"Adesanya gets upset in a couple months, you just drew into Pereira" - Chael Sonnen speculates whether Robert Whittaker's comment on moving up was just a way to handle a question
Robert Whittaker recently made ripples when the fighter mentioned he was considering moving up to the light heavyweight division. While fans around the world were excited to hear the same, former UFC middleweight title challenger Chael Sonnen had a unique view.
'The American Gangster' stated that if Whittaker can get past Marvin Vettori and Adesanya loses to his arch-nemesis Alex Pereira, then 'The Reaper' may get a title-shot straight away.
Discussing Whittaker's thoughts on moving up, Sonnen said:
"You get the jump on Vettori and Adesanya gets upset in a couple of months, you just drew into Pereira arguably. Strong argument. And Robert's talking about leaving the weight class. What's going on?"
"Was this a similar situation where as he is at the dais, and he handles a question? Was it as simple as that because he's been misunderstood before?"
Check out 'Uncle Chael's full analysis below:
Even though Robert Whittaker spoke about moving up, it's not as simple as that...
Fans who have followed Robert Whittaker's career are aware that if 'The Reaper' moves up in weight, it won't be the first time for him. The Aussie fighter moved up to the 185-pound division from 170lbs in 2014 and experienced a lot of success.
While he looks forward to replicating the same success in the octagon at light heavyweight, there seem to be certain aspects that bother the former champion. Speaking to Submission Radio, Whittaker said:
"I have been thinking about 205 for a fair bit. The problem is, I wouldn't go to 205 to come back to 185. I think it'll be more of a natural weight for me personally. But, the height disadvantage is annoying. I don't know if I'd want to deal with that."
As of now, there has been nothing official about Whittaker's move to 205. However, if the fighter moves to light heavyweight, there are a ton of exciting matchups for him.
Since the departure of Jon Jones, the division has seen two new champions, and Robert Whittaker would love to be a part of such a dynamic division.
The Aussie faces a daunting task against Marvin 'The Italian Dream' Vettori. The duo are set to collide at UFC Paris: Gane vs Tuivasa. Who do you think will win between the two? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.