Top Middleweight Contender Bothered By Rockhold vs. Romero

Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold was scheduled to take on current titleholder Robert Whittaker in the main event of UFC 221, which is set for Feb. 10, 2018 in Perth, Australia, but Whittaker was recently forced to withdraw from the fight. Rockhold will now take on fellow top contender Yoel Romero for an interim title.

While Rockhold vs. Romero is certainly an exciting fight, Kelvin Gastelum, who recently knocked out ex-champion Michael Bisping, admitted that he was a bit bothered that he wasn’t considered to replace Whittaker:

“It does bother me a little bit that I haven’t even been considered for a shot, but it is what it is,” Gastelum told MMAJunkie. “I know this is a process, and I’m just dealing with the process.”

The middleweight division had been in limbo for the majority of 2017, but it seemed to be back on track after Whittaker was promoted to undisputed champion following Georges St. Pierre’s decision to vacate the belt.

Whittaker suffering an injury, however, once again sets the division back according to Gastelum:

“What I do think set me back was Robert Whittaker getting hurt and them making that matchup for the interim belt,” Gastelum said. “That sets every middleweight back, because the winner is going to have to fight Whittaker. It’s just going to have to be a process for anyone to get a title shot.”

At this point, the former The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) winner simply wants a fight that will propel him towards a title shot at 185 pounds:

“I want the fight that’ll guarantee me the title shot,” he said. “I don’t care who it is – the No. 1 guy.”

“At this point, it’s hard to say who,” he added. “I’m kind of just on stand-by. You’ve got the top five over here, and I’m kind of floating over here.”

Do you agree with Gastelum, or are you content with Rockhold vs. Romero?