Undisputed middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis believes Australia’s Robert Whittaker deserves to be his next title fight but claims he is being “done over” by the UFC.
Speaking after retaining his UFC middleweight crown against Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 in Perth, du Plessis stated that Whittaker should be who he faces for the belt next.
Du Plessis’ comments come after UFC president Dana White suggested a rematch with American Sean Strickland after the pair went five rounds for the title in January.
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Light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira also tabled a return to the division on his social media.
With du Plessis’ fourth-round win over Adesanya by submission, the South African has now beaten all three of the division’s big names — Adesanya, Strickland and Whittaker.
A former middleweight champion, Whittaker was defeated by du Plessis in the second round at UFC 290 last year.
While Strickland may be the UFC’s first choice, since the pair’s meeting at UFC 297 in January, Strickland has only had one decision win.
Whittaker will next fight Khamzat Chimaev as the co-main event at UFC 308 in the Middle East. The bout was previously set for June but was cancelled, causing Whittaker to take on Ikram Aliskerov.
Asked which fighter deserves the fight more, du Plessis made his choice without a moment of hesitation.
“Robert Whittaker deserves the shot. I think he’s been done over,” he said.
“Sean Strickland’s only saving grace is the fact that he went to decision with me. That’s it.
“So, yeah, Robert Whittaker beat [Paulo] Costa in more spectacular fashion I believe than Strickland did.
“Then Whittaker stepped up to fight Khamzat, who pulled out.
“So Whittaker fights, not a nobody — a great fighter [in] Ikram.
“Whittaker makes it look like he’s fighting an amateur, and what does he get for it? Nothing.
“So then he says, ‘OK, I’ll fight Khamzat again’. And if he beats Khamzat you’re not giving him a title shot?
“So he’s getting the short end of the stick, unfortunately.
“But that’s not on me. I’ll fight whoever.
“Strickland right now is the fight people want to see so that’s what they’ll get.
“But Whittaker is definitely the one being done over in my opinion.
“He’s definitely more deserving but, you know, life’s not fair.”
