Robert Whittaker wants to make his next UFC fight a family occasion – in his hometown, against a former world champ.
The Aussie star still has Jan Blachowicz at the top of his hit list for the newly announced Sydney Fight Night, as he looks to build on a winning start to life at light heavyweight.
UFC 332: Silva v Wang | SUN 5 OCTOBER 11AM AEDT | UFC 332 heads to Salt Lake City where Natalia Silva will go head to head against Wang Cong for the vacant UFC Women’s flyweight title. | Order now on Kayo Sports.
And after years of punishing weight cuts, Whittaker says he is finally enjoying himself again.
The UFC will return to Afterpay Arena, formerly Qudos Bank Arena, on Sunday, February 7, 2027, for Sydney’s first Fight Night event since 2017.
Whittaker is keen to be part of it, although he told Fox Sports Australia on Wednesday there was still nothing locked in.
“No, I don’t really have any direction just yet, just focusing on prepping and making sure I’m ready for it,” he said.
There is, however, one opponent he would particularly like to see across the cage.
“Yeah, he’s the one,” Whittaker said of former light heavyweight champ Blachowicz.
“If he’s available, then I think that’ll be a good fight. He kind of already accepted the fight over social media, no contracts or anything like that.
“But I think it’ll be a good fight if me and him are both willing and keen.”
If that matchup cannot be made, Whittaker is happy to look elsewhere – provided it gives him the chance to climb.
“Anybody who’s ranked above me,” he said.
“I’m not too picky. Never have been.”
For Whittaker, the chance to fight in Sydney has appeal well beyond the opponent.
His last appearance in the Harbour City came way back in November 2014, when he stopped Clint Hester in the second round on his UFC middleweight debut.
More than a decade later, the former middleweight king wants his kids, friends and family there to share the experience.
“It’d mean the world to me,” Whittaker said.
“It’s one thing I wanted to do. Bring all my kids and my friends and family, and fight in my hometown.
“Make a thing of it. Just enjoy the experience.
“I know these opportunities and experiences aren’t available to everyone. So I think it’s really important to make the most of it.”
That outlook has become a big part of Whittaker’s fresh start.
So has leaving behind the nightmare of making the middleweight limit.
Whittaker admitted the weight cut, and everything required to get through it, had started wearing thin towards the end of his time in the division.
“I think towards the back end of my middleweight career, I started to really drag my feet toward cutting weight and the training whilst having to cut weight, and just the lifestyle that fighting at 84 kilos can lend itself,” he said.
“So moving up to light heavyweight, and as well not only that but also my mentality of bringing my family and kids and just enjoying the experience.
“I’m happy, mate. I’m enjoying myself again.”
He has already shown he can handle himself in his new division, stopping Nikita Krylov in the third round at UFC 329 in July.
While the size of his new opponents had given him something to think about beforehand, Whittaker said that concern began fading late in the opening round.
“It was more or less kind of at the back end of round one is when I got my range, I got my timing,” he said.
“And the boogeyman was the light heavyweight division. These big guys, tall guys…
“What they were wasn’t really as scary or as daunting as I had made it.
“I belong there. You can see I belong there. I have stopping power in that division now.”
Then there are the little wins at home.
Asked which food he could now eat without feeling guilty, Whittaker grinned.
“All food! It’s all food.”
MORE UFC NEWS:
‘Can’t go off that’: Volk opens up on old scrap with rival as new Sydney event revealed
‘Everyone stay calm’: Terrifying scenes as UFC star collapses mid-fight, pulse checked
Insane upset! Gable Steveson KO’d in 12s | 00:33
He is still eating to perform, but the days of weighing and measuring every meal have gone.
And that means being able to sit down to the same dinner as his kids.
“Everything before at middleweight mattered. Everything’s calorie counted and weighed and measured and you can’t eat this, can’t eat that,” Whittaker said.
“Whereas at light heavy, it’s like I’m not doing anything silly. I’m still trying to eat for performance, but I don’t need to weigh my foods or measure them.
“Like if we’re having spaghetti bolognese with the kids, I can actually have spaghetti bolognese with the kids, and I don’t have to go scurry off to a corner with my salads and eat by myself.”