LAS VEGAS – Many expected to see Dricus Du Plessis challenge UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, yet that didn’t come to fruition.
With no fresh challengers currently on deck for Adesanya, it was a given to many that Du Plessis (19-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) was next in line for the title. He remains unbeaten in the UFC, is ranked highly, and has an ongoing beef with Adesanya. That’s usually a good recipe for getting a championship fight.
But to the surprise of many, Du Plessis was matched up against former champion Robert Whittaker for Saturday’s UFC 290. The booking was criticized by many fans and pundits, given that Whittaker (25-6 MMA, 15-4 UFC) was expected to be a big favorite to beat Du Plessis, which was eventually reflected in the betting for the fight, thus unnecessarily eliminating a fresh contender.
Whittaker disagrees with that line of thinking and said it’s just how the fight game should work.
“That’s the business,” Whittaker told reporters at Wednesday’s media day. “If you’re not up and coming, you’re stopping the up-and-comers, aren’t you? That’s just part of the gig.”
Whittaker was expected to fight Paulo Costa in February, but the bout was never officially signed. It was he who requested to fight Du Plessis after the Costa bout fell through.
“I asked if he was free,” Whittaker said. “After February fell through, my bank account was looking a little slim, so let’s get busy.”
Adesanya remains without a challenger, and it’s possible that he might get booked for UFC 293 in Sydney on Sept. 10, given his popularity in the Oceania region. Whittaker is not ruling out a quick turnaround to challenge Adesanya once again on home soil, but first he has to take care of business.
“I’d like to fight in Sydney. It’s one of those things, but my calendar doesn’t go past the weekend right now,” Whittaker said. “Nothing matters past the weekend. I just need to pass this obstacle first.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 290.
