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Robert Whittaker laughs off Roman Dolidze’s recent call-out, eyes Strickland
Robert Whittaker was recently called out by a streaking contender but the former UFC middleweight has a different idea for what he wants next.
Roman Dolidze extended his winning streak and moved into the top 10 in the middleweight division thanks to his recent triumph over Marvin Vettori.
After the victory, Dolidze used his time on the microphone to call out former champions Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker for his next matchup, however, Whittaker has already laughed off the challenge.
Dolidze avenged a 2023 three-round loss to Vettori with a five-round win this past weekend at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
It was a solid scrap with both men having their moments and the rematch unfolded quite similarly to the first meeting, only this time it had two extra rounds because it was a main event and ended with a different winner.
Whittaker was not entirely impressed with what he saw of it, though, and likened the skill displayed to a pub brawl.
“I watched a round-and-a-half and I was like, ‘Dude, I have nothing to gain from this,’ and I went back to playing (a video game),” the former UFC middleweight champion said with a laugh on the latest episode of his MMArcade podcast with Jonny Roses “It was just like the exact same as their first fight.
“Like, they’re still at a pub, the same pub and they’re just like, ‘Ah, it’s you!’ and they started punching on again, bro. It was the exact same thing. I reckon they should run it back to break the trilogy, to get some proper closure on whatever reason they’re having a brawl.”
Mind you, this is coming from a future Hall of Famer whose only losses at 185 pounds in the UFC have been to Adesanya (twice in title fights), current champ Dricus Du Plessis, and is coming off an October submission loss to undefeated No. 3 contender Khamzat Chimaev.
All the while, Dolidze improved to 9-3 in the UFC and is now on a three-fight streak.
“He’s super tough and he hits really hard,” Whittaker said of Dolidze, who moved up to No. 9 in the rankings this week.
The 36-year-old Georgian also has wins over Anthony Smith and Kevin Holland within the past year. His most recent loss was a majority decision to current No. 1 contender Nassourdine Imavov 13 months ago.
Dolidze does not appear to be the type of test Whittaker, the former champ, is seeking at this stage of his career.
Instead, Whittaker has his sights set on a fellow former 185-pound titleholder.
“I’m trying to fight a top-five guy (next),” Whittaker said. “Join the queue. I want to fight Sean (Strickland). International Fight Week.”
Considering the fact Whittaker has been booked almost exclusively in main or co-main event bouts for the past decade, a matchup with Strickland, who’s also coming off a loss to a top-ranked opponent, would make more sense than pairing Whittaker with Dolidze.
It is unclear at this time if Adesanya would entertain a potential matchup with Dolidze next — Adesanya’s most recent loss was also to Imavov — and it is unclear if UFC brass has discussed a potential Strickland vs. Whittaker matchup for later this year.
