Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker is beginning to look toward his next Octagon outing, and he has just the opponent in mind.
Whittaker hasn’t been in action since a crushing loss to the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev last October in Abu Dhabi. A first-round face crank left the Australian with displaced teeth and requiring a medical procedure.
Having recovered and returned to training, “The Reaper” is looking to reignite his charge back toward the title, which originally got off to a strong start in 2024 with back-to-back wins over Paulo Costa and Ikram Aliskerov.
During a recent episode of On Paper with Anthony Smith, Whittaker assessed what could lie in his immediate future. He pointed to a matchup that has long been discussed and would see him fight one of the few top names at 185 pounds whom he’s yet to do battle with.
“I think (Sean) Strickland makes a good argument to have. Because I feel like we’ve both been in that top sort of pond for a while circling each other,” Whittaker said. “I feel like for whatever reason we haven’t been matched up but we’ve both been in proximity for a while, and it’s most likely the fight to make.
I’m excited about that fight. I look at his style and I find it curious. I find it exciting to try to work out,” Whittaker continued. “He’s a tough dude but I’m really proud of my skill set and confident in my skill set.”
Strickland is currently licking his wounds following a failed title challenge against Dricus Du Plessis in Sydney earlier this month. After losing the gold to “Stillknocks” last year, the American was unable to exact his revenge in their rematch.
While the South African faces the likely challenge of Chimaev next, perhaps the UFC will look to book a pair of former champs together in Whittaker and Strickland.
