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Robert Whittaker could have faced Sean Strickland on the UFC 305 card, headlined by a middleweight title clash featuring Dricus du Plessis and Israel Adesanya. But according to Whittaker's manager, Titus Day, the American turned down the offer.
Following Strickland's loss to Du Plessis at UFC 297, where he lost the middleweight title, he remained adamant that he would not accept a fight offer that wasn't for UFC gold.
It appears that 'Tarzan' sticking to his guns has paid off, as he is expected to fight 'Stillknocks' next according to UFC CEO Dana White.
The manager of 'The Reaper' was recently interviewed by Submission Radio ahead of his client's highly anticipated clash with Khamzat Chimaev, set for UFC 308 in October. Day said:
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"Rob wants to fight. That's how he makes a living... Straight after the last fight [against Aliskerov] in Riyadh, they said to us, literally on the day, they said, 'Does Rob want to fight Sean in Perth?' Yeah said, 'Yeah sure, absolutely.' Apparently [Strickland] said no. Yeah that was it."
Watch Robert Whittaker's manager discuss Sean Strickland below (5:00):
Robert Whittaker isn't bothered about Sean Strickland getting title shot over him
Robert Whittaker has suffered three defeats in the UFC since 2014, two of which came against all-time great Israel Adesanya, whilst his most recent loss came against current champion Dricus du Plessis at UFC 290.
With 'The Reaper' having bounced back from his loss to Du Plessis with stellar victories against Paulo Costa and Ikram Aliskerov, many believe that Whittaker should fight for the title next. Even Adesanya and his team have admitted that the former champion is most deserving of a crack at the belt. But Sean Strickland appears to be the chosen challenger instead.
Whittaker will now face Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308, a fight that was scheduled to happen in June 2024. Ahead of the bout, the 33-year-old was interviewed by Submission Radio, where he was asked to share his thoughts on Strickland fighting for the title over him.
He said:
"I don't care. I've got to beat Chimaev. The fight after Chimaev doesn't exist to me. I know [if] I beat Chimaev I'm fighting for a title. It doesn't matter if it's before or after [Strickland], it doesn't matter. I've got to beat Chimaev. It's a pretty simple game."
Watch Robert Whittaker's interview below (8:25):
