Dricus Du Plessis breaks down why Robert Whittaker is a harder fight than Israel Adesanya

Dricus Du Plessis is set to face Robert Whittaker in an upcoming fight at UFC 290 on July 8 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ahead of this highly anticipated bout, the South African fighter has shared his perspective on why Whittaker poses a greater challenge than Israel Adesanya.

During an appearance on Submission Radio, Du Plessis expressed his belief that it's far more difficult to outwork Whittaker in comparison to Adesanya. He commended Whittaker's endurance and emphasized that making him quit is nearly impossible:

"There's more of a blueprint to beating Adesanya, I believe. Even though he is so good and so hard to implement that blueprint. I think there is no victory versus Adesanya. He is just so good at not giving opponents their way. Where with Whittaker, the path to victory is not that simple. You have to catch him... or to outwork him is hard, to make him tired is hard, to get him to quit is nearly impossible. So, I think Whittaker [is] the harder fight, while Adesanya [is] a lot more technical."

According to Dricus Du Plessis, Whittaker's fighting style and mentality make him a more formidable challenge, whereas Adesanya's approach leans more towards technical prowess. With this assessment in mind, the 29-year-old recognizes that he will need to prepare diligently for the match against Whittaker and clearly understands the significant test that lies ahead.

As fight fans eagerly await the clash between Du Plessis and Whittaker, the contrasting styles and attributes of these two formidable middleweights will undoubtedly contribute to an intense and captivating contest in the octagon.

Check out Dricus Du Plessis's interview below:

---

Dricus Du Plessis next fight: Dan Hooker believes Whittaker would be the "toughest fight" for Du Plessis

In a recent interview with Submission Radio, Dan Hooker shared his perspective on Dricus Du Plessis' next fight and expressed his belief that Robert Whittaker would present the toughest challenge for the South African mixed martial artist.

Hooker suggested that Du Plessis could have chosen a more favorable stylistic matchup, such as Sean Strickland, to secure a title shot without taking unnecessary risks:

"I don't think Dricus Du Plessis had to face Robert Whittaker... I'm just saying it's the toughest fight in the division and he didn't need to take that risk. He didn't need to roll those dice. I just feel like he played that a little wrong. Sean Strickland is more of a stylistic matchup for him and it's a much more winnable fight. He could've got a title shot off beating Sean Strickland."

Check out Dan Hooker's take on the upcoming fight in the video below: