Robert Whittaker wants title shot rematch v Dricus Du Plessis, reflects on Volkanovski v Topuria

Niko Pajarillo sits down with former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker to look back on Ilia Topuria's win over Alexander Volkanovski for the featherweight championship, and his own victory over Paulo Costa, at UFC 298 in Anaheim. He also calls for a championship rematch against UFC middleweight champion, Dricus Du Plessis, ahead of UFC 299 in Miami.
#MMA #UFC

[@mainevent]

Stream the full episode and every UFC event live via Foxtel or Kayo: www.mainevent.com.au/

[@andrewguerrino4711]

Out of all the MMA media platforms out there now this show w/ Rob & Niko is becoming one of my favorites. Easy to listen to, good insights, smooth editing, great guests, etc.

[@1LowkeyMF]

I heavily agree, been checking it out and found out about this channel like last year and ever since I love wen it pops up on my feed, love the way everything is set up and done

[@cassidyerickson7408]

Same!!

[@Harry-hh1is]

It’s just flawless and to the point

[@Dodgy_dabber]

Rob vs Sean Strickland, make it happen!

[@ryan3390]

I want to like ilia but denying a rematch is crazy.

[@Manuel_Chinaski]

Volk doesn’t deserve the rematch tho . Back to back KO losses , both inside 2 rounds . Not a good look for a challenger . He needs to go and get a win first .

[@kavinraj4689]

Ilia didn deny a rematch for Volk. He said Volk has been P4P No1 but for his sake he shouldnt take the rematch. Which is a chilling line seeing what Ilia did to Volk.

[@Gypsyalchemy333]

no bud. whitaker vs Strickland, izzy vs ddp, costa vs cumtwat

[@clintonmallard8447]

no bud. Rob vs DDP issy vs strickland rematch

[@Gypsyalchemy333]

@@clintonmallard8447 so my logic has no rematch and yours has two. My logic my set up for some rematches after but yours paves way for rematch after rematch after rematch

[@clintonmallard8447]

@@Gypsyalchemy333 I just don’t think issy should get another title shot straight away he got his championship rematch with Alex

[@TanWam]

"It's gotta be a title shot next for you" I love Rob but that makes no sense, Costa hadn't fought in ages and his last win was against a now retired unranked at the time Rockhold, needs to beat a top 3 opponent

[@Ramble55]

I think Rob'll get Strickland next, but Rob IS a top 3 fighter in middleweight. He won't get the title shot until he gets another win under him though, if only because Dricus is the guy who beat him.

[@TanWam]

@@Ramble55 yeah him and strickland sounds good he would definitely deserve the shot if he won that

[@user-rw2pm8vv4n]

Love Rob too, but DDP was injured and walked through Rob. There is zero justification for a rematch, currently

[@Ramble55]

@@user-rw2pm8vv4n Yeah Rob needs to dominate hard enough that he clearly deserves the shot. A big win over Sean could do it

[@jasonabu6454]

Topuria won fair and square, but Volk DESERVES a rematch ! NO ONE RAN a division for that long like Volk did ! Last champion to do that was Jon Jones !

[@beastieking1]

What ? No one has done it like Jon jones if you say Volk did something similar which he didn’t then so did Usman and Izzy

[@jasonabu6454]

You forgot Aldo, Spider, or GSP ! There's only a few champions that held the title within their respective division for so long. Usman is rank #10 among those reigns. Though Volk is not in the top 10, he still held the title for 4yrs. I only mentioned Jon Jones cause he's the UFC GOAT ahaha !

[@rafayg7376]

Nah bro Usman is great but his reign is heavily on overrated. Woodley, Colby twice, Masvidal twice, Burns and then two losses to Leon. That's five fighters only in his title reign. That's not even close to Aldo, MM, Jones or GSP. Even Izzy had more variety in his opponents. ​@@beastieking1

[@beastieking1]

@@rafayg7376 I don’t think you understood my comment. Volk wasn’t/isn’t close to jones and if the original post is going to compare him to jones as in nobody has been close to him besides Volk then by that logic Izzy and Usman are right there as well. Which none of them are

[@Hlbkomer]

Rob just sitting in the back like the Reaper he is :)

[@dannyboy5362]

I rather see Cannonier vs Dricus. Freshen things up.

[@Ar1AnX1x]

"my mentality was to go in there and make it a cat fight" -no fighter ever

[@Damblan]

love hearing the detirmination in Robs statements cant wait for his next fight

[@rollin60z]

Kinda weird to start by standing up with rob sitting in the background 😂

[@josepharmand6117]

Volk has ruled that division for 5 years...been an active champ...and fought the best. He deserves a rematch and Ilia is pretty unsporting to deny it. Who's he going to fight at FW who is more deserving and a tougher challenge? That being said, it looks like an uphill slog. Ilia doesn't want to grant a rematch. And Dana refused to commit to one after the fight...when I have seen him commit before to a deserving champ who got defeated.

[@21DMN]

He doesnt fight top fighters. The only one is Hollowey and is so close fight. After that with two crucial TOP fighters like Makachev and Topuria and he lost.

[@josepharmand6117]

@@21DMN Dude...what are you even talking about. He fought Chad Mendes, Jose Aldo, Brian Ortega, Yair Rodriguez. Then he gave Holloway 3 separate chances to beat him....to settle the matter. He didn't have to do that. Then he challenged the scariest, most dominant guy in the division above...twice. Volk fought the best available.

[@rafayg7376]

​@@josepharmand6117he's gotta be on drugs or something

[@rafayg7376]

​@@21DMNHolloway if you remember, was destroying all the other fighters. Volk had no choice but to fight Max three times. Other than that he faced everyone that was worthy of facing. Give me one example of him avoiding a top fighter in his division.

[@21DMN]

@@rafayg7376 Volk beat 2 great contenders: Aldo and Hollowey but nothing more. And the 3 fights with him were very close. If the next fight is Topuria VS Hollowey and Topuria beat him with a KO and after that goes against Sugar and beat him, he is the GOAT. And he can still fight more against another contenders in LH

[@MM-dz1wx]

This might be an unpopular take, but Robert Whittaker is the greatest Australian fighter in MMA history. Obviously Volkanovski has more title wins, but resume wise, I'll give it to Rob any day, especially because he should've got the nod against Israel in the rematch. That being said, I do think Robert Whittaker loses to Dricus Du Plessis in a rematch, and I'd favor Sean Strickland against him in a potential matchup too.

[@aryamanmani4025]

Rob can def beat Strickland over 5 rounds, DDP is hard cause of his size and durability.

[@user-zr3uq7wv8b]

​@@aryamanmani4025 yeah that's probably true

[@MattPowers209]

​@@aryamanmani4025 what you mean "definitely" DDP tko'ed Whittaker & Sean went to Round 5 & can argue he won that fight even Dana & Rogan thought Sean did enough to get the W

[@cassidyerickson7408]

I think Whittaker beats ddp in the rematch

[@aryamanmani4025]

@@MattPowers209 That its a definite possibility Rob can beat Strickland over 5 round. MMA math doesn't work so don't see the point in the whole Rob/DDP/Sean trifecta lol

[@riahkmi6067]

dricus vs izzy need to happened after that maybe rob can fight dricus

[@sikubonga4212]

Volk definitely deserves a rematch

[@overtblowfish4439]

Miyamoto

[@keegangovender3312]

Title shot next??? Smoking ur socks off these 2...

[@stevepypers3044]

Dricus smoked him good he cant come back now🇿🇦🔥🏆

[@TeeSlice]

I can see izzy beating dricus, then sean beating izzy, then sean rematching dricus. Rob might be left on the shelf for a bit if that happens.

[@drunkpaulocosta9301]

Nah sorry Rob ya my favourite fight but you dont deserve a titleshot. Maybe a rematch eith Izzy for a shot but nah bro. Hurry up and move to 205 bro. There is one shot at that division and its in your prime. Be average at middle or chase something new? I know what😊 id choose

[@user-em5mr4ke3h]

Alex is going to get that rematch back WATCH

[@OHANA-BEACH-SUITES]

[@georgedzagania9744]

Topuria talked the talk and walked the walk

[@MattPowers209]

Huge Volk fan praying he will change his mind. Come back in Oct @ LW properly against a Beneil or RDA vs Gamrot winner

[@thefacelessquestion3333]

Those guys are HUGE, Volk is a beast but man...the size difference is massive.

[@frikkievandenberg6736]

Volk had his oppertunities same as Robert 2 fights mayne then rematch

[@kggarkalns1358]

Why? Volk was dominant champion. He gets a rematch. Did you keep the same energy for Gyno titty Izzy? 1-2 and he will get another title shot 😄

[@tuffneggah]

dricus wins again

[@dospulgasenunperro]

the aussies asking for a rematch in the home turf of volk. Yeah, right, come to Spain! There's a new champ on the division

[@DavidMartinez-ve8hi]

Pajarillo is so piss on Topuria hahahaha...TOPURIA will ko again volk if there is a rematch.....TIME has come to Alexander the great

[@manson2505]

get over it u cannot beat ddp ur not good enough

[@nunyabuziness8421]

Whittaker dreaming😂has anyone woke him up yet from his last fight w dricus?Costa won btw even rob was shocked he won😂

[@Username0708]

lmao Costa clearly didn’t win 🤡

[@MrPoolmaster11]

Your boi Volk will get knocked spark out again if he fights Topuria later in the year he just can’t beat him their skills are equal but Topuria has the nuclear option and will always win

[@JasonSmith-UK.]

HOPEFULLY ROBERT WHITTAKER KEEP WINNING AND BECOME A UFC CHAMPION AGAIN PLEASE🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻, AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE🇦🇺

[@woodlandnetwork8575]

Man Whittaker really is wearing the effects of a career spent getting hit in the head. The way he slurs his speech is sad.