Robert Whittaker remains focused and determined ahead of his UFC 290 fight against Dricus Du Plessis, not taking anything for granted despite being a heavy betting favorite.
As UFC 290 approaches, former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker isn’t taking anything for granted. He is an overwhelming favorite to defeat Dricus Du Plessis on July 8 and earn the next title shot at current champ Israel Adesanya. Whittaker is currently No. 2 at 185 pounds and has a perfect 12-0 record in the division against everyone not named Adesanya since 2014. Du Plessis, on the other hand, holds an unbeaten 5-0 record in the UFC, but the South African contender hasn’t faced anyone close to Whittaker’s level and is a significant underdog at UFC 290.
Whittaker is not overlooking his opponent, stating, “I guess if fights were won on paper, the entire sport would be very different. And I understand that’s not how fights are won, I understand the threat that Dricus can bring to the table and bring to me moving forward, to trying to achieve what I want.” He believes that Du Plessis’s success is partly due to opponents underestimating him and not giving him the respect he deserves. Whittaker emphasizes that he has been training hard to take the fight to Du Plessis come UFC 290.
At 32, Whittaker faces a pivotal career crossroads at UFC 290. He has found broad success in the division but lost both of his prior bouts against Adesanya. After a second defeat, Whittaker rebounded with a decision win over Marvin Vettori in September and continues to demonstrate growth in his game. He expects this improvement to continue at UFC 290 as he seeks to close the talent gap between himself and Adesanya in what may be his final chance against his rival. Whittaker says, “Every fight, I believe, you’re seeing a new window into my game, into what I’m trying to bring…. Dricus is going to see a new level once again.”
UFC President Dana White has already confirmed that the winner of Whittaker vs. Du Plessis is locked in as the next No. 1 contender for Adesanya’s belt. The UFC is targeting UFC 293 on Sept. 10 in Sydney for Adesanya’s next title defense. This timeline may not give Whittaker much of a chance to recover if he gets by Du Plessis, but he says, “I definitely am not looking past Dricus… If I’m healthy and able, I will take a fight. At any date, any time. I’ll take a fight two days after July if I’m healthy and able. So yeah, let’s get through July, and yeah, I’m in the fight game, you know? I’m in the business.”