Robert Whittaker predicts that Dricus du Plessis would beat Israel Adesanya if they were to fight, citing du Plessis’s tenacity and unique fighting style as advantages.
Robert Whittaker’s got a prediction. He’s betting on Dricus du Plessis to take down Israel Adesanya if they ever step into the ring together.
Just this past Saturday, du Plessis snagged the middleweight title. He did it with a split decision win over Sean Strickland at UFC 297. That was the biggest win of his career, no doubt.
After the fight, du Plessis started laying the groundwork for his first title defense. He’s thinking a fight against Adesanya at UFC 300 would be “amazing.” The fight’s not official yet, but it’s looking like it could happen. If it does, Whittaker thinks du Plessis has the upper hand.
Whittaker’s reasoning? He told The MMA Hour, “I’m going to say DDP.” He explained that while Sean was the safe bet against Dricus, Dricus showed his mettle. He asked, “Can he do that again against Izzy?” He believes Dricus is tough and awkward, and he’ll keep pushing forward.
Whittaker himself has a history with both du Plessis and Adesanya. He lost his title to Adesanya in 2019 and lost the rematch three years later. Most recently, du Plessis finished Whittaker at UFC 290. This earned “Stillknocks” his title shot at UFC 297.
Whittaker knows firsthand that du Plessis brings a lot of challenges to the table. He said, “As someone who has fought Dricus, I understand how awkward he is to fight.” He described Dricus as throwing overhands from the first bell to the last and throwing combos off of them. He said, “The guy is awkward, switching stances the whole fight, pushing forward, tough as nails, taking shots the entire time to land shots.”
Whittaker thought Sean might win with a decision, but he never ruled out Dricus. He said, “He’s definitely got a skill set. And his style, as awkward as it may be, it works.” He added, “His fights aren’t the prettiest fights, but they get it done.”
If Whittaker’s prediction comes true and du Plessis retains his title, it could be a problem for Whittaker. He’s set to fight Paulo Costa at UFC 298. A win would put him back in the title mix, but having lost to the champion could delay his title hopes. But Whittaker only sees upside.
He said, “Losing to Dricus put him on a list of rematches that I want. So him having the belt just kind of works. Two birds, one stone.”