Australian UFC superstar Robert Whittaker insists he will “come back stronger” from his surprise defeat to Dricus du Plessis and aims to have one more fight before the year is done.
Former middleweight champion Whittaker was finished in the second round by du Plessis, with the South African now set for a salivating title fight against Israel Adesanya.
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The result took Aussie fight fans — and Whittaker himself, no doubt — by surprise, as a victory would have set up a trilogy bout against Adesanya as the likely headline bout for the upcoming UFC event in Sydney in September.
In a video posted to social media, Whittaker thankfully confirmed he was “healthy” and is now back with his family.
The 32-year-old was grateful to the legions of fans who have supported him in the wake of the brutal loss as well as his family and his team.
But he reserved special praise for du Plessis and vowed to return an even better fighter once he returns to the octagon, whenever that may be.
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“Lastly, I want to say thank you, not thank you but congratulations, to Dricus,” Whittaker said.
“He showed up to fight, and I didn’t. That’s the nature of the beast. You can’t have a day off. It is what it is.
“But I will say that I do believe the challenges and hardships and obstacles get presented to you that you overcome make you stronger, build character, make you a better man and by fact, a better athlete.
“I will come back stronger for this. I will come back hopefully by the end of the year. I want to get in the octagon by the end of the year, to get in there and close the year on a win and break back the ‘Reaper’ you guys all know.
As for what comes next in the immediate future, Whittaker confirmed he will “enjoy a couple of weeks with my family resting and recalibrating, recharging the batteries” before returning to the gym.