A showdown between Top 10 middleweights will headline UFC on ESPN 22, as former champion Robert Whittaker locks horns with “The Ultimate Fighter 17” winner Kelvin Gastelum on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Gastelum draws the assignment as a short-notice replacement for Paulo Costa, who withdrew from the event due to an illness.
Whittaker has rattled off 11 wins across his past 12 outings. He last competed at UFC 254 in October, when he laid claim to a unanimous decision over Jared Cannonier. Gastelum, meanwhile, closed the book on a three-fight losing streak at UFC 258, where he took a unanimous verdict from onetime Legacy Fighting Alliance champion Ian Heinisch on Feb.