Ultimate Fighting Calendar
UFCUFC 290: Volkanovski vs Rodriguez
Middleweight3 rounds scheduled
Robert Whittaker
Robert Whittaker
“The Reaper”
28-9-0
RESULT

Dricus Du Plessis def. Robert Whittaker (TKO)

TKO · Round 2 · 2:23
WIN
Dricus Du Plessis
South AfricaDricus Du Plessis
“Stillknocks”
23-3-0
Saturday, July 8, 2023
T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, United States

Dricus Du Plessis defeated Robert Whittaker by TKO in round 2 (2:23) in the Middleweight bout of UFC 290: Volkanovski vs Rodriguez, held Saturday, July 8, 2023 at T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas.

Fight stats

Robert Whittaker
Dricus Du Plessis
0
Knockdowns
1
31 of 70
Significant strikes
62 of 104
44%
Sig. strike accuracy
60%
32 of 71
Total strikes
74 of 118
1 of 1
Takedowns
1 of 1
100%
Takedown accuracy
100%
0
Submission attempts
0
0
Reversals
0
0:23
Control time
0:57
Significant strikes by target
23 of 59
Head
38 of 77
2 of 4
Body
11 of 13
6 of 7
Leg
13 of 14
29 of 68
Distance
41 of 77
2 of 2
Clinch
8 of 10
0 of 0
Ground
13 of 17

By round

ROUND 1
0
KD
0
22 of 44
Sig. str.
29 of 54
23 of 45
Total str.
41 of 68
1 of 1
Takedowns
1 of 1
0
Sub. att
0
0:23
Ctrl
0:55
ROUND 2
0
KD
1
9 of 26
Sig. str.
33 of 50
9 of 26
Total str.
33 of 50
0 of 0
Takedowns
0 of 0
0
Sub. att
0
0:00
Ctrl
0:02

Frequently asked questions

Who won Robert Whittaker vs Dricus Du Plessis?

Dricus Du Plessis defeated Robert Whittaker by TKO in round 2 (2:23) in the Middleweight bout of UFC 290: Volkanovski vs Rodriguez, held Saturday, July 8, 2023 at T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas.

Referee
Marc Goddard
Time format
3 Rnd (5-5-5)
Pre-fight comparison▾

Win probability

Robert Whittaker 53%47% Dricus Du Plessis

What the model gave each fighter going into the fight, from their pre-fight UFCal Elo ratings. See all Elo ratings

Tale of the Tape

28-9-0
Record
23-3-0
1695
Elo rating
1671
1
Win Streak
0
35
Age
32
6'0"
183 cm
Height
6'1"
185 cm
73"
185 cm
Reach
76"
193 cm
Orthodox
Stance
Switch
Middleweight
Weight Class
Middleweight
Australia / New Zealand
Nationality
South Africa

Striking Profile

4.41
SLpM
5.18
43%
Str. Acc.
48%
3.40
SApM
4.33
59%
Str. Def.
52%

Grappling Profile

0.71
TD Avg.
2.22
38%
TD Acc.
51%
80%
TD Def.
34%
0.00
Sub. Avg.
0.70

Recent form (last 5 fights)

Robert Whittaker · 3-2
  • W
    Nikita Krylov
    UFC 329: McGregor vs Holloway 2Sat, Jul 11, 2026
    TKO · R3 · 1:01 · Light Heavyweight
  • L
    Reinier de Ridder
    UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs De RidderSat, Jul 26, 2025
    Split Decision · R5 · 5:00 · Middleweight
  • L
    Khamzat Chimaev
    UFC 308: Topuria vs HollowaySat, Oct 26, 2024
    Submission · R1 · 3:34 · Middleweight
  • W
    Ikram Aliskerov
    UFC Saudi ArabiaSat, Jun 22, 2024
    TKO · R1 · 1:49 · Middleweight
  • W
    Paulo Costa
    UFC 298: Volkanovski vs TopuriaSat, Feb 17, 2024
    Unanimous Decision · R3 · 5:00 · Middleweight
Dricus Du Plessis · 4-1
  • L
    Khamzat Chimaev
    UFC 319: Du Plessis vs Chimaev: Du Plessis vs ChimaevSat, Aug 16, 2025
    Unanimous Decision · R5 · 5:00 · Middleweight
  • W
    Sean Strickland
    UFC 312: Du Plessis vs Strickland 2Sat, Feb 8, 2025
    Unanimous Decision · R5 · 5:00 · Middleweight
  • W
    Israel Adesanya
    UFC 305: Du Plessis vs AdesanyaSat, Aug 17, 2024
    Submission · R4 · 3:38 · Middleweight
  • W
    Sean Strickland
    UFC 297: Strickland vs du PlessisSat, Jan 20, 2024
    Split Decision · R5 · 5:00 · Middleweight
  • W
    Robert Whittaker
    UFC 290: Volkanovski vs RodriguezSat, Jul 8, 2023
    TKO · R2 · 2:23 · Middleweight

Career Averages

Based on 25 fights · 10 fights
59.6
Avg sig. strikes
77.0
0.64
Avg takedowns
2.20
1:04
Avg control time
1:45
150
Career high strikes
147
4
Career high TDs
6

Strike Distribution

Robert Whittaker
Strike target
Dricus Du Plessis
72%
Head
59%
10%
Body
18%
18%
Leg
23%
Robert Whittaker
Strike position
Dricus Du Plessis
87%
Distance
82%
7%
Clinch
8%
7%
Ground
10%