Robert Whittaker assures he will walk into UFC 329 as a real light heavyweight.
Former UFC middleweight champion Whittaker (26-9 MMA, 17-7 UFC) makes his 205-pound debut against Nikita Krylov (31-11 MMA, 12-9 UFC) in the featured preliminary card bout on July 11 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (Paramount+).
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Despite not having the stature for light heavyweight, Whittaker has struggled in his past few cuts down to 185 pounds, where he most recently lost a split decision Reinier de Ridder in the UFC on ABC 9 main event in July 2025.
“This is the best I think I’ve felt for my career holistically,” Whittaker told Demetrious Johnson. “This is a much more natural weight for me. The last couple of camps I just have not enjoyed because of the amount of sacrifice and skipping of food that I’ve had to do. Especially the last four-five weeks when I’d really have to try and get my weight down to get into weight cut range for middleweight. It was just too much, and I think it started affecting me in the fight themselves. Like I said, this is a bit of the end period of my career, I want to enjoy the process a little bit more, I want to enjoy the training. I want to feel good.”
Whittaker, 35, said his walk-around weight hasn’t drastically changed. He’s just now built himself into the light heavyweight frame, and expects to find success in his third division under the UFC banner.
“I’ve done all the right things,” Whittaker continued. “I’m not going to light heavyweight as an out of shape middleweight. I’m not just a middleweight who can eat more now. I’ve been doing the right things, I’ve leaned up, I’m in a much more natural weight range for myself. I’m still walking around 220-225 pretty lean because I’m just heavy.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Robert Whittaker: Light heavyweight ‘a much more natural weight for me’
