Robert Whittaker
Vitals
The Read
Robert Whittaker is a former UFC middleweight champion and one of the most complete strikers of his era — fast hands, sharp counters, footwork and a granite base that kept him at the top of a brutal division for the better part of a decade. The first Australian UFC champion, he owns wins over Yoel Romero, Kelvin Gastelum and Paulo Costa.
UFC 329 is his official light-heavyweight debut, moving up to 205 pounds against the veteran finisher Nikita Krylov. He arrives off back-to-back middleweight defeats — a face-crank submission to Khamzat Chimaev and a split-decision loss to Reinier de Ridder — looking to reset his career a weight class up.
Next Fight
Record
Tap any fight for the breakdown.
Loss
vs Reinier de RidderDecision (split) · R5
UFC Fight Night
26 Jul 2025
26 Jul 2025
Whittaker dropped a close five-round split decision in what proved his final middleweight bout; de Ridder's grappling pressure and volume edged the scorecards in a fight that swung on the grappling exchanges.
Key moments
- Grappling exchanges swung the scoring.
- Both men pushed late in the championship rounds.
- A razor-thin split verdict.
- His last fight at middleweight.
Loss
vs Khamzat ChimaevSubmission (face crank) · R1 3:34
UFC 308
26 Oct 2024
26 Oct 2024
Chimaev took Whittaker down early and locked up a rare face crank for a first-round finish, dominating the grappling from the outset.
Key moments
- Chimaev secured an early takedown.
- Sustained top control and pressure.
- A rare face-crank forced the tap.
- First-round finish at 3:34.
Win
vs Ikram AliskerovKO (punches) · R1 1:49
UFC Saudi Arabia
22 Jun 2024
22 Jun 2024
Whittaker cracked Aliskerov with a clean counter and followed up for a highlight first-round knockout — a reminder of the timing and power that carried his title run.
Key moments
- A counter right hand landed flush.
- Finishing follow-up on the canvas.
- Sub-two-minute stoppage.
- A statement KO in a headliner.
Win
vs Paulo CostaDecision (unanimous) · R3
UFC 298
17 Feb 2024
17 Feb 2024
Whittaker out-pointed Paulo Costa over three rounds with movement, counters and a higher work rate to sweep the cards in a measured technical performance.
Key moments
- Out-struck Costa with movement and counters.
- Controlled distance and footwork.
- A clear sweep of the scorecards.
- Bounced back into title contention.
Loss
vs Dricus du PlessisTKO (punches) · R2 2:23
UFC 290
8 Jul 2023
8 Jul 2023
Du Plessis's awkward pressure and volume overwhelmed Whittaker for a second-round stoppage, derailing his march toward another title shot.
Key moments
- Du Plessis applied sustained pressure.
- A second-round flurry hurt Whittaker.
- Referee stoppage at 2:23.
- Cost him a pending title shot.