Robert Whittaker warns Alex Pereira against potential Dricus du Plessis middleweight clash

Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker believes Alex Pereira would fall well short of the bar in a potential clash with Dricus du Plessis at 185lbs.

Whittaker will face Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi in his middleweight return. He and Chimaev were scheduled to headline UFC Saudi Arabia earlier this year before Chimaev withdrew due to an illness.

Whittaker went on to finish short-notice replacement Ikram Aliskerov and remains in the mix in the division’s title picture.

Meanwhile, du Plessis submitted Israel Adesanya in his first middleweight title defense at UFC 305. A rematch with Sean Strickland is likely next for the middleweight champion, who defeated Strickland at UFC 297.

Another intriguing element in the middleweight division is Pereira, who recently teased a return to 185lbs immediately after du Plessis’s latest win. Pereira hasn’t fought at middleweight since a knockout loss to Adesanya at UFC 287.

If Pereira returns for a potential fight with du Plessis, Whittaker feels the former middleweight champion will bite off more than he can chew.

Robert Whittaker suggests Alex Pereira stay away from middleweight return

During a recent interview with Submission Radio, Whittaker weighed in on Pereira’s potential return to the middleweight division.

“I hope [not]. Honestly, I don’t think that’s a good fight for him,” Whittaker said of Pereira vs. du Plessis. “But also, when you move up to light heavyweight, moving back down is tricky. It’s not like he moved up for one fight…he’s been fighting there for a while now. So it would take a lot of effort to get back down, and Dricus [du Plessis] is so strong there. Alex [Pereira] gets hit, and Dricus likes getting hit…

“So it’s hard to see someone with the amount of power to stop Dricus from walking forward into you. And Dricus hits hard, you saw that in the fight against Adesanya, and Adesanya has a really good chin.”

Pereira will headline UFC 307 next month against Khalil Rountree Jr. Du Plessis, meanwhile, hasn’t ruled out a potential future move to light heavyweight.

Whittaker’s familiarity with du Plessis stems from a TKO loss at UFC 290. He’s won back-to-back fights since the stunning defeat to du Plessis.