UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs. Gastelum

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]

[23]

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

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