While many have opined that the
UFC 297 main event clash between Sean
Strickland and Dricus Du
Plessis could have been scored either way, Robert
Whittaker (24-7) disagrees.
Strickland (28-6) looked to defend his middleweight strap against
du Plessis (21-2) at
UFC 297 in Toronto last weekend. While the American looked
impeccable in the opening frame, “Stillknocks” made adjustments as
the fight progressed to rope in a closely-contested split decision
win.
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However, fans and pundits alike were divided on the scoring of the
fight. Even
Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White and color
commentator Joe Rogan had Strickland winning.
However, Whittaker said du Plessis won every round except the
first. The former middleweight champ saw du Plessis as the hungrier
fighter, which he finds praiseworthy.
“I don’t know why it’s controversial,” Whittaker declared on his
“MMArcade” podcast. “I’ve seen a lot of other fighters
and even Dana White himself saying he didn’t think he won the
fight. In my opinion, I thought he won the fight. I don’t like
blurring the lines, but I will say congratulations to Dricus
because he wanted it. … I said he’s a big, strong guy, and he’s
awkward as hell to fight.
“But one of his things is he goes out on his shield. He’s not going
to go away. He will not give up. He’ll need to leave that Octagon
on a stretcher, and that’s exactly what he did. That’s exactly what
he showed. I will say congratulations to the new champ because he
wanted it more.”
Whittaker suffered an upset Round 2 technical knockout loss against
du Plessis in his last outing, which earned the South African a
title shot. Looking at du Plessis’ latest performance at UFC 297,
Whittaker acknowledges that he underestimated “Stillknocks.”
“Seeing that fight from him made me realize that I did not prepare
adequately for him. I did not give him the respect he deserved. I
understand he was a hard and tough fighter, but I don’t think I
understood how tough and strong and hungry he really was, and
respect to that. I won’t make that mistake again.”
Whittaker is now scheduled to return to action against Paulo Costa
at
UFC 298 on Feb. 17 in Anaheim, California.