Dana White says he would love to have Robert Whittaker serve as the backup for Du Plessis vs. Adesanya at UFC 305

UFC CEO Dana White is all ears when it comes to the idea of Robert Whittaker serving as a backup for an upcoming headliner in Perth.

Whittaker flashed in the UFC’s debut in Saudi Arabia, knocking out Ikram Aliskerov in the first round. After rocking Aliskerov, the former UFC middleweight champion landed a clean uppercut and some follow-up punches to seal the deal. With the victory, Whittaker has ended the seven-fight winning streak of Aliskerov.

So, what’s in “Bobby Knuckles'” immediate future? Perhaps a backup spot for UFC 305.

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Immediately after Whittaker’s highlight reel finish, UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier mentioned the possibility that “The Reaper” could be the perfect choice to serve as an alternative option if needed for the planned middleweight title fight between champion Dricus du Plessis and Israel Adesanya.

When asked about the possibility during the UFC Saudi Arabia post-fight press conference, Dana White kept his response short and sweet.

“We would love to have him”

Dana White loves the idea of Robert Whittaker being the backup for Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya#UFC #UFCSaudiArabia pic.twitter.com/b2oP9ntWiw

— FULL SEND MMA (@full_send_mma) June 22, 2024

“We’d love to have him,” White said.

The good news for the UFC is that Whittaker is game to take that role. Here’s what the former UFC titleholder said during the UFC Saudi Arabia post-show.

“Yeah, definitely,” Whittaker said. “I’m in good health and it’s in my home country. How could I say no? It’s around the corner.”

With that said, if Whittaker is expected to fight in Perth this August, he needs to compete for gold.

“It’s tricky because I mentioned in a lot of interviews my only plan is to go home to my kids and give them the holiday they kind of got cheaped out on last one, ’cause I took this fight pretty close after the last one. So, I wanna take the kids away on holiday if I’m not gonna back up for such a prestigious title.”