White: ‘If Bisping is out, It’s Yoel vs. Whittaker for the belt’

UFC President Dana White announced the UFC may be creating an interim middleweight title in the near future.

UFC Middleweight Champion Michael Bisping is recovering from knee surgery and is recovery is taking longer than expected.

“If (Bisping) can’t fight this summer, we’ll probably create an interim title between (Yoel) Romero and Robert Whittaker,” White told ESPN.

Earlier this month, White canceled a fight between Bisping and former UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre due to St-Pierre not being able to fight until the end of the year. Now it appears, Bisping may be out until the end of the year as well.

After White announced St-Pierre would not get the next title shot, White said Yoel Romero would get the next title opportunity against Bisping.

Romero is unbeaten in the UFC. He is on an eight-fight win streak. His impressive wins streak includes wins over Derek Brunson, Tim Kennedy, Lyoto Machida, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, and former UFC Middleweight Champion Chris Weidman.

Whittaker is on a seven-fight win streak. His streak includes wins over Souza, Brunson, and Rafael Natal.