Robert Whittaker won’t take Dricus Du Plessis lightly, but just thinks he’s better than him overall.
Whittaker (24-6 MMA, 15-4 UFC) meets Du Plessis (19-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) in a middleweight No. 1 contenders bout at UFC 290 on July 8 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Whittaker has beaten everybody outside of UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya in the past nine years and doesn’t see Du Plessis being the one to beat him.
“I’m not underestimating Dricus at all,” Whittaker said on his MMArcade Podcast. “You don’t get to where he is in the division without being damn good at what you do. I understand he’s tough. I understand he’s got cardio and he’s got the complete skill set. But I do believe that I am just better. I believe I have everything he does and more, and more to give, and I’m better at it. That’s just the truth. That’s just facts.”
Du Plessis has surprised in his octagon run so far. He’s coming off back-to-back stoppage wins over former welterweight title challenger Darren Till and perennial middleweight contender Derek Brunson.
Whittaker thinks Du Plessis’ opponents have underestimated him, which cost them, but he won’t make the same mistake. He also acknowledges that Du Plessis tends to make fights wild, and he plans on staying composed.
“I never underestimate my opponents, and I know not to underestimate Dricus,” Whittaker said. “He’s the sort of guy that if you underestimate him, which a lot of people have, he dismantles you. He beats you up, takes you into the phone booth. He makes it a really yucky fight, and I’m not going to do that.
“I’m training for war – absolute 15 minutes of carnage, and that’s how I always do my fights because he’s a tough guy. But let me say: I’m very good at fighting tough guys, and I’m good at dismantling them. I look forward to finally getting back in there, International Fight Week, and being across from him and doing my job.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 290.
