‘It’s about time we crossed paths again’: UFC star Robert Whittaker calls for Adesanya rematch after Gastelum whitewash (VIDEO)

Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker believes he has cleared the path towards a title rematch against the man who dethroned him, Israel Adesanya, after the Australian fighter routed Kelvin Gastelum in Las Vegas.

Whittaker, who surrendered his UFC 185lbs title to Adesanya in October 2019, showed that his days as a top contender are far from over after he delivered a sensational performance to stifle the tough Gastelum through five rounds.

The Australian fighter was awarded the win on the cards by a unanimous score of 50-45 after he used his superior striking to keep the dangerous Gastelum at bay and, while he deserves credit for hanging tough through 25 minutes of action, Whittaker came close to ending his night early when he finished a combination with a left hook which landed flush to Gastelum's temple.

Gastelum, a former title challenger in his own right, looked to have lost his equilibrium – and when he looked to counter, Whittaker ducked under and took his opponent to the ground in an exchange which suitably defined the majority of the fight: Gastleum was tough, but Whittaker was always one step ahead.

By the time the clock ticked towards the conclusion, it was clear that Whittaker had done more than enough to win – and he said afterwards that a sequel showing against current champion Adesanya is in his crosshairs.

"I feel on top of the world," he said. "Obviously, this was a very hard fight. I think a lot of people were selling Kelvin short for where he was in the rankings. He’s one of the best fighters in the division, and that was a tough fight."

But when it came to 'The Last Stylebender', Whittaker was keen to show his respect but stated that his recent body of work shows that he is the true top contender in the UFC's middleweight fold.

"Nothing but respect," Whittaker said of his rival. "He’s a great fighter. But I think it’s about time we crossed paths once again.

"They might just open up the borders for Australia in September. Let’s make that happen. Let’s see if we can get a stadium back home.

"He beat me last time. But I’m going to work hard, and I think I’ve got some tricks he hasn’t seen yet," added Whittaker, who has now bested Gastelum, Darren Till and Jared Cannonier since losing to Adesanya in October 2019. 

For his part, Adesanya reflected on the win of his former rival with a simple four-word tweet: "Good job, my son".

Whittaker's win – and the manner in which he achieved it – surely suggests that a rematch between the two southern hemisphere talents is incoming, but with the also recently victorious Marvin Vettori watching from cageside, and Darren Till rehabbing a broken collarbone in Liverpool, the upper echelon of the UFC's middleweight division is heating up.