LUKE Rockhold has branded Kelvin Gastelum “a little midget” who has no right to be talking himself into a UFC middleweight title fight.

Speaking with The Daily Telegraph in Sydney, on the last leg of a whirlwind press tour of UFC 221, Rockhold has hit back at suggestions it should be Gastelum, not him, challenging Aussie Robert Whittaker for the title in Perth on February 11.

Only last week, Gastelum took to Twitter pushing his case.

Apart from fighting more often in the past 18 months, he wrote, and against higher quality opponents, he also took a not-so-subtle dig at Rockhold’s other job as a professional model.

To which the Santa Cruz native says what?

“That little midget should be fighting for the title?” Rockhold laughed. “How? How in the world does he think that?

“The kid hasn’t accomplished anything yet.

media_camera UFC middleweight Luke Rockhold in Sydney on Thursday.

“For his last win, he beat up Michael Bisping, who was coming off a loss only two weeks earlier. And before that, he got absolutely smoked by Chris Weidman.

“So c’mon kid, wake up and smell the f ... ing daisies. I’ve beaten everyone.

“And if we ever fight, I’ll put you away real quick.”

Since losing the middleweight title to Michael Bisping in 2016, Rockhold has fought only once, beating David Branch by submission back in September.

However the No. 2 contender, who has also had to overcome a serious knee injury, still insists his own credentials — which include wins over Bisping, Chris Weidman, Lyoto Machida, plus the Strikeforce title — are far superior to those of Gastelum, who currently ranks sixth in the division.

Indeed, the Bisping upset represents Rockhold’s only loss in almost five years.

“So this title fight between Rob and myself, it’s what the sport is about,” the former champ said. “It’s the best fighting the best.

media_camera Kelvin Gastelum fighting Michael Bisping in Shanghai in November.

“We’ve been waiting for two years while Bisping ran from everybody.

“And I was part of that problem ... I f ... ed up, underestimated him as an opponent and it cost me.

“Why is why, now, it’s so good to be part of the solution.”

Gastelum, meanwhile, has won three of his past five fights.

Before his November win over Bisping, who took the fight on a fortnight’s notice, the former welterweight endured a submission loss against Chris Weidman. He also had a win against Brazilian Vitor Belfort overturned to a no contest after testing positive to marijuana.

Before that, were consecutive wins against Tim Kennedy and Johny Hendricks

In his Twitter post, Gastelum wrote of the UFC 221 debate:

A: Fought only once in 18 months against someone who wasn’t even competing in the ufc a year ago.

B: Fought 4 times in 12 months, 3 of them in the main event in the last 8 months against former champions ranked in top 10 of the division. *Doesn’t have a modelling career.