Is it time for Robert Whittaker to maneuver to gentle heavyweight?
Regardless of holding down a spot within the middleweight prime 5, ‘The Reaper’ finds himself in a tricky spot after failing to see his hand raised in opposition to the division’s reigning champion Dricus Du Plessis, and struggling a brutal first-round submission loss in opposition to undefeated Chechen monster Khamzat Chimaev.
In consequence, Whittaker might be ready a very long time for one more crack at 185-pound gold, main some to take a position that he may high-tail it for gentle heavyweight the place the contender’s pool is rather a lot thinner.
One man who loves the thought of Whittaker making the transfer is three-time UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen.
“I like the thought of Whittaker at 205 kilos,” Sonnen mentioned on his YouTube channel. “I totally consider that he has the abilities to turn out to be world champion. At 185, I believe they’re going to play musical chairs there. I believe that belt’s going to bounce round. I believe we’re within the means of seeing that. Strick—Strickland was champion, and he dropped it. Du Plessis—Strick’s about to go get his belt again. It’s going to be type of musical chairs.”
does Robert Whittaker have a path again to the middleweight title?
Already arising quick in opposition to Du Plessis, Chimaev, and Israel Adesanya on two separate events, there are only a few paths again to the middleweight title for Robert Whittaker. The perfect-case state of affairs would see Sean Strickland take again the title from ‘DDP’ at UFC 312 on February 8, however even then, ‘The Reaper’ would nonetheless have to sit down again and see if Strickland can fend off Chimaev who, by all accounts, would be the subsequent man up.
There’s all the time a trilogy battle in opposition to Adesanya, however with ‘The Final Stylebender’ already going two-up on Whittaker, there’s not a lot of a requirement for the threequel.
After which there’s Whittaker’s lack of showmanship which isn’t doing him any favors in accordance with ‘The American Gangster.’
“What I don’t know at 185 is an inexpensive path again to the Robert Whittaker Transfer Up The Mild Heavyweight? Former UFC Contender Says He Loves The Thought alternative. That’s one other factor that will get very powerful once you’ve been round a very long time and also you’ve fought everyone. It’s exhausting. And Whittaker doesn’t embrace the leisure period that he’s residing via.
“He largely doesn’t, as a result of I hear Whittaker speak—he’s nice. He’s a good-looking man. He’s bought this nice story. He doesn’t know these issues. He doesn’t know he’s a cool man. He’s one in every of… he’s one in every of these. And I like the thought of him going to 205 kilos. I can’t match him up immediately, I gotta inform you. I don’t—I don’t have that match-up immediately. Like, Robert Whittaker versus Anthony Smith may be very fascinating to me.”
Whittaker is 17-6 beneath the UFC banner with all however two of his victories coming inside the gap.
