UFC Predictions: UFC Vegas 24: Robert Whittaker vs. Kelvin Gastelum Predictions & Picks
This weekend sees the UFC return to its APEX Center for UFC Vegas 24: Robert Whittaker vs. Kelvin Gastelum.
Overall, UFC Vegas 24 looks like an excellent card, with plenty of fun-sounding fights to pique the interest of fans across the globe.
Without further ado, here are the predicted outcomes for UFC Vegas 24: Robert Whittaker vs. Kelvin Gastelum.
#1 UFC Middleweight division: Robert Whittaker vs. Kelvin Gastelum
For those who’ve forgotten, this fight was pegged to be the main event of UFC 234 back in February 2019, with Whittaker’s UFC Middleweight title on the line.
Of course, plenty has changed since then. When Whittaker was sidelined with injury, Israel Adesanya ended up defeating Gastelum for an interim title and then claimed the real thing from Whittaker a few months later.
Both men are now looking to rebound and put themselves in line for another crack at The Last Stylebender, but which one will do it?
Of the two, it’s clear that Whittaker’s been on better form. He looked excellent in 2020, picking apart Darren Till and Jared Cannonier to prove that he’s probably still the biggest threat to Adesanya in the UFC.
Gastelum, meanwhile, looked to be in trouble after following his Adesanya loss with back-to-back defeats to Till and Jack Hermansson.
A win over Ian Henisch righted his ship somewhat, but a loss to Whittaker here would probably end his hopes of UFC title contention at Middleweight for good.
Like their initial booking at UFC 234, this remains an intriguing match. Both men are incredibly tough and can weather serious punishment, and both can dish it out, too.
However, Whittaker remains the more nuanced striker. Gastelum can definitely box well, but he’s still more of a clubbing puncher than the cleaner Reaper, who is also highly adept at breaking a foe down with his kicks.
And while Gastelum is an excellent wrestler who has shrugged off takedowns from even better grapplers, Whittaker has arguably the best takedown defense we’ve ever seen at Middleweight.
Even Olympic wrestler – and physical freak – Yoel Romero was unable to take him down in their two clashes.
Given that probably due to his lengthy time off, The Reaper no longer looks as vulnerable as he did a couple of years ago, this fight seems to favor him heavily.
Can Whittaker finish Gastelum? The honest answer is probably no, as Adesanya threw an insane amount at him and couldn’t put him away. But it’s highly likely that The Reaper will pick him apart en route to another impressive decision, netting himself a title shot in the process.
The Pick: Whittaker via unanimous decision