Watch: Whittaker unloads on Jacare for TKO victory

If Robert Whittaker is a dark horse in the 185-pound division, that's news to him.

Whittaker pushed his way to the front of the middleweight contenders' line on Saturday with a second-round TKO of Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza at UFC on FOX 24 in Kansas City.

After securing his seventh straight victory, "The Reaper" got on the microphone and called for a bout with UFC champion Michael Bisping. The two were originally scheduled to meet in November 2015, but an elbow injury forced Bisping out of that contest.

There's no question Whittaker is worthy of a title shot after he dispatched of Jacare. Prior to Saturday's loss, Jacare had won 10 of his last 11 fights and sat in the No. 3 spot of the UFC's official rankings.

Whittaker simply imposed his will in this fight, dismissing his opponent's takedown attempts and punishing the 37-year-old Brazilian when he tried to force the issue with his grappling. Even when Jacare threatened with back control in Round 1, Whittaker was able to escape and keep the fight a standup affair.

In Round 2, he landed a knockdown that had Jacare reeling for the remainder of the bout. The Reaper seemed to connect with almost every strike he threw, and the beginning of the end came when Whittaker blasted Jacare with a kick that landed flush on the left side of his face. Whittaker followed with ground-and-pound until referee Mario Yamasaki jumped in to save Jacare at the 3:28 mark of the second frame.

Jacare lost by knockout for just the third time in his career and the first time since September 2008. After announcing he had signed an eight-fight contract with the UFC on Friday, he's going to have to go back to the drawing board the next time he walks to the Octagon.