A whole lot is going on in the UFC Middleweight division.
Robert Whittaker finds himself on the verge of another title shot after defeating what he thinks was ‘the best version’ of Paulo Costa at UFC 298. The unanimous decision victory launched the former champion back into the win column, where he stands among elite company in the division’s top five.
What Whittaker Has Heard Through The Grapevine
Looking on to the next horizon, Whittaker would love nothing more than a home game after an action-packed night in Anaheim his last time out.
“There is rumors of a UFC card coming to Australia in August,” Whittaker said on ‘The MMA Hour‘. “I think just cause of how busy the division is and how everyone’s tied up, I would love to fight on home soil in August.”
‘Anyone That Gets Me To The Title’
With the ideal setting in mind, all Whittaker needs now is the ideal opponent.
“Anyone that gets me to the title,” Whittaker said regarding who he’d like to fight next. “I wanna win my next fight and I want the next fight to be a contender fight. I want the next fight to be the fight that puts me against the gold so I can get that back.”
Whittaker, 33, first touched gold in 2018 after a five-round war with Yoel Romero for the interim title. He’d earn undisputed status following Georges St-Pierre’s short-lived middleweight reign and decision to retire again, this time for good.
‘The Reaper’ wouldn’t hold on to the title for too long as Israel Adesanya dethroned him by knockout in 2019. It’s been a hard-fought road for Whittaker as he has exchanged wins and losses in a effort to reclaim what was once his.
‘All Systems Go’ For Sean Strickland
Whittaker’s body of work in the middleweight division has kept him in the title picture for the last few years and perhaps fighting a former champ like Sean Strickland is the cherry on top that he needs for one more crack at gold.
“I like that,” Whittaker said, when asked about Strickland as a potential opponent. “I haven’t fought Sean before and I know beating Sean puts me in that conversation, so yeah, all systems go… that would be picture perfect.”
The often controversial Sean Strickland is coming off a title loss to Dricus Du Plessis and is right up there in the title conversation. He, too, would like a rematch versus the champion, but the South African fighter’s sights seem to be on Israel Adesanya for the most part.
Whittaker Says Champ Du Plessis Can ‘Call The Shots’
Whittaker wouldn’t have much of an issue if former foe Adesanya got the title shot against Du Plessis, even though the two-time champion was shut out in his most recent fight with Strickland.
“What do you do? I know they’ve had a lot of rivalry there. I know there’s money to be made in pay-per-view and whatnot. I think like DDP wants that fight as well and he’s the champ. So, you obviously get a lot of say when you are the one in the position of power.”
The middleweight title fight was apparently in talks for UFC 300, as Israel Adesanya says he was ‘summoned’ to fight Du Plessis. But as Whittaker points out, Du Plessis is “the one sitting on the throne so he can kind of call the shots” in regards to when he wants to fight again.
