Former UFC champ Robert Whittaker reveals when | MMA News
Former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker last fought in the UFC on ABC 9 main event last July in Abu Dhabi. “Bobby Knuckles” confronted Reinier de Ridder and misplaced a questionable cut up choice.
The loss was Whittaker’s second in a row and the New Zealander determined to take some time off while making ready to welcome his sixth baby with spouse Sofia. She gave beginning in November and Whittaker’s shifting back to combat preparation mode.
“After my last fight, I was talking with my family and stuff and I knew my wife was due around November and I wanted to take some time to just separate myself from the game a little bit,” Whittaker said on The Ariel Helwani Show.
“The last couple of camps haven’t been super fun, so I’ve just been trying to bring that back into the game and just focus on some things because I don’t want to focus on other things such as the gym and everything else and broadcasting and stuff while in camp. I feel like the split in attention is not giving the game enough respect,” continued the previous middleweight champion.
“Having that time away doing these things, these side gigs, working with the broadcast team and stuff like that is good, but I’m just about ready to get back in there.”
Whittaker expects to return this summer season, but is not sure if he’ll be competing as a middleweight or a gentle heavyweight.
“I’m coming back in June,” Whittaker said. “That’s just the date. Like I said, I don’t want to split attention between the craft, the fighting, my next fight and broadcasting and traveling and stuff. I want to lock in,” he said. “I’m going to lock in, give myself a proper three months, or three, fourish months to work on some new things, which I’m doing anyway. But I want to come into the next fight different because, I don’t know, people have been watching my style for too long. I think it’s time for a change.”
“The last couple of (weight) cuts have been hard. And I know that there growing trend is like Rob’s a small middleweight. Rob’s a small middleweight, but I’m just short with stubby arms. Okay? I’m short for the division anyway, so there’s not much difference going up. They’re taller than me way down in middleweight. Like, I’m a big guy. People don’t realize how long it takes me to get down to the weight (at 185). “s
At the time of the interview, Whittaker weighted 235 kilos, 49 kilos heavier than the allotted middleweight non-championship restrict. He’s 90-percent sure his next combat will happen in the 205-pound division.
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