"Time for Dad to get back to work" - Robert Whittaker announces quick return to the gym after defeat against Dricus du Plessis

Robert Whittaker has revealed he's already heading back to the gym just days after his shock defeat to Dricus du Plessis.

Whittaker and du Plessis went head-to-head at UFC 290 to decide the next challenger for Israel Adesanya's middleweight title. 'The Reaper' was the heavy favorite heading into the fight, and many fans expected him to walk through the South African fighter.

'Stillknocks' had other ideas, however, and capitalized on an uncharacteristically sloppy performance from the Australian. He finished round one on top of Whittaker before then wobbling him with a jab and follow-up shots in the second round for the TKO win.

Following the defeat, Robert Whittaker took some time away from social media in order to refocus and recharge. He has since released a video giving his reaction to the loss, as well as a detailed post about his mindset.

In his latest tweet, the 32-year-old revealed that he'd enjoyed the brief respite following UFC 290 but is already planning on returning to the gym. The Australian has also stated he doesn't want to dwell on the loss and wants to be back in the cage before the end of the year. He tweeted:

"Refocused, recharged and roaring to get it back. Have had a great little staycation at Swissotel Sydney which was absolutely amazing whilst exploring and shopping in our home city. Kids didn't want to leave but it's time for Dad to get back to work."

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Robert Whittaker congratulates Dricus du Plessis on his victory

Dricus du Plessis earned, without a doubt, the biggest win of his career when he defeated Robert Whittaker at UFC 290.

Following the crushing loss, Whittaker took a brief social media hiatus to reflect on his performance against the South African. After a few days, he uploaded a video to Instagram sharing his initial thoughts on the fight.

'The Reaper' first thanked the support of his fans and his family during the tough time before then congratulating 'Stillknocks' on the impressive victory:

"Congratulations to Dricus. He showed up to fight, you know and I didn't. But that's the nature of the beast, you know, that's the nature of the beast. You can't have a day off. Yeah, it is what it is."

Catch Robert Whittaker's reaction here: