Simon Head: Robert Whittaker
Often when a champion loses his title he’s granted an immediate rematch and a chance to win back the belt. But that chance wasn’t afforded to former UFC middleweight champ Robert Whittaker and now, after taking some time away from the sport to rest, recuperate and refresh, “The Reaper” is back and seemingly in great spirits ahead of his octagon return.
But his comeback gig is anything but a tune-up fight. England’s Darren Till looked superb as he controlled the action against Kelvin Gastelum and now, after more time spent training and preparing as a middleweight, the former 170-pound title challenger will be keen to make a statement against the former middleweight champion this weekend.
It means Whittaker can’t afford to come at anything less than 100 percent if he wants to get the victory. And if the Aussie wants to land himself a shot at his old belt, he’ll need to look good doing it.
All eyes will be on Whittaker this weekend. If he shows up and shows out, he’ll be right back in the title mix. But defeat will put him right behind the eight ball, with a clutch of rising contenders ahead of him in the race for a title shot.
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