Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker has confirmed his intention to compete at light heavyweight for his next fight. The 35-year-old Australian cited ongoing issues with weight cuts as a key factor in the decision. He is targeting a return in June 2026 after recent losses.
Robert Whittaker, who captured the UFC middleweight title in 2017 and defended it once, began his professional career at welterweight before establishing himself at 185 pounds with 19 fights in the division. He won the interim title, which was later upgraded to undisputed status, and secured victories over notable opponents including Yoel Romero, Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza, Kelvin Gastelum, Darren Till, Jared Cannonier, Paulo Costa, Ikram Aliskerov, and Derek Brunson.
Whittaker's decision to move up to the 205-pound light heavyweight class comes after consecutive defeats: a first-round submission loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308 in October 2024, which resulted in a broken jaw, and a split-decision loss to Reinier de Ridder at UFC Fight Night on July 26, 2025. These setbacks marked the first time in over a decade that Whittaker had lost back-to-back fights, dropping him to ninth in the middleweight rankings with a record of 26-7.
"I'm going to give it a go," Whittaker told Submission Radio. "I know a lot of naysayers, a lot of things on the internet saying 'small this, small that.' Shut up, dude. I want to give it a go. I'm on the tail end of my career, so I got to try rather than just thinking about what ifs."
He emphasized that while he can still make the middleweight limit, the weight cut impacts his training and performance. "I've been playing with the idea for a long time," Whittaker said. "During the break, I was training at a heavier weight. I want to lock in and move into this weight division... The camp performance kind of really suffers on the back end of a weight cut, and a lot of fighters can testify that."
Whittaker walks around at 107-108 kg and plans to add some muscle without sacrificing speed, aiming for a three-to-four-month preparation period. He is targeting a June 2026 fight, potentially at a rumored UFC event at the White House, to adjust to the new division where he may face size disadvantages but could capitalize on the current landscape.
