Ex-UFC champion shares bold prediction for potential Dricus du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland rematch: "You need to be wired on"

A former UFC champion has made a bold prediction for Dricus du Plessis' possible rematch against Sean Strickland. The veteran fighter picked a winner for the potential showdown and outlined the ideal gameplan to take on 'Stillknocks.'

The fighter in question is former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker. Incidentally, the New Zealand-born Australian fighter suffered a second-round TKO defeat against South Africa's du Plessis in July 2023. After beating Whittaker, du Plessis defeated Sean Strickland via split decision in a closely-contested fight to capture the UFC middleweight title in Jan. 2024.

'Stillknocks' notched his first successful title defense by defeating former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya via fourth-round submission in Aug. 2024.

Meanwhile, after losing his title, Strickland bounced back by beating Paulo Costa via split decision in June 2024.

Speaking to Dennis Shkuratov of Submission Radio, Robert Whittaker recently discussed various topics, including a potential rematch between himself and Dricus du Plessis. 'The Reaper' suggested that unless you "kill" du Plessis, he gains momentum and wins the fight.

The 33-year-old asserted that you must take the fight to du Plessis for all 25 minutes of the match, adding:

"If you give him any space, if you give him any opportunity to crawl back in, he just keeps coming."

Shkuratov seemingly concurred and indicated that one has to prevent du Plessis' getting back in the fight or gaining any momentum. Whittaker agreed and said:

"Exactly. I think that's exactly it. It's like you need to take the fight to him for 25 minutes. You cannot give him any space. You cannot let him in. You cannot give him opportunity. You cannot relax. You cannot sit on your laurels. You need to be wired on, locked in, for 25 minutes." [2:15-3:33]

Whittaker was then asked who he thought would emerge victorious in a potential rematch between Strickland and du Plessis. 'The Reaper' sided with 'Stillknocks,' saying:

"I think Dricus, still. Dricus is a hard fight, he just has that insane pressure, and willingness to get hit to land hits, and he wins that fight a lot of the time. I think he's a hard fight for a lot of people." [10:34]

Check out Whittaker's comments below:

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UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis deemed Robert Whittaker as his "favorite fighter"

The consensus is that Dricus du Plessis will most likely defend his UFC middleweight championship against Sean Strickland next. Meanwhile, Robert Whittaker is booked to fight the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308 on Oct. 26, 2024. The winner is largely expected to enter the middleweight title picture.

On his MMArcade podcast, Robert Whittaker recently lauded Dricus du Plessis' unorthodox, but effective, fighting style. Meanwhile, speaking to FOX Sports Australia, du Plessis was told about Whittaker's past comments after their 2023 fight, wherein he'd asserted that you must be willing to die to fight him (du Plessis).

The 30-year-old agreed, labeling Whittaker as one of MMA's "biggest legends" and his "favorite fighter." He referenced 'The Reaper's' wars against Yoel Romero and highlighted that he's been a fan of the former champion since before he joined the UFC. 'Stillknocks' said:

"The man has an understanding for the game. He knows."

Check out Dricus du Plessis' comments below: