UFC Legacy Championship belt (Picture by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC through Getty Photos)
Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker says he’s “enjoying round with the concept” of shifting as much as mild heavyweight. He made the assertion in a latest episode of his MMArcade Podcast.
Whittaker referenced how a lot weight he has to chop to make 185 kilos and talked about that he’s a a lot larger man than most individuals assume. He believes he might make 205 kilos simply, however the extra apparent query is whether or not he can compete with the very best fighters within the division.
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – JUNE 22: Robert Whittaker of New Zealand reacts after his victory towards … [+] Ikram Aliskerov of Russia in a middleweight battle through the UFC Combat Night time occasion at Kingdom Area on June 22, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Picture by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC through Getty Photos)
The present mild heavyweight champion is Alex Pereira, and that doesn’t look like an excellent stylistic matchup for Whittaker. The No. 1 contender is Magomed Ankalaev, whose mixture of hanging and heavy-on-top wrestling might pose severe challenges.
The No. 2 contender is Jiri Prochazka, whereas No. 3 is Jamahal Hill.
From a stylistic standpoint, the fighters who may give Whittaker the hardest assessments at mild heavyweight are those that can impose their will in grappling sequences. That’s how Khamzat Chimaev scored a formidable first-round submission win over Whittaker in October.
Would the larger mild heavyweights, like Ankalaev and Jan Blachowicz, be an excessive amount of for Whittaker due to their dimension and power? It stays to be seen. Whittaker didn’t seem to have made up his thoughts when he talked about it.
Nevertheless, the transfer is smart at this stage of his profession. Whittaker simply turned 34, and his path again to a title shot within the middleweight division isn’t clear.
He’s misplaced to present champion Dricus du Plessis, former champion Israel Adesanya, and No. 3-ranked Chimaev. The one fighter ranked above him that he hasn’t confronted is No. 1 contender Sean Strickland.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – SEPTEMBER 10: (L-R) Sean Strickland drops Israel Adesanya of Nigeria with a … [+] punch within the first spherical of the UFC middleweight championship battle through the UFC 293 occasion at Qudos Financial institution Area on September 10, 2023 in Sydney, Australia. (Picture by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC through Getty Photos)
Strickland is ready to rematch Du Plessis in February for an opportunity to regain the title he misplaced to the South African in January. Even when Strickland wins, Whittaker’s losses to du Plessis and Adesanya would place him firmly behind different contenders.
Adesanya will battle No. 4-ranked Nassourdine Imavov on February 1 in Saudi Arabia. If Adesanya wins, Whittaker’s earlier losses to him solidify his place additional down the pecking order.
As Whittaker hits his mid-30s and after enduring a number of crushing losses, it could be time to evaluate whether or not mild heavyweight provides a clearer path to a title. We’ll see what comes of Whittaker’s flirtations with shifting up.
What’s Subsequent for the UFC?
The No. 1 MMA promotion on this planet remains to be on its end-of-year hiatus. The primary occasion of 2025 takes place on January 11 on the UFC Apex, headlined by a rematch between Mackenzie Dern and Amanda Ribas. The 2 first fought in October 2019, with Ribas successful through unanimous determination.
Following that occasion, the primary pay-per-view of the 12 months, UFC 311, will happen at The Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. The cardboard options two championship fights: Islam Makhachev defends his light-weight title towards Arman Tsarukyan, and Merab Dvalishvili defends his bantamweight belt towards Umar Nurmagomedov.
