Robert Whittaker says “awkward” Dricus du Plessis capable of getting Israel Adesanya “out of his rhythm” in clash for 185-pound UFC strap

Despite not being officially announced, it seems highly likely that Dricus du Plessis will defend his middleweight title against Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 in Perth, Australia this August. Robert Whittaker, who has faced both fighters in the past, shared his thoughts on what he believes will be the determining factor in their potential matchup.

‘The Reaper’ shared on his podcast, MMArcade, saying:

“Adesanya fighting for a title again hurts me, but I understand. Dricus asked for it. He’s the champ, gets what he wants. Adesanya is a draw. It seems like the fight that was going to happen, in my opinion. It’s an interesting fight. I can see Adesanya just piecing him up for five rounds. But in saying that, Dricus is tough as nails, and he’s awkward.”

Whittaker went on to say:

“I can also see Dricus just getting in there and making it awkward, and, I don’t know, taking him out of his rhythm because we saw when Adesanya fought Strickland. Strickland pushing that pace and moving into his space changed the rhythm of the fight. Adesanya didn’t adapt to that very well. I think if Dricus does the same, he might have the same sort of success.”

At the 13:32 mark, listen to Robert Whittaker’s remarks on the Dricus du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya fight in the video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_5cu5f5fEM

In a rematch at UFC 271, Whittaker was defeated by Adesanya via unanimous decision, after previously losing to him by second-round knockout at UFC 243 for the middleweight title. Additionally, Whittaker faced du Plessis at UFC 290 and was defeated by a second-round TKO.

Dricus du Plessis Confirms Israel Adesanya as Next Title Contender

Despite the widespread assumption that Israel Adesanya would be given the first chance to challenge Dricus du Plessis for the middleweight championship, Sean Strickland had been pushing for a rematch. In an Instagram post on Tuesday, ‘Stillknocks’ appeared to confirm that ‘The Last Stylebender’ will indeed be his next opponent, saying:

“Looks like someone wants another beating in Aus.. I’m in, I also wouldn’t want to fight the king of Africa on home soil. Manifestations working good for you AGAIN! #stillknocks #proudlysouthafrican🇿🇦 #preparetobeamazed #championoftheworld”

Take a look at Dricus du Plessis’ Instagram post discussing his upcoming fight against Israel Adesanya below:

It seems that Adesanya and du Plessis are finally going to resolve their long-standing feud. ‘The Last Stylebender’ aims to emulate Randy Couture’s achievement as the second fighter in UFC history to win the title three times in one division.