[Event] UFC on ESPN 22 - Whittaker vs. Gastelum - Apr 17

Dent · **Posted:** Mon Apr 12, 2021 6:57 pm

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UFC on ESPN 22: Whittaker vs. Gastelum (also known as UFC Vegas 24) is an upcoming mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that will take place on April 17, 2021 at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United States.

Fight card

Main card (ESPN / ESPN+)

Middleweight Robert Whittaker vs. Kelvin Gastelum
Lightweight Jeremy Stephens vs. Drakkar Klose
Heavyweight Andrei Arlovski vs. Chase Sherman
Middleweight Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Jacob Malkoun
Lightweight Luis Peña vs. Alexander Munoz

Preliminary Card (ESPN / ESPN+)

Catchweight (126.5 lb) Tracy Cortez vs. Justine Kish
Heavyweight Alexander Romanov vs. Juan Espino
Women’s Strawweight Jessica Penne vs. Lupita Godinez
Middleweight Bartosz Fabiński vs. Gerald Meerschaert
Lightweight Austin Hubbard vs. Dakota Bush
Bantamweight Tony Gravely vs. Anthony Birchak

Announced bouts

Lightweight Austin Hubbard vs. Dakota Bush

Background

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

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

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. They were then rescheduled for this event. A week before the event, Goldy pulled out once again and was replaced by promotional newcomer Lupita Godinez.

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

Natan Levy was expected to face Austin Hubbard in a lightweight bout at this event. However, Levy pulled out of the bout a week before it took place due to an injury. Hubbard is now expected to face Dakota Bush.

Ricardo Ramos was scheduled to face Bill Algeo in a bantamweight bout at the event. 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.

At the weigh-ins, Tracy Cortez and Zarah Fairn 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 is expected to proceed at catchweight and she will be fined 20% of her individual purse, which will go to her opponent Justine Kish. Fairn weighed in at 147 pounds, eight pounds over the pre-established limit of 139 pounds (the bout was originaly set for the women's bantamweight division, but was shifted to a catchweight pior to the start of the weigh-ins). Her bout against Josiane Nunes was cancelled due to the weight discrepancy, as Nunes weighted in at 136 pounds.

Apr 17 - Updated fight card & background

[Event] UFC on ESPN 22 - Whittaker vs. Gastelum - Apr 17

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