A former UFC middleweight champion who is at the tail end of his career wants to move up to light heavyweight before he potentially hangs up his gloves.
In a recent interview, the first Aussie to win a UFC championship, Robert Whittaker, confirmed that he’s decided to move up a weight class and is expecting to fight in June.
Robert Whittaker’s current form
The Reaper” was riding a two-fight win streak in 2024 until he met Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308, where he was submitted by “Borz” in Round 1 with a rare naked choke-cum-face-crank. Whittaker suffered a dental injury in the Chimaev fight and hence remained on the sidelines for nearly a year.
In 2025, he returned to face surging contender Reinier de Ridder in the main event of UFC Abu Dhabi, and after a hard-fought five-rounder, lost by split decision.
Former UFC Middleweight Champion Robert Whittaker Confirms Move up to Light Heavyweight
Earlier this year, “The Reaper’ had teased a move up to the UFC’s 205-pound division, and now he’s confirmed the same. In a recent sitdown with Submission Radio, he said:
“I took some breaks. I worked on some other things, and it’s given me a moment to really just settle in and work out what I want to do moving forward, and mate, I’m locking in now. I’m looking in for June. I want to get in there. I want to fight again. I want to fight in June. Uh, 205 most likely… I’m going to give it a go. I know a lot of naysayers, a lot of things on the internet saying ‘small this, small that.’ Shut up, dude. Like I want to, I want to give it a go. I’m like on the tail end of my career so like I got to try rather than just thinking about what ifs.”
When asked what made him consider a move up to the UFC light heavyweight division, Whittaker added that he has thinking about it for a long time. Although “The Reaper” is confident he can still make 185 pounds, he believes he will be more efficient competing if he moves up.
“It’s hard to say. There was never really like a a nail in the coffin. It was more like I’ve been playing with the idea for a long time. During the break, I was kind of I was training at a heavier weight. I want to lock in and move into this weight division. And I don’t know, there wasn’t really a final thing like because there’s no doubt in my mind I could make middleweight. I can make it still like I can lose the weight, but I just don’t know if it’s like if I’m getting the best out of myself, you know, having having to cut that weight, having to to like because the the camp performance kind of really suffers on the back end of a weight card and a lot of fighters can can testify that.”
The Aussie added that he will take three to four months to transition, and does not plan to add too much muscle, as the extra mass could slow him down.
“I’m locking in for June. I want to get in there. I want to throw down again. I’m moving up to 205. I want to adjust to the weight. I want to perform at the weight. I want to build some muscle, etc., etc. So, I want to give myself like a decent leg of work, like a good four months to prep and come in there at my best… I’m going to try and get put on a little bit muscle, but you’re exactly right. I’m not going to put on too much. Like I walk around heavy anyway.
Check out Robert Whittaker’s comments below (3:58):