Morning Report: Robert Whittaker says being 'really awkward' might be Dricus du Plessis' best weapon

13/08/2024 13:00

Robert Whittaker will be one of the most invested parties in UFC 305's main event this Saturday night.

The UFC middleweight title once held by "The Reaper" will be on the line as the current champion Dricus du Plessis defends against former two-time title holder Israel Adesanya. Unfortunately for Whittaker, his title reign ended at the hands of Adesanya in October 2019 before he fell short to du Plessis in July 2023.

Whittaker, 33, is likely on the cusp of a shot at redemption against either with his upcoming UFC 308 tilt against Khamzat Chimaev in October. A win would extend his winning streak to three (27-7 record).

First, the Kiwi will sit back and assess the action with the rest of us, and having fought both, he sees the matchup as essentially a coin flip.

"If I had to make a pick, I would say there's a 50 percent chance — this is my confidence here, 'kay? They're 50-50 odds," Whittaker said on his MMArcade Podcast. "That's how much I think either one could sway. I think there's a 50 percent chance 'Izzy' kind of keeps him at the end of his jab, utilizes that spacing, doesn't get his back put against the fence, defends a takedown, but ultimately wins by decision.

"Then I think there's a 50 percent chance Dricus does what he did to [Sean] Strickland. Pushes into that space, takes him down, wears him out, turns it to a dog fight. Doesn't get a finish but drags it out to the point where he is still the remaining champion. 50-50 my money's on those two kinds of results/methods.

"Probably Dricus by decision," he concluded with a pick.

A common theme throughout du Plessis' nine-fight winning streak (21-2 overall, 7-0 in UFC) has been his foes underestimating him, including Whittaker. The former champion has admitted as much on numerous occasions since the defeat and did so again before this upcoming fight.

Despite proving everyone wrong with each win en route to the title, du Plessis remains slept on and the opening odds reflected that again as he was an underdog against Adesanya at +144 to Adesanya's -186 favorite, per BestFightOdds. The window has since closed to -115 for Adesanya and -105 for du Plessis, according to BetOnline.ag.

Ultimately, Whittaker just sees this as a strength for "StillKnocks."

"To a degree. I was victim of that, right?" Whittaker said. "He's an awkward-looking dude, man (laughs). He fights really awkward. Even when you're in there with him I thought it was awkward. I felt like he was slow and cumbersome. Then he punched me in the face (laughs).

"That might be one of his greatest weapons. Just to fly under the radar to make people think he's not up to scuff then you get in there with you and he beats you.

"That's the end of the good talking points about those guys," he concluded. "Screw those guys. That's as far as I'm going."

TOP STORIES

Support.Jon Anikresponds to critics of his UFC 304 call of Belal Muhammad's title win

Answers. UFC mailbag: Looking ahead to UFC 305, the upcoming TV rights deal, and the year in review thus far

Competition. Canelo Alvarez responds to sharing Las Vegas fight date with UFC 306: 'I can do whatever I want'

Doping. Ex-PFL champion Bruno Cappelozzasuspended 1 year by USADA after failed drug test

LET'S WATCH

MMA Fighting's Mike Heck catches up with Jon Anik.

UFC 305 Embedded.

PFL Fight Week.

Ashley Barrett's big win.

Full fight.

LISTEN UP

On To the Next One.MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and Alex K. Lee discuss the matches to make after UFC Vegas 95.

MORNING MUSIC

Start your Tuesday off weirdly with some Kontrust.

Go to Twitter, use the #MorningReport hashtag, or find one of my tweets with it, and drop me a jam you're currently really into. I'll pick the best one alongside my daily choice and give you a shoutout! You can also share in the comments below — those are just harder to sift through sometimes!

This month's full playlist:

SOCIAL SCROLL DOWN

Nothing like well-timed knees.

Hype.

Starting young.

Views.

Darren.

Tourists.

Tease.

Going for gold.

Strength.

Customs.

Tease.

Robocop.

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

CJ Vergara (12-5-1) vs. Ramazonbek Temirov (17-2); UFC Vegas 98, Oct. 12

Adriano Moraes (20-5) vs. Danny Kingad (15-4); ONE 169, Nov. 8

FINAL THOUGHTS

Perfect closing remarks from Rob. How do you not like the guy?

Thanks for reading!

EXIT POLL

If you find something you'd like to see in the Morning Report, hit up @DrakeRiggs_ on Twitter and let him know about it. Also, follow MMAFighting on Instagram and like us on Facebook.