MMA analyst gives honest thoughts on Robert Whittaker’s UFC future

MMA analyst Din Thomas has given his thoughts on what the immediate future could hold for Robert Whittaker.

Last weekend, Robert Whittaker fell short in his attempt to overcome and defeat Reinier de Ridder in the main event of UFC Abu Dhabi. While it was an incredibly close fight, it wasn’t quite enough from ‘The Reaper’ as RDR just about edged past him via split decision.

RELATED: What’s next for Reinier de Ridder and Robert Whittaker after UFC Abu Dhabi?

Now, many have started to question what’s next for Whittaker. He’s clearly still able to compete with middleweight’s finest, but the possibility of him getting back into championship contention seems slim at this point in his career.

In a recent podcast appearance, Din Thomas made sure to praise Whittaker in the wake of an admirable performance.

A look at Whittaker’s future

“Even when the result was read and he lost, he still seemed to be in a good place,” Thomas told MMA Junkie. “I like this for Robert Whittaker because he’s not sour, he didn’t seem like he was complaining and he wasn’t pointing fingers at anybody. He knew what he was in with that fight and he knew it was a tough fight, he knew it wasn’t a dominant performance so neither fighter could complain either way.

“I was really impressed with Robert Whittaker his ability to withstand those hard times in the fight and have a lot of positivity left a lot of confidence in his ability to win. … In the trenches in this fight, Robert Whittaker still seemed to be able to bounce back, and I liked that. I thought it was inspiring.”

Thomas was then asked whether or not he believes Whittaker can get back to another world title win.

“No, if I had to bet I wouldn’t assume he gets there,” Thomas said. “It’s interesting though because he said he had a four-fight plan to get back to a title. Now it looks like it’s going to take about four fights. With a win over RDR it would’ve of been less than four fights.”

Quotes via MMA Junkie