Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker is eyeing a title eliminator bout with fellow former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland as he looks to secure his path back to championship contention.
Strickland, who is coming off a loss against Dricus Du Plessis, surrendered his belt to the South African earlier in January. Whittaker, who also faced Du Plessis in July 2023, lost to him via TKO.
Whittaker setting sights on Strikland for middleweight Title Eliminator Clash
In a feature on The MMArcade podcast hosted by “The Reaper” himself, Whittaker expressed his desire to square off against Strickland, identifying him as an ideal opponent for a title eliminator clash.
Robert Whittaker wants to fight Sean Strickland: “I’m kinda hoping Dricus gets Izzy in a sense. Just so I can fight Strickland.” pic.twitter.com/VaKyWwgXoR
— Full Violence ™ (@Full_Violence) March 21, 2024
Whittaker, who holds an impressive record of 24 wins and 6 losses in his professional MMA career, is determined to reclaim the middleweight throne he once held back in 2017. The potential matchup between Whittaker and Strickland has garnered significant attention within the MMA community, with many viewing it as a bout with title implications for the middleweight belt.
Whittaker, known for his well-rounded skill set and open stance bounce-step fighting style, views Strickland as a formidable challenge and a stepping stone towards his goal of regaining UFC gold. Sean has previously commented on Whittaker’s fighting style, describing it as ‘one-dimensional’. Prior to his title defense against Du Plessis, Sean, during a media day, also claimed that he could potentially defeat The Reaper in the first round.
Whittaker claims UFC don’t show much appreciation for Strickland as champion
Robert Whittaker also expressed on the MMArcade Podcast that he believes that the promotion does not adequately appreciate Strickland’s talents, despite his recent success inside the Octagon.
Robert Whittaker talks about the current state of the Middleweight Division.
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) March 21, 2024
When asked who Dricus should fight next, Rob says “call me out you bum.”
He says the UFC didn’t love Sean Strickland as champion, and believes they will book Izzy vs DDP instead.
He also hopes that… pic.twitter.com/FeSPcL6XZw
“I don’t think they loved him as a Champ to begin with. So I don’t think they’re really gunning for that, ” said Whittaker, referring to Sean’s antics with the media and his personality that is sometimes not corporate friendly.
Whittaker’s remarks shed light on the perceived lack of recognition for Strickland, who has been steadily climbing the middleweight rankings with an impressive string of victories, defeating notable names such as Israel Adesanya, Abus Magomedov, and Brendan Allen. Despite Strickland openly calling for a rematch, the UFC seems to have gone silent on him after his recent title loss.
As negotiations between the two camps continue, anticipation continues to build for what could be a defining moment in the careers of both Robert Whittaker and Sean Strickland. Although for the South African Champion, both are opponents he has already figured out and beat.
