UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs. Gastelum

UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs. Gastelum
The poster for UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs. Gastelum
Information
Promotion	Ultimate Fighting Championship
Date	April 17, 2021 (2021-04-17)
Venue	UFC Apex
City	Enterprise, Nevada, United States
Attendance	None (behind closed doors) [1]
Event chronology
UFC on ABC: Vettori vs. Holland UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs. Gastelum UFC 261: Usman vs. Masvidal 2

UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs. Gastelum (also known as UFC on ESPN 22 and UFC Vegas 24) was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on April 17, 2021, at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United States. ^[2]

Background

A middleweight bout between former UFC Middleweight Champion Robert Whittaker (also The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes welterweight winner) and former middleweight title challenger Paulo Costa was expected to serve as the main event. ^{[2] [3]} However, Costa withdrew from the fight on March 16 due to a severe flu. ^[4] He was replaced by former interim title challenger and The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen middleweight winner Kelvin Gastelum. ^[5] They were head coaches on The Ultimate Fighter: Heavy Hitters and Whittaker was expected to defend his title against Gastelum at UFC 234 in February 2019, but pulled out hours before that event due to a collapsed bowel and an internal hernia that required emergency surgery. ^[6]

A bantamweight bout between Tony Gravely and Nate Maness was scheduled to take place at the event. ^[7] However, Maness was removed from the bout for undisclosed reasons and replaced by Anthony Birchak. ^[8]

Former Invicta FC Atomweight Champion and UFC Women's Strawweight Championship challenger Jessica Penne and Hannah Goldy were expected to meet in a women's strawweight bout at UFC 260, but Goldy tested positive for COVID-19 and the bout was postponed. ^[9] They were then rescheduled for this event. ^[10] A week before the event, Goldy pulled out once again and was replaced by promotional newcomer Lupita Godinez. ^[11]

A heavyweight bout between Parker Porter and Chase Sherman was scheduled to take place at the event. ^[12] However, Porter was removed from the bout on April 7 due to undisclosed reasons and replaced by former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei Arlovski. ^[13]

Natan Levy was expected to face Austin Hubbard in a lightweight bout at this event. ^[14] However, Levy pulled out of the bout a week before it took place due to an injury. ^[15] Hubbard faced promotional newcomer Dakota Bush instead. ^[16]

Ricardo Ramos was scheduled to face Bill Algeo in a bantamweight bout at the event. ^[17] However, Ramos was pulled from the fight during the week leading up to the event after testing positive for COVID-19 and the contest was cancelled. The pairing remained intact and was rescheduled for UFC Fight Night: Font vs. Garbrandt ^[18]

At the weigh-ins, Tracy Cortez and Zarah Fairn Dos Santos missed weight for their respective bouts. Cortez weighed in at 126.5 pounds, half a pound over the women's flyweight non-title fight limit. Her bout proceeded at a catchweight and she was fined 20% of her individual purse, which went to her opponent Justine Kish. ^[19] Fairn weighed in at 147 pounds, eight pounds over the pre-established limit of 139 pounds (the bout was originally set for the women's bantamweight division, but was shifted to a catchweight prior to the start of the weigh-ins). Her bout against Josiane Nunes was cancelled due to the weight discrepancy, as Nunes weighed in at 136 pounds. ^[20]

A lightweight bout between Jeremy Stephens and Drakkar Klose was expected to take place as the co-main event. ^[21] However, Klose withdrew citing injuries that he claimed were triggered by a Stephens shove at the weigh-ins and the bout was pulled from the card just hours before the event. ^[22]

Results

Main card (ESPN / ESPN+)
Weight class				Method	Round	Time	Notes
Middleweight	Robert Whittaker	def.	Kelvin Gastelum	Decision (unanimous) (50–45, 50–45, 50–45)	5	5:00
Heavyweight	Andrei Arlovski	def.	Chase Sherman	Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 29–28)	3	5:00
Middleweight	Jacob Malkoun	def.	Abdul Razak Alhassan	Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27)	3	5:00
Catchweight (126.5 lb)	Tracy Cortez	def.	Justine Kish	Decision (split) (29–28, 28–29, 30–27)	3	5:00
Lightweight	Luis Peña	def.	Alexander Munoz	Decision (split) (28–29, 29–28, 29–28)	3	5:00
Preliminary card (ESPN / ESPN+)
Heavyweight	Alexander Romanov	def.	Juan Espino	Technical Decision (split) (29–28, 28–29, 29–28)	3	1:05	[lower-alpha 1]
Women’s Strawweight	Jessica Penne	def.	Lupita Godinez	Decision (split) (29–28, 28–29, 29–28)	3	5:00
Middleweight	Gerald Meerschaert	def.	Bartosz Fabiński	Technical Submission (guillotine choke)	1	2:00
Lightweight	Austin Hubbard	def.	Dakota Bush	Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 29–28)	3	5:00
Bantamweight	Tony Gravely	def.	Anthony Birchak	TKO (punch)	2	1:31

1. Accidental knee to the groin rendered Romanov unable to continue.

^[23]

Bonus awards

The following fighters received $50,000 bonuses. ^[24]

• Fight of the Night: Robert Whittaker vs. Kelvin Gastelum
• Performance of the Night: Gerald Meerschaert and Tony Gravely

See also

• Martial Arts portal

• List of UFC events
• List of current UFC fighters
• 2021 in UFC

References

1. Mike Bohn (2021-04-18). "UFC on ESPN 22 post-event facts: Andrei Arlovski joins 20-win club". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2021-04-20.
2. Brent Brookhouse (2021-02-26). "Robert Whittaker vs. Paulo Costa middleweight bout set to headline UFC Fight Night event in April". cbssports.com. Retrieved 2021-03-12.
3. Ross Markey (2021-02-15). "Paulo Costa rejects rescheduling against Robert Whittaker, clash still set for April 17". lowkickmma.com. Retrieved 2021-03-12.
4. Guilherme Cruz (2021-03-16). "Paulo Costa ill, unable to fight Robert Whittaker at April 17 UFC event". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2021-03-16.
5. Brett Okamoto (2021-03-16). "Sources: Kelvin Gastelum to replace Paulo Costa, fight Robert Whittaker on April 17". espn.com. Retrieved 2021-03-16.
6. Brendan Bradford (2019-02-09). "UFC 234: Robert Whittaker forced off UFC 234 with hernia, requires immediate surgery". sportingnews.com. Retrieved 2021-03-16.
7. Nolan King and Farah Hannoun (2019-02-18). "UFC books Tony Gravely vs. Nate Maness for April 17 event". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
8. Staff (2021-03-26). "Anthony Birchak replaces Nate Maness against Tony Gravely at UFC event on April 17th". mmadna.nl. Retrieved 2021-03-26.(in Dutch)
9. Adam Martin (2021-03-24). "Hannah Goldy tests positive for COVID-19, fight with Jessica Penne at UFC 260 off". Bjorne.com. Retrieved 2021-03-24.
10. Staff (2019-03-26). "Updates to UFC 260: Miocic vs. Ngannou 2". ufc.com. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
11. Farrah Hannoun (2021-04-01). "LFA champ Lupita Godinez signs with UFC, meets Jessica Penne on April 17". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2021-04-01.
12. Farrah Hannoun (2021-01-30). "Chase Sherman vs. Parker Porter added to UFC Fight Night on April 17". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2021-04-08.
13. Mike Heck and Damon Martin (2021-04-07). "With Parker Porter out, Andrei Arlovski steps in to face Chase Sherman at UFC Vegas 24". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2021-04-07.
14. Nolan King and Farah Hannoun (2021-02-22). "Israeli submission specialist Natan Levy to make UFC debut April 17 vs. Austin Hubbard". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
15. Jack Wannan (2021-04-11). "Injury forces Natan Levy out of April 17th UFC debut against Austin Hubbard". knockdownnews.com. Retrieved 2021-04-12.
16. Mike Heck (2021-04-12). "With Natan Levy out, Austin Hubbard welcomes newcomer Dakota Bush at UFC Vegas 24". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2021-04-12.
17. Nolan King and Farah Hannoun (2021-03-18). "Bill Algeo vs. Ricardo Ramos set for UFC event on April 17". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2021-04-14.
18. Guilherme Cruz and Mike Heck (2021-04-14). "Ricardo Ramos withdraws from UFC Vegas 24 after positive COVID-19 test". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2021-04-14.
19. Staff (2021-04-16). "UFC on ESPN 22 weigh-in results: Two fighters miss, one bout scrapped". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2021-04-16.
20. Nolan King and John Morgan (2021-04-16). "Zarah Fairn vs. Josiane Nunes scrapped from UFC on ESPN 22 after 11-pound weight discrepancy". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2021-04-16.
21. Ryan Truland (2021-02-25). "Drakkar Klose vs Jeremy Stephens added to April 17th card". overtimeheroics.com. Retrieved 2021-04-17.
22. John Morgan (2021-04-17). "Jeremy Stephens vs. Drakkar Klose off UFC on ESPN 22; Klose says shove caused withdrawal". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2021-04-17.
23. "UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs. Gastelum". Ultimate Fighting Championship. Retrieved 2021-03-18.
24. John Morgan (2021-04-18). "UFC on ESPN 22 bonuses: Robert Whittaker, Kelvin Gastelum deliver 'Fight of the Night'". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2021-04-18.