The last time former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker stepped into the Octagon, he came up short against current champ Dricus Du Plessis.
Almost seven months later, it seems he still has that loss on his mind.
During a pre-fight press conference for UFC 298, Whittaker made a bold claim about how he matches up with the new champ.
He claimed that he underestimated his opponent’s hunger in the first fight and would still win nine out of ten times against Du Plessis.
“Dricus is a hungry guy, and I think I underestimated that hunger,” Whittaker said via The Mac Life. “I still believe I beat him nine times out of 10, I still believe that I’m a better fighter than he is, that I have a better skill set than he does, but [fighting] a big, strong, hungry guy that’s willing to leave it all there, you need to match that. I feel like I didn’t do that in that last fight and it really made me think a little bit.”
It’s a surprising statement from Whittaker considering the way things played out when the two actually met in the cage.
The One Time
Whittaker may believe that he’d beat Du Plessis nine times out of ten, but we’ve already seen them fight once.
That one time didn’t go so well for Whittaker.
He lost by TKO in the second round of the fight.
Not only did he get finished in the fight, but he also lost round one and didn’t show much to make his claim particularly believable.
He could certainly be more competitive and if he can use his jab to keep Du Plessis at a distance, he’s capable of beating the middleweight champ, but the idea that he would win the next nine meetings is pretty far-fetched.
It’s especially far-fetched after seeing Du Plessis’ fight against Sean Strickland.
Strickland tried to keep Du Plessis at the end of his jab throughout the five round fight. The challenger eventually found his way through and did so frequently enough to take a close decision.
Whittaker could have a tough time getting that done for five rounds as well, but he’ll have a chance to start earning a shot at the South African’s belt at UFC 298.
A Chance to Start Earning a Rematch at UFC 298
Whittaker will return to action in the co-main event of UFC 298.
In his return, the former middleweight champion will take on another dangerous pressure fighter that has made a career out of overwhelming opponents.
Paulo Costa currently holds the sixth spot in the UFC’s middleweight rankings thanks to the unrelenting offense he has brought throughout his time in the organization.
While Costa doesn’t pose the same threat as a wrestler that Du Plessis does, the constant pressure he’ll bring in the fight with Whittaker will be a familiar challenge for “Bobby Knuckles”.
If he comes away with a win, Whittaker would put himself right back in the mix for a title shot and keep a firm hold on his place at third in the rankings.
If not, he’ll end up on his first losing streak as a middleweight and could be looking at a long road back to title contention.
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UFC Middleweight Robert Whittaker Makes Bold Claim About Division’s Champ