What's next for Robert Whittaker? Dricus du Plessis rematch, UFC 305 backup, and 3 other options

Robert Whittaker is a former UFC middleweight champion and beheld as one of the greatest MMA fighters ever in his division. Whittaker was set to face the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev in the headlining match of UFC Saudi Arabia (June 22, 2024). Nevertheless, earlier this month, Chimaev withdrew from their fight owing to an illness.

Meanwhile, rising contender Ikram Aliskerov was scheduled to fight Antonio Trocoli at UFC Vegas 93 (June 15, 2024). After Chimaev's withdrawal from UFC Saudi Arabia, the UFC took Aliskerov off the UFC Vegas 93 card. He was instead booked to fight Whittaker and ended up losing via first-round KO at UFC Saudi Arabia.

Following his spectacular victory over Ikram Aliskerov, today, we look at the potential next options for Robert Whittaker.

---

#5 Backup fighter at UFC 305, possible fight against Dricus du Plessis or Israel Adesanya

Reigning UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis defends his title against former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 in Perth, Australia, on Aug. 18, 2024. Robert Whittaker suffered a second-round TKO defeat against du Plessis in July 2023. Whittaker has consistently indicated that he didn't perform to the best of his abilities against du Plessis and wants a rematch.

As for du Plessis, he eventually captured the UFC middleweight title by beating Sean Strickland via split decision in January 2024. With du Plessis set to fight Adesanya at UFC 305 and 'The Reaper' coming off a thunderous KO win at UFC Saudi Arabia, the latter could possibly land that rematch soon.

After defeating Aliskerov, Whittaker appeared on ESPN MMA's UFC Post Show and asserted that he's willing to serve as the backup/replacement fighter for the du Plessis-Adesanya title fight at UFC 305. During the UFC Saudi Arabia post-fight press conference, UFC CEO Dana White was asked about the same. White underscored that the UFC would love to have him as the UFC 305 backup fighter.

Besides, during the UFC Post Show, Whittaker noted that he aims to avenge his 2023 loss against du Plessis. The New Zealand-born Australian MMA stalwart also alluded to his two defeats (2019 and 2022) against Adesanya and stated:

"Perth is around the corner for me. It would be silly for me not to be backup fighter in that regard, especially with the win that I had tonight and the shape that I'm in. So, it just makes logical sense to me. I'd like to fight Dricus; run it back with Dricus 'cause I felt like I let myself down there. I'd like to run that back, but 'Izzy' is still on the list as well."

Watch Whittaker's assessment below (0:26 and 4:50):

---

#4 Robert Whittaker vs. Nassourdine Imavov

Nassourdine Imavov defeated UFC middleweight elite Jared Cannonier via fourth-round TKO on June 8, 2024. It was deemed an early stoppage by many. Regardless, the victory significantly boosted the 29-year-old Imavov's standing, earning him the No. 4 spot in the UFC middleweight rankings.

Robert Whittaker is ranked No. 3, Israel Adesanya is at No. 2, and Sean Strickland holds the No. 1 spot. An important variable at play for Whittaker over here is that he has one loss to the current champion (du Plessis) and two losses to the next title challenger (Adesanya).

Ergo, the UFC could book Whittaker against Imavov in a possible No. 1 contender's fight, rather than give him a title shot, next. After his loss against du Plessis last July, 'The Reaper' beat Paulo Costa via unanimous decision in a closely-contested fight in February 2024 and has now knocked out Aliskerov.

A victory against Imavov would put Whittaker on a three-fight win streak and surely earn him a title shot, irrespective of his past losses against du Plessis and Adesanya.

---

#3 Robert Whittaker could safeguard his contender status by waiting for the UFC 305 fallout

This option might be the safest but unlikeliest for Robert Whittaker. Fighting Nassourdine Imavov, or anyone else, comes with the inherent risk of a loss and setback in one's title quest. Whittaker could mitigate this risk by refraining from taking any other fights and waiting for a shot at the du Plessis-Adesanya title fight's victor.

As noted, Whittaker is eyeing revenge against both du Plessis and Adesanya. Agreeing to the backup fighter role would, as always, be a double-edged sword. On one hand, if the du Plessis-Adesanya fight goes ahead as planned, the UFC would acknowledge Whittaker's backup fighter participation and likely give him the next title shot against the du Plessis-Adesanya winner.

On the other hand, if du Plessis or Adesanya pulls out of UFC 305, Whittaker would step in without specific training for one of them. Given his history against them, he'd risk yet another loss by going in bereft of a camp solely focused on either du Plessis or 'Izzy.'

Whittaker could avoid this backup fighter rigmarole by simply letting the dust settle after UFC 305 and later citing his overall accomplishments and latest wins to demand a title shot against the winner.

---

#2 Robert Whittaker vs. Kamaru Usman

UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman made his middleweight debut against the fearsome Khamzat Chimaev on short notice in October 2023. 'The Nigerian Nightmare' suffered a razor-thin majority decision defeat against Chimaev, but many argued that he'd done enough to warrant the judges' nod.

Usman has since signaled that he could return to welterweight and fight the winner of the Leon Edwards-Belal Muhammad UFC welterweight title fight. However, since he's got a pair of losses to Edwards, Usman could pursue a UFC middleweight title shot instead.

Intriguingly, after Khamzat Chimaev pulled out of UFC Saudi Arabia, rumors were rife that Usman and Sean Strickland had been offered the Robert Whittaker fight on short notice and had turned it down.

Regardless, Usman's manager, Ali Abdelaziz, took to X and asserted that his client had said yes to the Whittaker matchup. Considering the variables at play, a potential Whittaker-Usman matchup would not only be an MMA fan's dream match come true but also could determine the next middleweight title challenger.

---

#1 Robert Whittaker vs. Sean Strickland

Sean Strickland lost his UFC middleweight title via split decision in a back-and-forth fight against Dricus du Plessis in January. Many in the MMA community, including Strickland himself, have since campaigned for an immediate rematch to be booked. Dana White opined that a du Plessis-Strickland rematch could materialize, but not right away.

'Tarzan' triumphantly returned by beating Paulo Costa via split decision in a rather uneventful clash at UFC 302 (June 1, 2024). Strickland later hinted that he'd wait for a middleweight title shot. He notably earned the relatively dull fight's most memorable moment, almost finishing Costa with strikes in the fifth and final round. Many fans have supported Strickland's decision to wait for a title shot.

Moreover, harking back to the potentiality of Robert Whittaker sitting out and waiting for a title shot, it's noteworthy that Whittaker was stunned and almost knocked out by a Costa spinning kick in their thrilling encounter earlier this year. On the contrary, Strickland almost KO'd Costa toward the end of a rather unexciting fight.

Besides, both former middleweight champions are eyeing a title shot! The UFC could likely book a Sean Strickland-Robert Whittaker fight next. It'd determine the No. 1 contender, who'd face the du Plessis-Adesanya winner for the title.