Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker is envisioning the final stages of his fighting journey.
Known as “The Reaper,” Whittaker is set to face Reinier de Ridder in a significant middleweight clash headlining UFC Abu Dhabi on July 26. This fight pits the former UFC titleholder against de Ridder, who, according to reports, has compiled a 3-0 record since joining the organization in 2024.
Whittaker understands that even with a victory over de Ridder, he will probably need several more wins to challenge for the title again. In an interview with FOX Sports Australia, he detailed his ideal path to retirement, stating, “Four fights… I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I want four more, that`s me. I see the stepping stones needed to do what I want to do. Four fights gets me into that title shot, gets me into a position to finish on top, to have that fairy tale ending. I`m working towards it.”
While he has faced setbacks against top contenders recently, Whittaker has also successfully turned away several rising hopefuls looking to climb the ranks by defeating him. Before his recent loss to Khamzat Chimaev, he secured consecutive victories against Ikram Aliskerov and Paulo Costa. His overall recent record shows a solid 6-3 streak, including notable wins over Marvin Vettori, Kelvin Gastelum, Jared Cannonier, and Darren Till.
Khamzat Chimaev is set to fight champion Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319 on August 16th, a fight between the two individuals who have most recently defeated Whittaker. Whittaker expressed interest in rematches against both, but acknowledged the expanding pool of contenders he must overcome first. “The list is getting too long, now,” Whittaker commented with a chuckle, adding, “I`m working. Reinier`s in the sights at the moment.”
During the fight against Chimaev, Whittaker sustained a significant injury: a choke applied by Chimaev reportedly led to his teeth being displaced.
That fight ended in a matter of minutes, yet Whittaker stated he isn`t disheartened, primarily because he feels the fight concluded before he could fully demonstrate his capabilities.
Whittaker commented, “He was just better than me on the day… I could look to make as many excuses under the sun as I want, but truth is I`ve got the L now, so all you can do really is just throw yourself back in the gym, get back on the horse. Because the fight went the way it was, I`m not disheartened in my own skill set particularly much. I`m not disheartened in my striking ability, my knockout ability, so I go into this fight still with a lot of confidence that I can do what it is that I do. Prior to the Chimaev fight, that I did to Ikram, that I did to Costa, striking`s my game. He`s going to look to try and take me down and I`m not going to let him.”
