It didn’t choose very long for the UFC to discover a replacement for Paulo Costa to headline the April 17th Combat Night time card opposite Robert Whittaker.
It was revealed late Monday night time that Paulo Costa would be not able to contend towards Robert Whittaker on April 17 because of to falling severely ill. There have been talks of the UFC probably rescheduling the battle, but that will not be the case just after Kelvin Gastelum has determined to action in for Costa as claimed by ESPN Tuesday afternoon.
This is not the very first time that Whittaker and Gastelum have been paired alongside one another. The two coached the 28th season of The Top Fighter reverse one an additional and have been scheduled to fight at UFC 234 with Whittaker earning his initially middleweight title protection. Regrettably, Whittaker was compelled to withdraw hours ahead of the bout owing to an stomach hernia. Gastelum would then look at the function unfold parading all around with what he claimed to be the middleweight championship that he won by forfeit. There will be no gold on the line this time, but Gastelum can however generate a feeling of vindication must he defeat Whittaker in April.

Robert Whittaker is at present rated #1 and is eagerly pursuing a rematch in opposition to winner Israel Adesanya. A victory around Gastelum would be a 3rd straight get around a rated opponent for Whittaker and bolster his case. As for Gastelum, a gain listed here would re-insert himself back into title photograph and maybe receive him the hugely coveted Adesanya rematch in its place of Whittaker.
With this new principal occasion, the current lineup for the April 17 Combat Night card is now as follows:
Robert Whittaker vs. Kelvin Gastelum
Jeremy Stephens vs. Drakkar Klose
Austin Hubbard vs. Natan Levy
Tony Gravely vs. Nate Maness
Tracy Cortez vs. Justin Kish
Parker Porter vs. Chase Sherman
Bartosz vs. Gerald Meerschaert
Who is your choose to earn this middleweight fight several years in the earning? Robert Whittaker or Kelvin Gastelum?