of the intestine.
Now, more than two years later, Whittaker and Gastelum will have their long-awaited clash as the headliner of the UFC Fight Night at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night. With Whittaker being the No. 1 middleweight contender and Gastelum No. 8 in the Top 10 rankings of the division, the winner will put himself in a great position to land a rematch with middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.
The "Last Stylebender" defeated Gastelum by a hard-fought unanimous decision and Whittaker by second-round KO (punches) in April and October 2019, respectively. Although each contender has arguably grown as a fighter since then.
After suffering that defeat, Whittaker scored unanimous decisions over Darren Till and Jared Cannonier in 2020. Meanwhile, Gastelum snapped a three-fight skid, having lost to Till and Jack Hermansson following the defeat to Adesanya, with a unanimous decision victory over Ian Heinisch in February.
Will Whittaker defeat Gastelum to stamp his ticket for a possible title rematch against Adesanya or will Gastelum prove he's the top middleweight contender?
Here's everything you need to know about the UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Gastelum card.
UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Gastelum start time
- Date: Saturday, April 17
- Time: 10:00 p.m. ET/3 a.m. GMT
- Main event: 12:15 a.m. ET/5:15 a.m. GMT
UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Gastelum takes place on Saturday night with the prelims launching at 7 p.m. ET/midnight GMT and the main card kicking off at 10 p.m. ET. That's a 3 a.m. start for the UK. Whittaker and Gastelum should make their walks to the Octagon around 12:15 a.m., although that depends on the lengths of the previous bouts.
UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Gastelum TV channel and live stream
- U.S .: ESPN, ESPN+
In the United States, UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Gastelum can be seen on ESPN or live streamed via ESPN+.
In the U.K., the event can be seen on BT Sport 1.
More details about how to watch in other countries can be found at UFC.com.
Where is UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Gastelum?
The event will be held at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Whittaker has never fought at the venue, while Gastelum was victorious at the Apex in February.
UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Gastelum fight odds
Bet MGM (as of April 13) has tabbed Whittaker as the favorite at -250, meaning a $250 bet will land you $100 if the Australian fighter is victorious. Meanwhile, Gastelum is listed as a +210 underdog, signaling that a $100 bet would net $210 if he wins Saturday night.
Robert Whittaker record and bio
- Nationality: Australia
- Born: December 20, 1990
- Height: 6-0
- Reach: 73.5 inches
- Total fights: 27
- Record: 22-5
Kelvin Gastelum record and bio
- Nationality: American
- Born: October 24, 1991
- Height: 5-9
- Reach: 71.5 inches
- Total fights: 24
- Record: 17-6, 1 No Contest
UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Gastelum card
Main card
- Robert Whittaker vs. Kelvin Gastelum; Middleweights
- Jeremy Stephens vs. Drakkar Klose; Lightweights
- Andrei Arlovski vs. Chase Sherman; Heavyweights
- Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Jacob Malkoun; Middleweights
- Luis Pena vs. Alex Munoz; Lightweights
- Ricardo Ramos vs. Bill Algeo; Featherweights
Preliminary card
- Tracy Cortez vs. Justine Kish; Women's Flyweights
- Alexandr Romanov vs. Juan Espino; Heavyweights
- Jessica Penne vs. Lupita Godinez; Women's Strawweights
- Bartosz Fabinski vs. Gerald Meerschaert; Middleweights
- Zarah Fairn dos Santos vs. Josiane Nunes; Women's Bantamweights
- Tony Gravely vs. Anthony Birchak; Bantamweights