Robert Whittaker’s manager: “Whittaker could be ready for NYC card, and Chris Weidman would be the perfect foe”
At UFC 225 last month, UFC Middleweight Champion Robert Whittaker showed just how worthy of a champion he truly is, as he was able eek out a ultra-competitive split decision victory over a game Yoel Romero in a fight which saw the Cuban powerhouse level the champion various times in the fight.
Due to the fact that Romero had missed weight for a second time in fighting Whittaker, “The Reaper” was denied as ever having a successful UFC Middleweight title defense on his résumé.
Now with Romero in his past, Whittaker is ready to move forward and and actually strive to accomplishing the goal of defending his UFC belt later this year, preferably against a former middleweight champion for that matter.
In a recent interview with the The Daily Telegraph, Whittaker’s manager Titus Day, stated his client wants to return to action at the end of this year when the UFC heads back to Madison Square Garden, and hopes to have his client fight the current #3 ranked and former UFC middleweight champion, Chris Weidman.
“So Madison Square Garden is a possibility,” Day said. “Rob’s the middleweight champ and his last two fights have been wars. So if his hand heals up as quickly as we’re hoping, we would definitely push for him to compete at the greatest fight arena in the world. And Chris Weidman, as the former champ, would be a perfect rival for that fight.”
If you remember, after his victory over Yoel Romero, Whittaker said in his post fight interview he had broken his thumb in his right hand in the 1st round and had surgery the following week to repair it.
Although Whittaker wanted to return to the octagon in 2018, Day said that because the surgery turned out really well, he feels his client will be ready to get back into action at the end of the year.
“I’ve spoken to Rob this week and he definitely wants to be ready by the end of the year,” Day said. “His surgery went well, it was a clean break which is the best you can get, and there doesn’t seem to have been any complications. So if all goes well, we’ll definitely look at that New York card. It’s traditionally one of the biggest on the UFC calendar and after the way Rob has won his last two fights over in the States, there is huge interest in him now.”
