The highest-ranked middleweight contender, Dricos du Plessis, said he would “go out there to finish off” former division champion Robert Whitaker at UFC 290.
Du Plessis and Whittaker meet for the middleweight title challenger in Las Vegas just over a week from now, with the winner taking his next crack at UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya. For Du Plessis, this fight represents a massive opportunity for him to take on former champ Whittaker and prove that he is undoubtedly worthy of getting a crack at the belt. The South African fighter has a 5-0 record in the UFC, with four finals, but he still needs a stunning win over an elite fighter to really put a stamp on a championship title shot, and Whittaker is the perfect opponent.
Talking to Shmo In a recent interview, Du Plessis said his goal is not just to defeat Whitaker, but to eliminate him, and prove to everyone that he’s the “biggest dog” when it comes to the list of title contenders under 185 pounds.
“I’m going out there to finish. If you look at my record, I’m not going out there to chase decisions. I’m going out there to finish off Robert Whitaker. I think it’s going to be one fight. At the end of the day, he’s got a lot of dogs, I have a lot of dogs, and we’ll see who he is.” The largest dog. Du Plessis said (trans BJPenn.com).
Whitaker may not be the champ anymore, but he’s clearly still one of the best middleweights in the world, and a win over Du Plessis will likely earn him a third shot at Adesanya. However, Du Plessis will do everything in his power to prevent that from happening at UFC 290, and no matter who wins the fight, it should be a lot of fun for the fans.
Do you think Dricus Du Plessis will finish off Robert Whitaker at UFC 290?
MMA journalist, podcast host, and subject matter expert for MyMMANews.com, MMAoddsbreaker.com, and Bookies.com. Host of the MMAOB Daily Podcast. Join me live at 5 PM EST every Monday for a FREE live podcast. Over 10 years of experience writing about MMA. I love this sport.