Robert Whittaker explains wanting Dricus du Plessis rematch with Dustin Poirier-esque final retirement fight: "I want that"

Robert Whittaker is staring down the finish line, but not before one last sprint to the top to potentially take on Dricus du Plessis. The former UFC middleweight champion has outlined a farewell plan that he hopes ends with a second UFC belt strapped around his waist.

He returns to action this weekend against Reinier de Ridder in the main event of UFC Abu Dhabi. The Australian hasn’t fought since his submission loss to Khamzat Chimaev last October.

Inspired by Alexander Volkanovski’s bounce-back and Dustin Poirier’s farewell at UFC 318, Whittaker wants to control how he exits the game. Speaking in an interview with Fox Sports Australia, he said:

"I want to get the belt and sail off into the sunset. That’s the dream. That’s the plan [to have a final fight like Poirier]...You have to have a real good idea of who you are and be quite self-reflective to be able to do it properly so that you don’t end up back in the octagon a year later. I think that’s what I want... I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s like the last 100 metres of the marathon. I can see the end is in sight, and it’s time for that final push.”

Speaking about his TKO loss to du Plessis at UFC 290, he said:

“There were a lot of attributes leading into that, but I want to get it back. It’s the only time I’ve felt like that in a fight, and I want to get it back.”

Poirier succumbed to a unanimous decision loss to Max Holloway in his farewell fight at UFC 318. Whittaker, 34, also claimed that it’s less about revenge and more about finishing on his terms. For him, legacy now means leaving with peace once he has decided to retire.

---

Robert Whittaker breaks down Khamzat Chimaev vs. Dricus du Plessis title Fight

Robert Whittaker has faced both Dricus du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev inside the octagon and knows firsthand how dangerous each man can be. As the UFC 319 middleweight title fight approaches, Whittaker believes the outcome depends entirely on how the opening round unfolds.

Chimaev overwhelmed him in under four minutes with a face crank, while du Plessis knocked him out in the second round of their clash. Whittaker thinks if Chimaev cannot finish du Plessis early, the South African champion will take over and retain the belt.

Previewing the fight during an appearance on The Ariel Helwani show, Whittaker said:

“If you can’t get Dricus out in the first, which Chimaev can do, first-round finishes are his thing, right? But if he doesn’t get him out of there, I think Dricus looks good, very promising. He’s a guy that if you don’t get rid of, he kind of wins.”

Check out Robert Whittaker's comments below (15:45):