Kelvin Gastelum wants his shot at UFC gold.
Fresh off a stunning first round knockout against former champion Michael Bisping in China on Saturday, Gastelum wasted no time taking aim at one of the two men holding the middleweight title in the UFC currently.
While Georges St-Pierre is just three weeks removed from winning the title, interim champion Robert Whittaker has been out of action since July and with UFC 221 coming up in February near his home in Australia, he would seem like the perfect candidate to headline the card.
If Whittaker is looking for an opponent, Gastelum feels like he should be the one landing that fight.
“I heard Robert Whittaker needs a main event opponent over in Australia for February and I’m up for the challenge,” Gastelum said at the post fight press conference. “You guys say I beat up all the elderly, well Robert Whittaker is definitely not the elderly. He’s probably my age. So I’m up for that challenge.”
Considering St-Pierre just won the belt a few weeks ago, it might be premature to book anyone else against Whittaker just yet much less claiming that an interim title defense should crown an undisputed champion but Gastelum doesn’t mind the idea.
More than anything, Gastelum would just like the chance to face the challenge of taking on Whittaker, who has looked absolutely unstoppable since moving to the middleweight division and reeling off seven straight wins in the division.
“Absolutely. I mean GSP said it himself, anything can happen in the sport of MMA. I feel like Robert Whittaker and I should be next,” Gastelum said. “We’re two young guys, probably haven’t even hit our prime yet.
“I just beat the guy who was the guy. So I feel like I should be next.”
