Robert Whittaker News
Just Scrap Radio Ep. 225 with Robert Whittaker, Mario Bautista, Terrance McKinney and Adrian Yanez
Cole Shelton - July 7, 2026
The 225th episode of Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com with host Cole Shelton is live to preview UFC 329. We’re joined by UFC light heavyweight and former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker (1:44). Next, fifth-ranked UFC bantamweight Mario Bautista (12:54) joins the show. UFC lightweight Terrance McKinney (25:22) then comes on. Closing out the program is UFC bantamweight Adrian Yanez (35:47).
Robert Whittaker isn't concerned about being on UFC 329 prelims
Harry Kettle - May 27, 2026
Former UFC champion Robert Whittaker has given his thoughts on being part of the prelim card for UFC 329. After much deliberation, Robert Whittaker will finally be making his debut in the light heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship at UFC 329. He will go up against veteran Nikita Krylov, and if he can put on an impressive performance, there is every chance that he will vault himself right towards the top of the rankings.
UFC 328: Robert Whittaker makes prediction for Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland
BJ Penn Staff - May 4, 2026
We have officially entered UFC 328 fight week, and all eyes are on the main event: a middleweight title fight between undefeated champ Khamzat Chimaev, and former champ Sean Strickland. Ahead of time, Chimaev has been labelled as a substantial betting favorite by most sportsbooks, but there are many fans and pundits who believe Strickland has the right style to challenge the unbeaten champ.
Paddy Pimblett vs. Benoit Saint Denis set for UFC 329, Robert Whittaker to make LHW debut
Chris Taylor - May 2, 2026
A key lightweight bout between Paddy Pimblett and Benoit Saint Denis has been added to July’s UFC 329 event in Las Vegas. The fight was originally reported by Alvaro Colmenero and later confirmed by the folks at MMA Mania.
Robert Whittaker explains decision to move up to light heavyweight, reveals target return date
Cole Shelton - February 25, 2026
Robert Whittaker believes a move to light heavyweight is long overdue. Whittaker announced his decision that his next fight will be at 205lbs and he’s hoping his debut happens in the summer. If Whittaker had his way, his goal is to make his light heavyweight debut in June.
Robert Whittaker scoffs at critics of planned light heavyweight move: 'Shut up, dude'
Fernando Quiles Jr. - February 24, 2026
Robert Whittaker is going to give light heavyweight a shot, and he doesn’t care if you have doubts. Whittaker is a former UFC Middleweight Champion who has become a fan favorite for his exciting fighting style and personality. “The Reaper” has shared the Octagon with the likes of Khamzat Chimaev, Israel Adesanya, Dricus du Plessis, and Yoel Romero to name a few.
Robert Whittaker reveals he is pretty sure his next fight will be at light heavyweight
Harry Kettle - February 3, 2026
Robert Whittaker is pretty confident that he’ll be making his way up to the light heavyweight division from middleweight. For a while now, Robert Whittaker’s mixed martial arts future has been up in the air. After years of being one of the most consistent middleweights out there, ‘The Reaper’ has suffered back to back defeats that have really knocked him down in the pecking order. Of course, this is Bobby Knuckles we’re talking about here, and he’s more resilient than most.
Robert Whittaker explains why Paddy Pimblett impressed him despite UFC 324 loss
Fernando Quiles Jr. - January 25, 2026
Robert Whittaker isn’t as harsh on Paddy Pimblett’s UFC 324 performance as others are. Pimblett fought for an opportunity to lay claim to the interim UFC Lightweight Championship. A win for “The Baddy” would’ve set the stage for an undisputed title grudge match against Ilia Topuria. Pimblett needed to get past Justin Gaethje, but he did not succeed. Despite Pimblett’s efforts, “The Highlight” walked out of T-Mobile Arena with the interim gold.
Robert Whittaker not opposed to boxing once UFC run is over
Fernando Quiles Jr. - December 22, 2025
Robert Whittaker is mulling over a potential run in the boxing world once he wraps up his time with UFC. Whittaker is a former UFC Middleweight Champion and while most would argue he’s no longer in his prime, “The Reaper” continues to be a tough out for most 185-pounders. Still, at the age of 35, Whittaker is closer to the end of his pro MMA run than ever before.
UFC 323 rematch between Merab Dvalishvili and Petr Yan won't go any different, says ex-champion
Fernando Quiles Jr. - December 5, 2025
One former champion doesn’t think Petr Yan can do much to turn things around against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 323. Yan will get a second chance to get the better of Dvalishvili on Saturday, but the UFC Bantamweight Championship will be at stake this go-around. “The Machine” scored a unanimous decision victory over Yan back in 2023.
Robert Whittaker calls out Sean Strickland for White House event: 'It’ll be a fun fight'
Cole Shelton - October 22, 2025
Robert Whittaker believes the time is now for him to fight Sean Strickland. Whittaker has wanted to fight Strickland for quite some time, and with both on the outside looking in for the title picture, the Aussie believes a battle of former champions makes sense. He also wants the fight to happen on the White House card, as he expects it to be a fan-friendly striking fight.
Robert Whittaker "I'd love to fight [Sean] Strickland" at UFC Sydney
Dylan Bowker - September 22, 2025
Robert Whittaker is eyeing a return to the cage next year and looks to put himself in the position of partisan favorite against a fellow former UFC middleweight champion. The man known as Bobby Knuckles has recently referenced that he feels iced out of the UFC middleweight title scene after back-to-back losses to current champ Khamzat Chimaev and surging contender Reinier de Ridder. That being said, Sean Strickland is a relevant fighter in the division without a dance partner and is someone who is also interwoven into the UFC’s 185-pound titleholder history. Appearing on the MMArcade Podcast and indicating what he wants next for an in-cage competitive assignment, Whittaker said [via Sportskeeda],
How Robert Whittaker almost wrestled a WWE star for real before UFC intervened
Dylan Bowker - September 12, 2025
Robert Whittaker is one of the most decorated mixed martial artists of this generation, but there was a time when he almost ventured into another martial art to compete against a prominent professional wrestler. The former UFC middleweight champion, at one point, qualified for the 2018 Commonwealth Games to participate in their freestyle wrestling event. Another notable figure who had also qualified for that field was professional wrestling star Joe Hendry, who called out the UFC combatant upon finding out he would be competing in his same weight category.
Robert Whittaker details how Nassourdine Imavov can dethrone Khamzat Chimaev in middleweight clash
Curtis Calhoun - September 8, 2025
One of Khamzat Chimaev’s former rivals, Robert Whittaker, believes Nassourdine Imavov can upset Chimaev in one specific facet. UFC middleweight contender Nassourdine Imavov continued his meteoric rise with a dominant win over Caio Borralho in the UFC Paris main event on Saturday. Imavov, who entered UFC Paris off recent victories over Jared Cannonier and Israel Adesanya, is knocking on the door of a title shot.
Robert Whittaker admits reclaiming gold is a "pipe dream", defines "biggest goal right now"
Dylan Bowker - September 2, 2025
A former UFC middleweight champion seems unsure about his path back to gold after his recent setback at UFC Abu Dhabi, but does still have competition-based motivations going forward. Robert Whittaker was the former champion in question, with the previous 185-pound titleholder expressing this thought during a recent interview with Submission Radio. The 34-year-old recently dropped a close split decision to former two-division ONE Championship titleholder Reinier de Ridder in July. At a time when the middleweight hierarchy is stacked like it hasn’t been in years, with looming high-stakes title eliminator-style bouts set up with RDR clashing with Anthony Hernandez at UFC Vancouver, as well as this weekend’s UFC Paris headliner with Nassourdine Imavov against Caio Borralho, it can become difficult to stand out as a prospective title challenger.
Robert Whittaker is close to MMA retirement, says UFC middleweight contender
Harry Kettle - August 5, 2025
UFC middleweight Caio Borralho believes Robert Whittaker is getting close to retiring from mixed martial arts. As we know, Robert Whittaker is one of the best middleweights of his generation. There are some out there who might dispute that but in reality, it’s the truth. He has done some incredible things throughout the course of his career, which includes becoming UFC middleweight champion.
MMA analyst gives honest thoughts on Robert Whittaker's UFC future
Harry Kettle - July 29, 2025
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.
What's next for Reinier de Ridder and Robert Whittaker after UFC Abu Dhabi?
Cole Shelton - July 28, 2025
The UFC was in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, on Saturday, July 26, for a solid UFC Abu Dhabi card. The main event saw former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker taking on Reinier de Ridder. Entering the fight, Whittaker was coming off a submission loss to Khamzat Chimaev, which snapped his two-fight winning streak. de Ridder, meanwhile, had an upset knockout win over Bo Nickal last time out.