“I understand how awkward he is to fight” - Robert Whittaker makes bold prediction for potential Dricus du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya title fight
Robert Whittaker recently shared his prediction for a potential showdown between Dricus du Plessis and Israel Adesanya.
'Stillknocks' clinched the middleweight title with a split decision victory over Sean Strickland in the main event of UFC 297 last Saturday. Following his triumph, du Plessis wasted no time in issuing a challenge to 'The Last Stylebender' for his first title defense.
While the fight has yet to be confirmed, indications strongly suggest that the two rivals may face off in the future. Should it materialize, Whittaker is of the opinion that the South African champion holds the upper hand.
During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, 'The Reaper' said:
"I’m going to say DDP. Just because, like Sean with Dricus, the safe bet was Sean, but Dricus showed what he was willing to do and what he was willing to go through. Can he do that again against Izzy? Who knows? But he’s a tough guy. It doesn’t matter if he’s getting hit, he showed that tenacity in that fight. So I’ll go DDP."
He added:
"As someone who has fought Dricus, I understand how awkward he is to fight. Everyone who saw the fight can say how awkward he looks. Dude, he was throwing overhands from the first bell to the last bell, and he was throwing combos off of them."
Check out Robert Whittaker's comments below (8:55):
'Stillknocks' scored a stoppage win against Whittaker at UFC 290 last July, but was unable to meet the UFC's eight-week turnaround requirement to face Adesanya at UFC 293 in September 2023 due to an injury.
With the 185-pound title firmly in his possession, du Plessis expressed his desire for a swift return to compete against 'The Last Stylebender' at the monumental UFC 300 event scheduled for April 13 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Robert Whittaker admits lack of preparation for Dricus du Plessis clash
During a recent episode of the MMArcade Podcast, Robert Whittaker revealed that observing Dricus du Plessis capture the middleweight title against Sean Strickland at UFC 297 prompted him to recognize a flaw in his training regimen for their match at UFC 290.
He said:
"Dricus du Plessis is on a list of people I want to rematch but seeing that fight from him, it made me realize that I did not prepare adequately for him. I did not give him the respect he deserved. I understood 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 that, I won't make that mistake again."
Check out Robert Whittaker's comments below (13:35):