The UFC middleweight division is on fire. Champions, former champions, and contenders are filled to the brim, resulting in a whole lot of trash talk. At the center of it all is Dricus du Plessis, the newly crowned king of 185. ‘Stillknocks’ shocked the world by submitting Israel Adesanya at UFC 305. Now everyone’s wondering: who is next? And it probably won’t be Sean Strickland.
Du Plessis’ coach, Morne Visser, is betting on Robert Whittaker getting the nod. Sean Strickland had lost a razor-thin split decision to du Plessis. And fans would think that would put him in line for an immediate rematch. But Visser doesn’t think so.
“My opinion is Sean is overselling it. He’s just had one win after Dricus, that was against [Paulo] Costa. Whittaker had two, and I think he’s going to go for number three now. So, my honest opinion is that next for us in line will be Whittaker in Sydney in February…I honestly think that they’re going to give him the shot,” said Visser via Submission Radio.
Coach Visser believes that Sean Strickland needs another win before he gets a second shot. Meanwhile, Whittaker has got a fight date with the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev. Du Plessis’ coach is not impressed with Chimaev, though, and thinks Whittaker will end his hype.
Sean Strickland had previously revealed that he would not fight anyone unless given a title shot. The UFC CEO had even said that Strickland was in line for the next defense. However, Morne Visser’s statement has put a question mark on this. It remains to be seen who Du Plessis will have his next defense against.
Fans React To Robert Whittaker Getting The Nod Over Sean Strickland
Recently, a bombshell dropped in the MMA world as Du Plessis’ coach revealed some juicy info about the champ’s next move. Apparently, if Whittaker beats Chimaev at UFC 308, he’s next in line. The proposed venue is in Sydney, Australia.
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Fans took to social media to show their reactions to this statement. Some fans believed that this was a farce and Dana White had promised Sean Strickland the title shot. Others revealed that Robert Whittaker had worked his way up and deserved a title shot. A few others believed that Whittaker wasn’t eligible as Khamzat Chimaev would stop his momentum. Here are some of the reactions from fight fans:
This multitude of opinions is what makes MMA so exciting. It’s unpredictable, it’s dramatic, it’s sometimes downright absurd. Whether fans support Team Whittaker or Team Strickland, one thing’s for sure: The middleweight division is not short of hungry contenders and chaotic trash talk.
Also Read: “Back In Afghanistan” – David Goggins Catches Major Heat From Sean Strickland
