Australia’s Robert Whittaker has questioned how anyone could underestimate his UFC 290 rival Dricus Du Plessis – suggesting the South African has this week morphed into his greatest test after being “washed” by media, bookies and fans.
Speaking before a room full of journalists at UFC media day, Whittaker labelled Du Plessis his “most dangerous fight to date” and a rival who could “knock your block off”.
UFC 290 | SUN JULY 9: It’s an Aussie Takeover in Vegas for one of biggest fights of the year. UFC Champ Alex Volkanovski takes on Yair Rodriguez and fan favourite Rob Whittaker returns to the Octagon. ORDER ON MAIN EVENT ON KAYO SPORTS >
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Already, UFC president Dana White has revealed the winner of Sunday’s fight will face UFC middleweight king Israel Adesanya in Sydney at UFC 293 in just nine weeks time.
The announcement had many suggesting the bout is being set up for Bobby Knuckles to headline on home soil, with Australia’s first UFC champ so strong a favourite for the Du Plessis showdown some Las Vegas odds makers are listing him as short as -566.
But the fighter himself doesn’t see it that way.
Instead, Whittaker is so focused on the threat ahead, he also spent much of media day refusing to discuss the storyline that is him winning and being catapulted into the hometown trilogy.
While Whittaker suggested he would “love to fight in Sydney”, he added immediately afterwards that “my calendar doesn’t go past this weekend”.
He also stressed the reason Du Plessis has gone unbeaten in all five UFC appearances is likely down to his being underestimated by previous opponents.
“I don’t understand anybody who underestimates their opponents,” he said.
“We’re in the fight game, in the best company in the world with the best fighters in the world.
“I don’t understand where you think every single one of those guys in the division isn’t going to knock your block off. It just seems a little silly.
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“He (Du Plessis) is the guy you underestimate him, and he’s going to run over you.
“Especially with his greatest strength, which I think is his resilience.
“He’s been so close to defeat so many times and yet somehow scrapes a victory. That’s a scary trait to have.”
While Whittaker and beat every one of the division’s best fighters not named Adesanya, he also suggested on Wednesday that Du Plessis is his toughest fight.
“Definitely, he’s the most dangerous fight to date, and that’s because he’s the one that’s unwritten,” Whittaker said.
“He’s the unknown.
“(But) I understand the dangers he presents.
“Not only is he a well-rounded athlete, and physically he’s a big guy … he has nothing to lose.
“Everyone has already washed him.
“He’s the underdog in this fight.
“Tell me something more dangerous than a man with nothing to lose, everything to gain.”
Whittaker added that he was proud to be on an International Fight week card that includes five countrymen, including UFC featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski’s headliner against Yair Rodriguez.
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“I’m proud of the impact I’ve had in Australia and fight night I think it’s going to be really cool to see the Aussies and New Zealanders on there doing their thing,” he said.
The Aussie added there may be something in Team Du Plessis suggesting their fighter was going to be a completely different prospect after recently undergoing nose surgery.
The South African’s coach had suggested the sinus problems were so bad the middleweight had only been getting around eight per cent of the usual oxygen intake.
Asked about it on Wednesday, Whittaker said: “I laughed it off at first.
“But then I got a stuffy nose and went to training and it was tiring. So maybe there is something in it.
“But I haven’t trained 14 weeks for one round, I don’t expect him to gas. That would be setting myself up for failure.”