Israel Adesanya will fight Kelvin Gastelum for the interim middleweight title at UFC 236.
Brett Okamoto of ESPN was first to break the news.
Breaking: Kelvin Gastelum vs. Israel Adesanya for the UFC's interim middleweight title headed to UFC 236 on April 13. https://t.co/Qa24aGzyPa
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) February 19, 2019
The news comes after UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker was unable to defend his title at UFC 234 in Melbourne after suffering a hernia and a collapsed bowl.
Israel Adesanya went on to headline the card and defeat Anderson Silva by unanimous decision.
With the UFC unsure on Whittaker’s return, they have decided to implement an interim title to keep the middleweight division moving forward. Whittaker’s management did tell ESPN they hope the champion will be able to defend his title in the summer (US).
UFC 236 is expected to take place on April 14 (AEDT) at a location yet to be determined.
More details will be released as they become known.
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