UFC 254: Robert Whittaker to win over Dana White for title rematch
Robert Whittaker has doubled down on his plans to “stomp the s...” out of American Jared Cannonier, hatching a plan that will convince UFC boss Dana White to give him a title rematch.
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Robert Whittaker reckons it will take around five minutes to win his way into another UFC title fight this Sunday.
Which is some claim.
Yet speaking with The Daily Telegraph from Abu Dhabi’s famed Fight Island, Whittaker is predicting a devastating first round stoppage of American Jared Cannonier at UFC 254.
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Despite fighting on NRL Grand Final day, Australia’s first UFC champion has vowed to not only make his own headlines, or finish within a round, but give UFC president Dana White no choice but to award his rematch with middleweight king Israel Adesanya.
While Adesanya is himself predicting a Cannonier victory – and has already offered the American next shot at his title – Whittaker is now doubling down on his vow to “stomp the s…” out of a rival who questioned his use of contentious oblique kicks.
“I’ll finish Jared late in the first round,” Whittaker said. “Or very early in the second.
“I’ll be too much for him.
“I’m too fast, too smart. I’m going to dance around the outside and pepper away.
“I’m going to hurt him.”
Whittaker revealed he had requested the bout take place on Fight Island, rather than in the world’s fight capital of Las Vegas, given it has a regulation Octagon.
While staging fights Stateside during the COVID pandemic, the UFC has been using a slightly smaller cage for events inside its Las Vegas HQ.
Whittaker said he also expects to benefit from fighting over only three rounds, rather than the five required for UFC headliners and championship bouts.
“This has been the first time I’ve fought three rounds in years,” said the Aussie whose last win over Englishman Darren Till was a July headliner on Fight Island.
“So it’s exciting for me because this is a different beast.
“And I’m embracing it.
“With three rounders you need to do more early. You have to set the pace up and can’t hold anything back.
“You can’t afford to lose rounds because you can’t make up for it (like over five round fights).”
Asked about the cage size, he continued: “I definitely didn’t want to be in the smaller Octagon.
“I don’t like it.
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“I’m a bit of a dancer, so I like the space. Need the space.
“So the smaller Octagon, it doesn’t suit my style. I like heaps of room.”
Whittaker is one of three Australians fighting at UFC 254, with Mt Druitt heavyweight Tai Tuivasa and fellow Sydneysider Jacob Malkoun, who is making his UFC debut in the middleweight division.
The card is headlined by undefeated UFC lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov, who defends against American Justin Gaethje.
Originally published as UFC 254: Robert Whittaker to win over Dana White for title rematch