A fight that was scheduled to headline UFC 234 takes place on Saturday when former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker faces Kelvin Gastelum in the main event of UFC Vegas 24.
Whittaker was the reigning champion when he and Gastelum were first booked to face off. The two had weighed in for the event, but the fight fell through on fight day when Whittaker was forced to undergo emergency surgery for a hernia and a collapsed bowel. Gastelum did not take the news too well. He was at the event with a borrowed UFC belt over his shoulder. The UFC did not see things his way and Whittaker remained the champion.
The middleweight crown changed hands when Whittaker returned to action at UFC 243. Israel Adesanya knocked out Whittaker in the second round of that contest. Whittaker bounced back from that loss with decision wins over Darren Till and Jared Cannonier.
Gastelum fought Adesanya for the interim title at UFC 236. The fight was one of the best of 2019, but Gastelum left the arena that night without the title. Since that loss, Gastelum is 1-2 with losses to Till and Jack Hermansson. He is coming off a decision win over Ian Heinisch.
Here is a look at how Whittaker and Gastelum match up in some key stats heading into Saturday’s UFC Vegas 23 event.
UFC Vegas 24 takes place on Saturday, April 17 at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card is on ESPN following prelims on ESPN+ and ESPN.
UFC Vegas 24: Whittaker vs. Gastelum
| Stat | Whittaker | Gastelum |
|---|---|---|
| Stat | Whittaker | Gastelum |
| Sig. Strikes Landed Per Min. | 4.52 | 3.64 |
| Striking Accuracy | 40% | 43% |
| Strikes Absorbed Per Minute | 3.44 | 2.92 |
| Striking Defense | 60% | 59% |
| Takedown Avg./15 min | 0.43 | 1.22 |
| Takedown Accuracy | 27% | 39% |
| Takedown Defense | 84% | 64% |
| Submission Average Per 15 min | 0 | 0.1 |
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