Robert Whittaker responds to fight rumors before light heavyweight move

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Earlier this year, Robert Whittaker confirmed that he would be moving up from middleweight to light heavyweight.

The former middleweight champion had hinted at the switch after suffering consecutive losses, saying he wanted to get his career back on track.

He made it official in 2024, explaining that he didn’t feel like he was performing at his best at 185 pounds. Soon after, Whittaker said he was aiming for a July debut at light heavyweight, which sparked plenty of speculation about who might be standing across from him in the Octagon.

Whittaker dismisses talk of matchup with Ankalaev

Soon after Whittaker mentioned plans for a July return, former light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev also indicated that he was targeting the same month.

That timing had fans speculating that Whittaker’s first fight at light heavyweight would be against Ankalaev.

But the New Zealander has now shut down those rumours, making it clear that a bout with Ankalaev isn’t next on his schedule.

“I don’t, I don’t think so,” Whittaker told Main Event.

“I do know that we both announced our fights and the dates kind of lined up but I don’t think that fight’s happening. There’s a lot of speculation, I see a new rumoured fight card with me and someone else every week,” he continued.

The New Zealander hasn’t fought in the division yet but already has several potential options available. He’ll likely be watching this weekend’s UFC 327 main event between Jiri Prochazka and Carlos Ulberg closely to see how things play out at the top of the division.

“I don’t know who I’m up against next, my relationship with the UFC is pretty good so I try and give a date I’ll be prepared to fight and they hook me up with the assignment, so I like the way we’ve done business and don’t think we’ll change it yet.”

A matchup with Volkan Oezdemir or Jamahal Hill could make sense for his debut, as both are intriguing options for Whittaker as he looks to establish himself in his new weight class.