It’s taken Kelvin Gastelum six years to work his way towards a UFC title shot, so it’s understandable that he views Israel Adesanya’s rise to the top as being somewhat sudden.
Regardless of the paths they’ve taken, Gastelum and Adesanya will meet in the Octagon on April 13 at UFC 236 in Atlanta with the winner claiming a vacant interim middleweight championship. It’s a scenario that has unfolded in the wake of undisputed champion Robert Whittaker suffering an untimely injury just hours before he was supposed to defend his title against Gastelum at UFC 234 in Melbourne, Australia, this past February.