It’s a tough pick for Robert
Whittaker to make between former foes Dricus Du
Plessis and Israel
Adesanya for their upcoming title fight.
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Du Plessis looks to defend his middleweight title for the first
time against Adesanya in the main event at UFC 305
in Perth, Australia, this weekend. The South African knocked out
Whittaker at UFC 290 last year to earn the title shot and dethroned
then champ Sean
Strickland via split decision at UFC 297 this past January.
Whittaker is finding it increasingly difficult to make a pick for
the UFC 305 main event as the fight draws near. However, judging by
Du Plessis’ performance against Strickland, Whittaker expects the
champ to retain his title. Regardless of the outcome of the fight,
“Bobby Knuckles” expects it to go the distance as both fighters are
too skilled to be finished.
“If Dricus pushes the same plan, uses the same style he had against
Strickland, he has to be my pick to win,” Whittaker told Fox Sports Australia. “Although the closer the
fight get,s the tougher I’m finding it to split the guys.
Adesanya’s had plenty of time now to reflect on that loss against
Sean, and I’m sure he is doing everything in his power to counter
that last result. For him to win, I think he keeps Dricus on the
end of his jab, utilizes his space and distance well.
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“If Dricus wins, I think it goes five rounds. Either way actually,
I think it goes the distance. I just think if Dricus is winning,
Adesanya is tricky enough to corner and hit that the fight will
drag out. A bit like how Dricus versus Strickland went. Similarly,
if Adesanya is [to win by] peppering him from the outside, using
his distance well, Dricus is still tough enough to last.”
Whittaker will keep a close eye on the UFC 305 headliner as he
prepares for a potential title eliminator against Khamzat
Chimaev at UFC 308
in October. If he gets past Adesanya, Du Plessis has already
expressed interest in fighting the winner of Whittaker vs. Chimaev
before a rematch with Strickland. While Whittaker hasn’t been
explicitly guaranteed a title shot with a potential win over
Chimaev, he believes it would be hard to argue against that.
“Not explicitly … but it would be hard to argue against if I win,”
he said.
“Borz” was originally scheduled to meet Whittaker at UFC Saudi
Arabia in June before pulling out due to illness. Whittaker went on
to score a first-round KO over last-minute replacement Ikram
Aliskerov. It’s unclear if another replacement opponent would
be regarded in the same light as Chimaev if the undefeated
contender pulls out again. However, Whittaker believes he is in no
position to make those calls and puts his trust in the UFC, which
has always been fair to him.
“I only work for this company. So I’m not in a position to be
throwing my weight around or making demands,” he said. “I mean, who
would I think I am? But in saying that, my concerns have been
pushed forward and they’ve also been reciprocated on [the UFC’s]
end. I’ve always had a good working relationship with the UFC and
I’m blessed to be part of this company. They do right by me.”
If Whittaker lands a title shot, it would be ideal for a UFC card
rumored for Sydney, Australia, in February 2025.
“I’ve heard a few whispers of Sydney in February, yeah,” Whittaker
said. “But that’s all they are at the moment — whispers.”