Current Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight champion Robert Whittaker admits his two fights against Yoel Romero were tough, but he can’t comprehend why Kelvin Gastelum felt the need to says he’s been in too many wars.
It’s those wars, according to Kelvin, that have taken a toll on “The Reaper’s” body to the point that he isn’t the same fighter. Robert, naturally, vehemently disagrees.
“I’d like to think that I’m one of the few guys who hasn’t been in a lot of wars, Whittaker told reporters at a media day last Monday (via MMA Fighting). “I haven’t been hit that much. My last couple fights have been pretty hard, but look at the opponents and the caliber I’m going up against.”
If anything, “Bobby Knuckles” says he has walked right through the bad guys who were supposed to give him a war, and normally does to other fighters, too.
“I think he’s telling himself that to make himself feel better,” Whittaker continued. “Because there are some bad guys out there that couldn’t put me away, that couldn’t touch me, and I walked through them.”
His dominant wins over the likes of Derek Brunson and Ronaldo Souza certainly help prove the middleweight champion’s point.
Whittaker and Gastelum will collide for “The Reaper’s” 185-pound strap, possibly at the beginning of 2019. In the meantime, you can see the two men interact with one another rather pleasantly on the current season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 28, which airs every Wednesday night on FOX Sports 1 .