Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker steadied his ship with a close decision victory against Paulo Costa at UFC 298. However, It didn't come without adversity.
"The Reaper" was facing a potential losing streak with a defeat, and many fans were counting him out after a shocking loss to now-champion Dricus Du Plessis in 2023. The Karate specialist looked uncomfortable against "Stillknocks" and was eventually knocked down by a thudding jab before the fight was finished.
The fight called Whittaker's durability into question; had his long championship reign and countless wars finally cracked his chin?
According to Whittaker, this isn't the case. The Aussie fighter remarked, "My chin's back," in a February 28 appearance on the MMArcade Podcast:
"Everyone in the comments, any comment anywhere, especially after the Dricus fight, 'Whittaker's chin's gone, he's a wash,'" Whittaker explained. "Mate, my chin's back. I don't know where it went on vacation, but it's back. He's come back and he's clocked in."
Whittaker referenced his fight with Costa, where the Brazilian rocked him with a spinning wheel kick in the dying seconds of round one:
"That kick should have killed me," Whittaker exclaimed.
Whittaker's victory, paired with the fresh batch of champions at the top of the division, means he can angle towards title contention once again.
According to "The Reaper," it's all mental, and he was glad to "take grip" of his mental state with his UFC 298 appearance:
"That has really been my biggest takeaway from this fight, and the thing I’ve been happiest about -- that I was able to really take grip of my mental state," Whittaker told Fox Sports. ". .... I was so resolved with what I had to do. There was nothing going to stop me from beating that guy."
Whittaker targets an old foe on his ascent:
"I want that UFC title back," Whittaker continued. "And given Dricus Du Plessis has the belt now, I think it makes perfect sense to run our fight back."
Ranked #3 in the division, Whittaker's only other options would be a number-one contender fight with Sean Strickland, a trilogy bout with Israel Adesanya, a bout with Brendan Allen, or a super fight with the surging Khamzat Chimaev.
Some of these names, such as Adesanya and Chimaev, are potentially being put on ice for much bigger fights in the future.
If you use any quotes from this article, please leave an H/T to MMAKnockout.com for the transcription.
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