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Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker is set to take on highly ranked South African contender Dricus du Plessis during International Fight Week at UFC 290 on July 8th.
However, Whittaker's sights are already set on a potential third fight against the reigning middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya.
Robert Whittaker has accused 'The Last Stylebender' of avoiding a potential trilogy bout with him and instead favoring du Plessis as his next opponent. The tension between Adesanya and du Plessis has been fueled by du Plessis' claim of being the "first true African UFC Champion," which Adesanya has responded to by asking him to "please win" his title eliminator bout against Whittaker.
However, 'The Reaper' believes that Adesanya's support for 'Stillknocks' may have ulterior motives, especially after the South African's controversial comments about the former African champions.
During a recent interview with Fox Sports Australia, Robert Whittaker remarked:
"He doesn’t want to fight me, I’m the hardest fight in the division for him. That first one, not so good for me. The second one, nearly. This third one though, I have a really good feeling I am going to win."
The Australian native added:
"I’ve been evolving every fight, you can see it. If you watch back my fights, every fight I’ve been getting better. I think I’m the biggest threat to him and his reign at the present moment. So, of course he wants Du Plessis to win. It’s a much easier fight, but it doesn’t bother me."
Check out the entire interview below:
'Bobby Knuckles' remains focused on his upcoming bout with du Plessis at UFC 290, but he is also determined to earn a rematch with Adesanya in the future.
Israel Adesanya defeated Robert Whittaker by knockout to become the new UFC middleweight champion at UFC 243 and then defended his title against Whittaker in a rematch at UFC 271, where he won by unanimous decision.
Robert Whittaker discusses his approach to fighting Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 290
Robert Whittaker is gearing up to face Dricus Du Plessis in a highly anticipated middleweight bout at UFC 290 in July. The fight is expected to determine the number one contender for Israel Adesanya's title. In the lead-up to the fight, Whittaker shared his perspective on his mindset and training regimen.
The former champion is taking his opponent seriously and giving him the respect he deserves. However, Whittaker is confident in his abilities and believes that he is superior to Du Plessis in all aspects of mixed martial arts.
During his recent appearance on the MMArcade podcast, 'The Reaper' stated:
"I’m not underestimating Dricus at all...You don’t get to where he is in the division without being damn good at what you do. I understand he’s tough. I understand he’s got cardio and he’s got the complete skill set. But I do believe that I am just better. I believe I have everything he does and more, and more to give, and I’m better at it. That’s just the truth. That’s just facts.”
Check out Robert Whittaker's entire statement below (from 18:55 onwards):
