Robert Whittaker believes UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis will be the root of his own downfall.
Du Plessis has continued to prove his detractors wrong on MMA’s biggest stage to date, answering doubts about his style and skills with win after win inside the Octagon.
Since reaching the middleweight throne, the South African has successfully defended his title twice. After Du Plessis submitted Israel Adesanya in Australia, he recorded a second win over the man he unseated to become champion, Sean Strickland.
Next up for ‘Stillknocks’ is the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev, who many are tipping to be the one to finally beat Du Plessis. But whether or not that comes to fruition will be determined by the champ and not ‘Borz’, according to their shared former opponent…
Robert Whittaker says Dricus du Plessis will ‘lose to himself’
Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, Robert Whittaker looked ahead to Du Plessis’ third title defense at UFC 319 and assessed what it will take for the South African to be unseated.
Whittaker was knocked out by Du Plessis at UFC 290, so he knows the game of ‘Stillknocks’ well. And having experienced the champ’s strengths first hand, ‘The Reaper’ believes the key to him losing lies within himself, not his opponents.
“Honestly, I think Dricus is the sort of guy that will lose to himself,” Whittaker said.
“The way he fights. I think it’s obvious with every fight, it’s very heavily mindset driven. Especially for him. He’s tough as nails and he never quits. He beats a lot of people on the backs of him not going anywhere.
“I think the day that he can’t push, the day that he can’t find that, is the day that he might lose,” Whittaker continued. “He’s got a head of steel, he’s a tough guy, he’s strong, he’s physically fit, he puts in the work.”
Robert Whittaker’s road to a rematch starts at UFC Abu Dhabi
Regardless of who wins the UFC 319 main event, Whittaker will have his sights on a rematch with the champion after August 16.
After bouncing back and climbing close to a title shot following his defeat to Du Plessis, Whittaker was crushed by Chimaev in devastating fashion at UFC 308 last October.
His first fight back comes Saturday, when the Australian has another chance to hand a middleweight contender his opening defeat in the UFC.
Whittaker is headlining UFC Abu Dhabi against Reinier de Ridder, a former two-division ONE Championship titleholder who has gone 3-0 in the Octagon thus far.