Robert Whittaker is under no illusions his middleweight title eliminator fight in Las Vegas on Saturday (Sunday AEST) is the most dangerous of his career, as "The Reaper" chases another Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) title shot against current champion Israel Adesanya.
'Bobby Knuckles' hasn't fought in the UFC since September 2022, and after nearly 12 months on the outside looking in Whittaker says he's trained like a madman for South African opponent Dricus Du Plessis.
Du Plessis is an unorthodox mixed martial artist who poses power and variety of finishes, having won all five of his bouts in the UFC via knockout, submission, technical knockout and on decision.
"He's a tough dude. He's an athlete," Whittaker told AAP on Wednesday.
"He's got no quit in him and going in as the underdog with absolutely nothing to lose in this fight is a dangerous, dangerous combination.
"I respect that danger. I've trained like a madman for the last 14 weeks and look forward to getting in there on the weekend with my best foot forward."
"He's the most dangerous fight in my career. He's the one unwritten."
Whittaker is the number two overall contender in the middleweight division and faces the fifth-ranked Du Plessis. The winner of their bout is all-but certain to get a crack against current champion and New Zealander Adesanya in Sydney in September.
Whittaker has lost his two previous attempts at regaining the belt from Adesanya, after becoming the first Australian and first New Zealand-born fighter to hold a UFC title in 2017 with a unanimous victory over Yoel Romero for the interim belt.
He is one of five combined Australians and Kiwis waving their flags at UFC290 this weekend, with featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski's main event bout with Yair Rodriguez the headline act.
New Zealander Dan Hooker is the underdog in his bout with American Jalin Turner at lightweight, while Aussie's Jack Della Maddalena and Jimmy Crute are appearing in the prelims.
Always the patriot, Whittaker has tipped a flawless night for the trans-Tasman neighbours in Vegas.
"It is so good to see," he added.
"It's been a little slice of home over here in Vegas, so it's gonna be a cool fight night and seeing all the other lads get up and then just get in there and do their best.
When asked if Aussie and Kiwi's do it best in the octagon, Whittaker was blunt.
"It's a fact."
