Every dog has its day.
For the UFC Middleweight division, the top dogs haven’t able to stay on top for long since Israel Adesanya first lost his title in Nov. 2022. Alex Pereira TKO’ed the longtime champion at UFC 281, but Adesanya later avenged the loss at UFC 287. The two-time champ’s second reign lasted for a few months until he met Sean Strickland at UFC 293.
Strickland shocked the world, dominating Adesanya to a decision victory only to be dethroned by another contender in Dricus Du Plessis four months after the fact. That’s four different world champions in a span of 14 months.
Whittaker’s Thoughts On The Title Turnover
Former titleholder Robert Whittaker gives his thoughts on ‘the revolving door’ of middleweight champions and what that means for him as a top contender.
“It’s just the way the sport sometimes works,” Whittaker told Middle Easy. “We’re in a a changing time and it’s rife with opportunity. It makes for an exciting division. It just makes for exciting times, especially to be a middleweight. Anything can happen. And, yeah, it’s exciting.”
Whittaker will look to make the most of the opportunity when he fights power-puncher Paulo Costa at UFC 298.
Not Living Up To His Potential
Belt or no belt, Whittaker has remained at the top of the 185lb division for quite some time. For years, ‘The Reaper’ cleared out every middleweight they put in front of him outside of ex-champ Adesanya. That did change last year as he fell to Du Plessis at UFC 290.
“I don’t think I lived up to my potential,” Whittaker said of losing to Du Plessis. “I think I could fight better than that. I can perform better than that. People know I can I can perform better than that. But, he’s an awkward dude. He’s a tough dude, and he’s hungry. He wanted it. He showed that in his title fight, which is why he’s the champion now as well. He wanted it and you gotta give him props when they do.”
‘I Wanna Fight All These Guys Anyway’
Whittaker isn’t left feeling sour with his former foe now taking the throne. The plan doesn’t change for him, no matter who’s the champion. The Australian just wants to keep fighting the best in the world at his weight class and with that said, of course he wouldn’t mind rematching Dricus Du Plessis someday.
“Honestly, it doesn’t bother me,” Whittaker said of Du Plessis’ title win. “I wanna fight Sean. I wanna fight Dricus. I wanna fight all these guys anyway. It makes me happy in some sense that Drake has won the title because like to beat me and then win the title, takes a sting off a little bit more.
“He’s obviously a tough dude. He’s obviously a strong guy. But, I want that rematch with him anyway and to beat him, you know, to to run that one back, especially for the title, makes it all sweeter.”
First things first, Robert Whittaker must get past Paulo Costa in he wants to enter the title talks at middleweight again.
