"They can turn on you in the drop of a dime" - Robert Whittaker gets pensive about whims of MMA fans, shares experience after Dricus Du Plessis loss

Robert Whittaker recently opened up about dealing with MMA fans and his loss against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 290 last July. The Australian expressed how perturbed he was by the fans' reactions after losing to the South African fighter.

The former middleweight champion is among the most well-known fighters in the promotion and has an impressive record of 25-7. Over the course of his UFC career, Whittaker has defeated several high-profile opponents like Derek Brunson, Jared Cannonier, Yoel Romero and Marvin Vettori.

Given his resume, not many expected him to lose against du Plessis via second-round knockout.

In the aftermath, it appears fans turned on Whittaker and questioned his ability to perform at the highest level. During a recent conversation with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, 'The Reaper' recalled Dustin Poirier's knockout loss against Justin Gaethje at UFC 291 and said:

"The MMA community don't make it easy. Those guys are harder than any fight. The criticism and comments are worse than any punch, or any kick... I love the MMA community… But they can turn on you at the drop of a dime. You know how many times after I lost to DDP, just reading the comments, ‘Robert Whittaker’s a wash’, ‘Whittaker is done now... Let’s be fair, I’m smashing most guys. Poirier is hands down smashing most guys."

---

Robert Whittaker on what he lacked against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 290

Robert Whittaker recently opened up about his Dricus Du Plessis loss at UFC 290 last year. The Australian made it clear he's looking for gold and hopes the reigning middleweight champion would grant him another title shot.

As mentioned, Whittaker suffered his first octagon loss since 2019 against the South African fighter. The victory boosted Du Plessis to a title shot against Sean Strickland at UFC 297, one that he would go on to win via split decision.

During an interview with MMA Junkie, Whittaker weighed in on his loss against 'Stillknocks' and said:

"It is just about getting the belt back. The goal never changes. Not for personal reasons, anyway. The idea that Dricus has the belt, I can get two birds with one stone. Sounds pretty good... That was a hard fight and I was in there. I beat Costa just on hunger. I beat him with just determination and grit. That’s what I feel I lacked most in the fight with Dricus." [H/T MMAJunkie.usatoday.com]

Watch the full interview below: