Robert Whittaker breaks down why Dricus du Plessis won’t beat Khamzat Chimaev: ‘It is obvious…’

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Dricus du Plessis has a history of turning skepticism into victory, but Robert Whittaker thinks his current path could lead to defeat.

Since becoming champion, the South African has held onto his title with two successful defences. First, he submitted Israel Adesanya in Australia, then he followed that up by defeating Sean Strickland for a second time.

His next challenge comes in the form of undefeated Khamzat Chimaev, a fighter many believe could finally hand Du Plessis his first loss. But according to his former opponent, it will be up to the champ rather than ‘Borz’ to decide how that story unfolds.

Robert Whittaker predicts Dricus du Plessis will ‘lose to himself’

During an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, Robert Whittaker discussed Du Plessis’ third title defence at UFC 319 and what it might take for the champion to lose his belt.

Whittaker, who was stopped by Du Plessis at UFC 290, is familiar with the South African’s style. Having seen his approach up close, Whittaker thinks any defeat will come down to Du Plessis’ own mindset rather than anything his opponents do.

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“Honestly, I think Dricus is the sort of guy that will lose to himself. The way he fights. I think it’s obvious with every fight, it’s very heavily mindset driven. Especially for him. He’s tough as nails and he never quits. He beats a lot of people on the backs of him not going anywhere.

“I think the day that he can’t push, the day that he can’t find that, is the day that he might lose. He’s got a head of steel, he’s a tough guy, he’s strong, he’s physically fit, he puts in the work.”

Robert Whittaker falls to back-to-back defeats

Whoever comes out on top at UFC 319, Robert Whittaker has made it clear he’s aiming for a rematch with the champion once the dust settles. However, he’ll have to wait to put his plan into action.

After working his way back up the rankings following his defeat to Du Plessis, Whittaker suffered another setback when he lost to Reinier de Ridder at UFC Abu Dhabi.

The 34-year-old Dutchman has been on a four-fight winning streak since joining the promotion. His victory over ‘The Reaper’ came by split decision in the main event of the evening.