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Robert Whittaker suffered the worst defeat of his career at UFC 290. He faced Dricus Du Plessis in a title eliminator bout. Coming into the fight, Whittaker had the overwhelming support of most fans to win the bout. He came in as the heavy favorite. Even fight analysts picked Whittaker to win. However, Du Plessis shocked the world when he TKOd “The Reaper” in the second round.
Whittaker came on the MMArcade Podcast for the first time since losing at UFC 290. Whittaker admitted that he hoped to put on the best performance of his career at UFC 290, but it did not happen. The middleweight contender talked about his fear of not performing to the best of his ability. He said, “It’s fear of failing to perform. It’s fear of going out there and not doing what you trained for the last four months, four hours a day in the gym, seven days a week — and then to go in there and do none of it.” (H/T MMA Fighting.com)
The former middleweight champion revealed that he put in much work on his wrestling and boxing. However, he couldn’t implement his game plan in the fight. Despite the setback, Whittaker believes that the loss could act as a wake-up call to improve his skillset and mentality.
Whittaker hoped to challenge champion Israel Adesanya for a third time after losing the first two times. However, it did not go his way at UFC 290. He remains further away from a title shot at the moment. Dricus will be the number contender for the time being. Adesanya will likely fight Sean Strickland at the PPV event in Sydney in September.
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Robert Whittaker discusses the next opponent
The former middleweight champion has hit a wall when it comes to his career. Whittaker remains further away from a title shot now more than ever. He wished to compete for the title again, but the defeat to Dricus derailed his hopes.
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On the MMArcade Podcast, Whittaker considered his option for his return to the octagon. The Australian fighter wants to end 2023 on a high note. A surprising name came up on the podcast. The co-host named Roman Dolidze as a potential opponent.
Both Roman and Whittaker are coming off a loss, and Dolidze could gather hype if he fights the former champion. Despite the loss to Dricus, Whittaker still remains one of the top fighters in the division. Hopefully, the UFC will match him up against a top contender for his next fight.
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