The middleweight title picture just got a little bit clearer.
At UFC 234 in Melbourne, Australia, 185-pound champion Robert Whittaker was supposed to defend his title against Kelvin Gastelum, with the winner fighting the victor of co-main event’s Israel Adesanya vs. Anderson Silva. Unfortunately as fight day arrived, Whittaker was rushed to hospital with a hernia and intestinal issues for emergency surgery.
That left both Gastelum and Adesanya (who defeated Silva) in a state of flux, with both men claiming to be the rightful contender to Whittaker’s gold. Now, per a report by ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, the UFC have found a solution. At UFC 236 on April 12, Adesanya and Gastelum will compete for the interim middleweight title, with the winner likely facing a returning Whittaker later this year.