[ad_1]
Robert Whittaker has his path to the title all mapped out.
At UFC 298, Whittaker bought again within the win column with a hard-fought unanimous determination win over Paulo Costa. The win is Whittaker’s first since getting stopped by Dricus du Plessis at UFC 290, and the person affectionately dubbed “Bobby Knuckles” by followers was happy together with his skill to rebound from one of many extra deflating performances of his profession.
“I’m very comfortable clearly to get the W, to get the outcome you’ve been working in the direction of,” Whittaker instructed Submission Radio. “It form of validates all of the adjustments and all of the work you place in. I feel I can combat higher than that. I feel technically I can combat higher than that. However I feel that’s nearly as good as I may combat with the circumstances that day, proper? So, one in all my greatest focuses shifting into this combat was simply ensuring I didn’t really feel the way in which I did for the Dricus combat towards Costa. And it was altering and doubling down on the depth and the main focus and the drive each session, each minute of a session, each week of coaching for months main into this combat. And I’m very proud of that outcome.
“I’m stoked with the way in which that went down, as a result of my headspace and my focus and my resolve was unbreakable, it was unshakable. And that was good. I’m comfortable I took the grit again on the reigns with that. It was taking again management of one thing that’s so fickle that I feel lots of people neglect that it’s one thing that may be managed. So, that was huge, and I take that as a large win. It’s not likely concerning the combat. It’s about me as a fighter and my mentality shifting ahead. However I feel technically I may combat higher, however that was the very best I may have fought on the time, maybe.”
A former UFC middleweight champion, Whittaker misplaced the title to Israel Adesanya in 2019 after which fell brief of their rematch in 2022. The loss to du Plessis set Whittaker nicely again from his objective of reclaiming the title, nonetheless, the win over Costa put Whittaker proper again within the dialog and he believes that defeating former champion Sean Strickland may propel him again in the direction of yet another crack at gold.
“Sean’s up there as nicely,” Whittaker mentioned. “I feel that’s course. It’s moved me in the direction of that objective that I’m in search of. Strikes me in the correct course. So, I feel that they’re essentially the most logical decisions shifting ahead although. The one factor I can form of put down is the date I’m in search of. So, I hear on the grapevine that there’s a Perth card in August, maybe. I’d like to get on that, to run a present with that.”
With new champion du Plessis seemingly set to face Adesanya someday later this 12 months, a matchup between Strickland and Whittaker would make a ton of sense. And whereas Whittaker isn’t particularly calling out Strickland, he’s additionally not not calling him out.
“Don’t sound chunk me saying ‘Rob desires Sean Strickland in August,’” Whittaker mentioned. “That’s the logical transfer to make. I wish to combat for the title, proper? I perceive that’s a little bit of an extended no matter at this level. And Sean doesn’t seem like he’s tied up. So, it’s the logical step. Positive. Yeah. Ah, you may sound chunk me no matter [laughs].”
Whereas the Perth card is just rumor at this level, the UFC went to Australia twice in 2023, each for pay-per-view occasions. After all these occasions have been headlined by then-champions from the area, however with Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski each shedding their titles, the UFC’s return to “Oz” may as a substitute be a Struggle Night time card this time round, which might be the primary since 2018. And if that’s the case, Whittaker could be very happy to headline towards Strickland.
“5 rounds comes with much more work,” Whittaker mentioned. “It’s not like I don’t wish to do it, it’s simply it’s much more work. However in saying that, 5 rounds additionally signifies that I’m most probably headlining it, and I’d love that. I like that concept too. As a result of I feel I owe Perth a combat. I owe Australia a combat. So, to have the ability to do that will be the bee’s knees, when you would. However Sean, he mentioned it himself, all I do is blitz. So, I’m going to blitz him quite a bit. And yeah, see how that goes.”
[ad_2]
Source link
