This weekend, in the main event of UFC 234, UFC middleweight champ Robert Whittaker will attempt to defend his title opposite dangerous challenger Kelvin Gastelum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Heading into this fight, Kelvin Gastelum has boldly predicted that he’ll knock Robert Whittaker out in the first round. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m predicting a first-round knockout,\u201d Gastelum said during a late January media day in Los Angeles (via\u00a0MMA Fighting<\/a>). \u201cI\u2019ve put in so much work and I feel so confident in my abilities and confident in what I\u2019ve done in the sport that I\u2019m predicting a first-round knockout.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen I say things like, \u2018I\u2019m going to knock him out in the first round,\u2019 I mean it, but I\u2019m ready for a 25-minute war,\u201d Gastelum added in a recent interview with MMAjunkie<\/a>, doubling-down on his promise to knock Whittaker out in a round. \u201cBut when I see Rob, I just see hard work. I see a lot of heart. I see a lot of will. Just like me \u2013 I don\u2019t bring a lot of special abilities like, let\u2019s say, Israel Adesanya. He has a special talent. I\u2019m not necessarily the greatest striker or the greatest wrestler or the greatest jiu-jitsu guy. I\u2019m just in there to win fights, and that\u2019s what I think that Rob is good at, too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Speaking at the UFC 234 pre-fight press conference in Melbourne this week, Robert Whittaker finally responded to these comments from Gastelum. <\/p>\n\n\n\n He doesn’t seem worried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n