Robert Whittaker has dominated the middleweight division after moving up a weight class in 2014. The Reaper has suffered only two losses in the division and both came against the middleweight champion Israel Adesanya. Following his close decision loss to The Last Stylebender, Whittaker outclassed Marvin Vettori in his last bout.
After pretty much clearing out the division, it looks like the Aussie middleweight is aiming to reclaim the middleweight title that he won in 2017. Whittaker is one step closer to another title shot and his desire to fight Israel Adesanya in a trilogy fight might come true after UFC 290.
Who will Robert Whittaker fight in UFC 290?
Robert Whittaker is all set to make his return inside the octagon this weekend against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 290. This three-round middleweight bout will feature on the main card and will take place on July 8th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Speaking about their recent fights, Dricus Du Plessis finished Derek Brunson via KO/TKO in the second round. With this victory, the South African middleweight climbed up the ranks and is currently #6 in the division. On the other hand, Whittaker last stepped inside the octagon in September 2022 against Vettori where he picked up a big unanimous decision win.
Both the fighters look in great shape and it would be interesting to see how this matchup plays out as there is a lot at stake for Robert as well as Du Plessis.
Robert Whittaker brings an insane ‘madman’ mindset ahead of his UFC 290 bout
Leading up to this fight, some fans and experts have downplayed Du Plessis’ skills and predicted an easy win for the former UFC champion. Moreover, many people even claim that the South African should not be the one fighting for the number one contender spot against Robert Whittaker.
However, The Reaper does not agree with the narrative of the MMA world as he had high praise for Dricus in the UFC 290 media interview. While having a conversation about his upcoming fight and opponent, Whittaker also revealed that he is taking this fight seriously and is going through intense training.
“He’s a guy that is well-rounded, a tough athlete. The underdog with absolutely nothing to lose. He’s a dangerous mix, and I respect the danger that he brings. To show respect, I’ve trained like an absolute madman for the last 14 weeks.”
Whittaker has a tough task in hand at UFC 290 as Du Plessis looks good in almost all departments and is yet to taste defeat in the promotion since making his debut in 2020. ‘Bobby Knuckles’ is definitely the favorite to get his hands raised by the referee but it wouldn’t be wise to doubt the South African middleweight’s skills inside the octagon.
