After defeating Paulo Costa at UFC 298, former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker is eyeing a match with former champion Sean Strickland as a step towards reclaiming the title.
Robert Whittaker’s got a plan. A title shot is in his sights.
He recently bounced back at UFC 298. A unanimous decision win over Paulo Costa was his ticket back to the winner’s circle. His last victory? It was before he got knocked out by Dricus du Plessis at UFC 290. Fans know him as “Bobby Knuckles”, and he’s chuffed about his comeback after a career low.
“I’m thrilled, obviously,” said Whittaker to Submission Radio. “It’s a validation of all the hard work and changes I’ve made. I could fight better, technically. But given the circumstances, I did my best that day.”
His focus was on not repeating his performance against Costa in the Dricus fight. “I doubled down on intensity, focus, and drive. Every session, every minute, every week, for months. I’m happy with the result.”
He’s pleased with his mental game. “My headspace, focus, and resolve were unshakable. I took control of something fickle that many forget can be controlled. That’s a big win for me. It’s not about the fight, but my mentality as a fighter moving forward. I could fight better technically, but that was my best at the time.”
Whittaker, a former UFC middleweight champ, lost the title to Israel Adesanya in 2019. A rematch in 2022 didn’t go his way either. The loss to du Plessis was a setback in his quest for the title. But the win over Costa? That’s got him back in the game. He thinks beating ex-champ Sean Strickland could give him another shot at the title.
“Sean’s up there,” Whittaker noted. “That’s a good direction. It moves me towards my goal. It’s logical. I’m eyeing a date. There’s talk of a Perth card in August. I’d love to be part of that.”
With du Plessis likely to face Adesanya this year, a Strickland-Whittaker match makes sense. Whittaker isn’t exactly challenging Strickland, but he’s not not challenging him either.
“Don’t quote me saying ‘Rob wants Sean Strickland in August,'” Whittaker joked. “It’s the logical move. I want the title, right? Sean doesn’t seem busy. So, it’s the logical step. Sure. Yeah. Quote me however you want [laughs].”
The Perth card is still a rumor. The UFC visited Australia twice in 2023 for pay-per-view events. With Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski losing their titles, the UFC’s return could be a Fight Night card. If so, Whittaker would be thrilled to headline against Strickland.
“Five rounds means more work,” Whittaker admitted. “But it also means I’m likely headlining. I love that idea. I owe Perth a fight. I owe Australia a fight. That would be the bee’s knees. Sean said all I do is blitz. So, I’ll blitz him a lot. We’ll see how that goes.”