Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker is targeting a showdown against former UFC title challenger Marvin Vettori.
Whittaker recently spoke with CBS Sports' Shakiel Mahjouri and revealed it looks like things are trending in the direction of him facing Vettori next, a matchup the 31-year old Auckland, New Zealand native believes makes the most sense given both men's desire for landing a third meeting against current UFC middleweight king Israel Adesanya.
"I think my guys are talking. I think that's the next fight," Whittaker said. "That's really the only guy in the top five that I haven't fought. I think that's on the agenda. Realistically, it's the only fight that makes sense for both of us. It's funny, me and him both have a lot in common, we're both chasing the third fight with Adesanya. If I can get two fights this year, that would be great. That hits my quota quite well."
He also continued on to talk about how despite losing a unanimous decision to Adesanya in their rematch back at UFC 271, the fight and his performance in it have reinvigorated his spirit for fighting.
"I am just so excited for the future and for the things I can do from here," Whittaker said. "It's like I took part of my spirit back. I've been formulating things and building things up now. Honestly, my biggest obstacle in this division is Adesanya. The way [that fight] went down and how close it was, if that was my biggest obstacle then nothing is going to get in my way of getting back at him. The rate at which I've been evolving and getting better and my age and the amount of time I have to do it and how I'm just entering my prime years, it's all a recipe for something interesting."
It honestly just excites me, there is no ceiling I’m evolving as a fighter! Thank you to all my fans, supporters everybody involved I do it because of you guys and I’m able to do because of of you guys.
— Robert Whittaker (@robwhittakermma) February 13, 2022
Stay tuned the Reaper is only getting better!!! @ufc @ufcanz #UFC271 pic.twitter.com/cHIaKVvXDt
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