UFC 225:s huvudmatch var enligt de flesta en av de mest sevärda detta år. Den bestod av en rematch mellan 2 av de mest talangfulla mellanviktarna i MMA-historien: Yoel Romero och UFC-mästaren Robert Whittaker.Olyckligtvis missade Romero vikten dagen innan match och fighten gällde därför inte bältet.
Whittaker gick segrande ur matchen med en hårfin vinst genom delat domslut och har nu 2 segrar över Romero. Under fighten bröt Whittaker handen vilket han opereras för idag. Whittaker och hans manager, Titus Day, tog sig igår dock tid att att prata med Sporting News för att diskutera vilka fighters som kan stå näst på tur för mästaren:
We’ll wait and see what they put up, but I think there are three obvious ones. I think Kelvin Gastelum has probably earned a shot. [Chris] Weidman, if he’s healthy…he’s definitely earned a shot as well. If [Luke] Rockhold doesn’t go up, I think Rockhold definitely deserves a shot as well.
There’s some great people coming through who I don’t think are ready yet, Israel [Adesanya] is looking pretty good and there’s a good young Brazilian [Paulo Costa] who’s looking great, so there’s some good solid fighters there. Even David Branch is making a big move. But I would have thought Weidman or Gastelum next…as long as it’s not Romero again.
Av alla alternativ ska Day i synnerhet varit intresserad av ett möte mellan Whittaker och Chris Weidman:
[Weidman] would be a really tough fight, he’s a great wrestler, a really solid guy, and a former champion.
He’d put a really solid battle and it would be great for Rob because Weidman’s massively popular in the US. It would draw a big crowd, a big pay-per-view and it would boost Rob’s profile in the US.
Robert Whittaker instämde med sin coach att Weidman verkar intressantast i nuläget:
For me, that would be the best one. Weidman’s a hard fight, a previous champ, and a top caliber athlete. But my immediate concern is my health. I’m going for surgery tomorrow, then I’ll rehab and get strong and whoever’s ready to fight me, whoever’s put the work in and is lined up…I’m ready. I’ve never been picky or choosy.
