With Robert Whittaker potentially just days away from securing another shot at the UFC middleweight title, the Australian’s team have taken a shot at Sean Strickland and his ‘entitled’ attitude.
The controversial American has claimed he would rather wait for a shot at the belt, than set foot in the cage with any of the rising contenders.
Team Robert Whittaker takes aim at Sean Strickland
On June 22, Robert Whittaker will step up to the plate in Saudi Arabia, taking on late-replacement Ikram Aliskerov after original opponent, Khamzat Chimaev, pulled out due to illness.
The Australian’s decision to go ahead with the bout is typical of his character. Blessed with remarkable powers of self-belief, Whittaker has developed a reputation as one of the world’s most fearsome competitors.
Blessed with an innate ability to walk through the fire regardless of what’s being thrown in his direction, the 33-year-old is undeniably a Spartan, capable of enduring the toughest of blows before ultimately coming out on top.
Thus, it’s fitting that rather than resting on his laurels, he’s willing to fight whoever it takes to work his way back to another shot at the throne.
However, it appears that Sean Strickland might not be willing to do the same, with the Californian claiming his victory over Paulo Costa at UFC 302 is enough to earn an opportunity to reclaim the title.
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This attitude has prompted Whittaker’s manager, Titus Day, to issue a stark warning to the polarizing ex-champion.
He told Fox Sports Australia: “If Rob goes and KOs this guy, he’ll get the title shot. And he deserves it. The way the UFC works, it’s not so much about who you fight as your attitude towards fighting.
“So if you’re a guy who really will fight anyone, anytime – like, say, Rob Whittaker or Dustin Poirier – you get opportunities. But if you d*** around like Sean Strickland is now doing, if you whinge and complain, then you don’t get the opportunity.
“If you want to say you’re going to sit around and wait for a title shot … the UFC doesn’t work like that. You get out there and fight whoever they put in front of you. The UFC isn’t trying to play games here.
“Of course, they will push their biggest stars. But at the end of the day, they want to put on big fights, and if you’re a person who will help them do that by fighting anybody, they will push you.
“But if you’re a diva, or think you’re entitled, you won’t get that chance.”
Ultimately, Whittaker is ready to fight anyone, anytime, anywhere, regardless of whether he knows who they are or not.
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While ‘The Reaper’ is undeniably an aficionado when it comes to mixed martial arts, the rise of Dagestani sensation Aliskerov completely slipped him by.
However, the Russian certainly made a good first impression. After Chimaev sadly pulled out of the contest to focus on his battle with an unrevealed illness, it took a mere two hours for the replacement opponent to sign on the dotted line.
Luckily for Whittaker, while the man in the opposing corner has changed, his training camp certainly hasn’t gone to waste. Like the Swede, Aliskerov is a tremendous grappler, meaning that the things the Aussie has been working on for the last eight weeks, will likely still prove useful when the cage door closes on Saturday night.
Regardless, since the announcement of the new fight, the former UFC champion will have undoubtedly spent a large chunk of time watching his rival, growing accustomed to what he does on fight night, as while he didn’t know who he was before, he certainly does now.
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