Robert Whittaker revealed new details about how he envisions retiring from MMA after his latest victory at UFC 329. Whittaker moved up to light heavyweight and secured an impressive 3rd round TKO over Nikita Krylov.
The former UFC middleweight champion’s move up to 205 pounds came after back-to-back losses. His win over Krylov snapped his losing skid and created some intriguing options for his next bout.
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Whittaker admitted that he does not believe he has many fights left despite a successful light heavyweight debut. However, he revealed that his retirement will be well thought out and confirmed ahead of time rather than being a spur-of-the-moment decision.
“I definitely have a few more [fights] in me. A few is three” Whittaker told The Ariel Helwani Show. “My fight time right now is as long as I’m enjoying it.”
He continued:
“As soon as I reach the point where I’m starting to drag my feet again, where it’s hard for me to get to training and hard for me to enjoy it, I’ll announce my retirement on an Australian card and make that my last fight and fight out my last one,” he said. “I want to do that properly, I want to sail off into the sunset the right way, I want to finish my career in my home country.”
Robert Whittaker Opens Up About Preparation for Light Heavyweight Debut at UFC 329
Robert Whittaker also opened up about his preparation for his light heavyweight debut against Nikita Krylov at UFC 329.
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Whittaker, 35, was aware of the discussion within the MMA community regarding his move to 205 pounds. He noted that he prepared for a difficult test and was already anxious ahead of the fight.
“I already had a lot of nerves coming into this fight, coming off back-to-back losses. And then, the middleweight moves up to light heavyweight, everyone’s seen how this story ends a thousand times,” Whittaker told The Ariel Helwani Show. “There was a lot of self-imposed pressure, along with the nerves and everything else. Then, seeing all the comments and reading people saying I was too small or too short.”
He continued:
“It was one of those moments where you just have to feed the belief and starve the doubt, and listen to the circle that’s important to you. Listen to the ones that matter and the ones that have the informed information and informed decisions. And yeah, just keep working.”
Whittaker Eyeing UFC Light Heavyweight Title Shot
After Whittaker successfully made his light heavyweight debut, he revealed that he has his sights set on a title shot.
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Given the current landscape of the UFC‘s light heavyweight division, Whittaker believes that a title fight could be within reach. He said another impressive performance could position him well in the title picture.
“I think at light heavyweight, especially with [Alex] Pereira moving out, and guys getting injured, there’s just been a shuffle of names in the division. It’s rife with opportunity,” Whittaker told The Ariel Helwani Show. “Literally, I could be one good performance away from fighting for the title.”
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