Robert Whittaker prefers fighting Sean Strickland over Khamzat Chimaev next.
Fresh off an impressive win over Paulo Costa at UFC 298, Whittaker (25-7 MMA, 16-5 UFC) is eyeing a return on the rumored Perth, Australia card in August. With the former UFC middleweight champion having already fought the majority of the top-ranked contenders, he’s yet to face two big names – Strickland (28-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC) and Chimaev (13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC). But for Whittaker, a fight with former champ Strickland has more perks.
“That’s tricky because that doesn’t move me. It does in clout, but it doesn’t move me higher up in the rankings,” Whittaker told MMA Junkie of a fight with Chimaev. “I don’t know. I want to fight guys in the top five. Beating Strickland puts me at (No.) 1 again, and that’s as close as you can get really.”
