Robert Whittaker, a former UFC middleweight champion, is eager to see how Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland would fare if they faced Khamzat Chimaev.
Strickland is set to challenge reigning titleholder Du Plessis in a rematch that headlines UFC 312 on Feb. 8 at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Chimaev, fresh off a dominant first-round submission victory over Whittaker at UFC 308 in October, is likely to face the winner. “Borz’s” last win saw him claim victory via a crushing face crank, leaving Whittaker with significant injuries.
Reflecting on the potential matchups that lie in his recent opponent’s future, Whittaker expressed doubts about either Du Plessis or Strickland being able to defend against Chimaev’s relentless takedown game.
“I think he just takes them down and does the same thing — not necessarily to me, but like how he beat (Kamaru) Usman or Gilbert Burns,” Whittaker shared on his MMArcade Podcast. “I can see those sorts of fights. I think he’d have more success with Strickland than Du Plessis because Du Plessis is a big dude. Stopping that first takedown is so crazy. The way he shoots that first shot is crazy. How do you stop that dude? Jump over him?”
Whittaker also questioned whether Strickland could make the necessary adjustments to avenge his previous loss to the South African, which came via split decision at UFC 297 in Canada this past January.
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