Will Robert Whittaker serve as backup for Dricus du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya title fight in Australia? Dana White gives definitive answer
Robert Whittaker delivered an emphatic victory against touted prospect Ikram Aliskerov in the main event of UFC Saudi Arabia on June 22. He secured his first knockout win since 2017 and picked up almost no damage as the fight ended less than two minutes into Round 1.
'The Reaper' has been adamant that he remains the most difficult matchup for any middleweight on the roster and believes he has what it takes to secure the title once again.
His stellar showing against Aliskerov will have done wonders for his title hopes, and the Australian has shown interest in being the backup fighter for Dricus du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya, set for UFC 305 in August.
The middleweight title fight will take place in Perth, Australia, Whittaker's home country.
Following the UFC Saudi Arabia main event, the promotion's CEO Dana White appeared in front of the media. He was asked about the possibility of the 33-year-old featuring as the replacement for Du Plessis vs. Adesanya, and said this:
"We would love to have him [at UFC 305]."
Watch Dana White discuss Robert Whittaker below (1:00):
Robert Whittaker predicts Dricus du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya at UFC 305
The middleweight title will next be contested between two men who share a colorful history, Dricus du Plessis and Israel Adesanya, with the pair having shared heated words on several occasions.
Robert Whittaker, a man who has lost to both Du Plessis and Adesanya, has shared his eagerness to be the emergency replacement fighter for the middleweight title fight.
But before he volunteered to be the backup fighter for UFC 305, 'The Reaper' was asked to share a prediction for the clash during an interview with The Sporting News. He noted that the South African's style may cause some issues for 'The Last Stylebender', and said this:
"Stylistically, this suits Dricus quite well. I think the performance we saw displayed in his last fight, that level of pressure he put on Sean Strickland, he’ll use to great effect against Adesanya, especially when we saw Strickland use the same sort of thing against Adesanya when they fought. I’m going to lean towards Dricus for this one."