Dricus Du Plessis explains why he thinks Robert Whittaker is a “harder fight” than Israel Adesanya

Dricus Du Plessis believes Robert Whittaker is a harder fight than Israel Adesanya.

Du Plessis is set to face Whittaker at UFC 290 in a middleweight title eliminator bout with the winner going on to face ‘Stylebender’ later this year. Although Adesaya wanted to face Du Plessis his next time out, the UFC booked the South African to face Whittaker first which he knows is a tough task.

Not only is Du Plessis expecting a tough fight, but he believes Whittaker is a harder fight for him than Adesanya.

“If you go on how good they are. In terms of how good they are, there’s really not a lot separating them, both of them are incredible athletes, both of them in their own right have done amazing things in this sport,” Du Plessis said to Submission Radio. “Israel Adesanya is so clean and technical especially when it comes to striking area of the game and not getting taken down. He’s tall and lanky and he uses that very well, he has. a great mindset. Then, of course, Rob with the same attributes. He’s a little bit smaller but then again you have Rob with (an) amazing pace, who has strength to add to that and he’s an all-rounder. He can wrestle, hr can grapple, he can strike, wherever you’re going to fight Rob it’s not going to be easy.

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“It’s not going to be, oh if I get him to the floor it’s over. Will I scramble? No,” Du Plessis continued. “He can do everything so I think both of them are really really good in their own right. As far as preparation goes with Adesanya 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 a clear path to victory versus Adesanya. He is just so good at not giving opponents their way.

“Wherewith Whittaker, the path to victory is not that simple. You have to catch him, that’s at the end of the day what it’s going to be, you have to catch Robert Whittaker, 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, where Adesanya (is) a lot more technical,” Du Plessis concluded.

With Dricus Du Plessis thinking Robert Whittaker is the easier fight, should he get his hand raised at UFC 290, the South African is confident he will be able to defeat Israel Adesanya. Yet, getting past Whittaker will be easier said than done for Du Plessis.

What do you make of Dricus Du Plessis saying Robert Whittaker is a harder fight than Israel Adesanya?