Former UFC champion Robert Whittaker got back to his winning ways recently. Now, he wants to return in 2021 and fight for the gold again.
Whittaker appeared on “Submission Radio” recently to discuss his plans for the future.
On fighting Israel and Jan on the same night as long as it’s after March
“I’ll fight Izzy and and Jan at the same time, after March. Like, I don’t care, I don’t care. I just want to enjoy why I fight, which is the biggest shift I’ve had in my head space and everything this year.”
On not wanting to see GSP/Khabib due to one of them getting their legacy tarnished
“The problem with that, one of the two greatest, I think, most iconic role models of the sport are gonna get their legacy tarnished a little bit, and I don’t think it’s needed. Neither guy needs the money. Maybe they can fight quietly behind closed doors”
On why Dana White mistook his comments to mean he didn’t want to fight Israel next
“It’s hard to say. That’s why I guess the biggest thing that comes to mind when I’m thinking about the whole thing is confusion. I guess the only thing that I can point to is that he wanted that Jan fight to happen. Which makes sense. And yeah, that’s the only thing I can think of. Unless he really did take my words the wrong way. In which case, it is what it is.”
“He’s alright, he’s a good business man. He’s leading the company wherever the money is, and that’s what you expect from him. Yeah, hopefully we can work something out next year.”
On Israel not being excited for the rematch with Rob
“I guess the ball is in his court. He’s the champ, he beat me last time. So, I’m hustling for a rematch like a salty kid. But yeah, I don’t mind. It is what it is. Shouldn’t have lost the first time. But I’m excited for… I’m not excited, cause fighting’s never really fun, it’s kind of stressful, but I look forward to that rematch, cause as a fighter, as an athlete, I want to try and get that one back. You know, I have that thing, that chip here that wants to run that back. But he’s looking really good, man, he’s looking really, really good. I think that will be a ridiculously hard fight. Yeah, let’s see.”
If he thinks Israel beats Jan
“Yeah, I do. I think his striking is just so much better, I think. Jan’s got that big power, but Israel doesn’t really get hit that much. I think this is a picture-perfect time for Izzy to try and take that belt away from the division, for sure.”
On his path to an Adesanya rematch
“Well, I’ve already earned the right to it. I’ve already earned that right to fight for a title. That’s what that fight with Jared was. That fight was number one contender.”
“What’s funny was, everyone was telling Jared, like, you win this fight, you get a shot at the title. No one was saying that to me (laughs). That’s what this fight is, and that’s the right I earned. I earned a shot at a title. So, that’s where I’m at.”
“I’ll fight Izzy one way or another. Middleweight, light heavyweight, whatever.”
On moving up to light heavyweight to fight Israel
“Yeah. If he wins, I’ll go up there and fight him. I don’t care.”
If Rob thinks about moving to 205 for good
“Every time I diet and cut weight, I think about moving up.”
What weight he walks around at
“97 kilos. 215 pounds.”
How much he cuts during fight week
“Not that much at all. Maybe the week itself, maybe 12 pounds, maybe. Entire week, yeah.”
How different of a fight him versus Israel would be at 205
“It couldn’t be the same fight. It’s hard to say, cause I don’t know how I’m going to move with the heavier weight set. Cause, generally, I like training lighter, I like fighting lighter. I move faster, my cardio’s better. It’s very hard to say, it’s very hard to say. I’ll have to make some adjustments to my body in order to try and get that speed going and that cardio and movement at a heavier weight.”
How much weight changes the fight style for Rob
“Everything, everything. So, like, when I get back into the grind and the hustle at the gym and I’m at a heavier weight, I can’t bounce and move like I did in fight week. I just can’t do it. Your body can’t do it. I can’t sustain any sort of bounce on my toes, cause my calves blow out, my legs blow out. I don’t have that sort of speed. And my grappling’s different too, cause I feel restricted. My body’s not moving as freely as it was because there’s more weight, there’s more of me. That’s why you need to adjust to the weight limit, you need to adjust to the division, to get your body in that balance, in that harmony. So, it’s very hard to say how I would do at 205. I think I’d be alright. I could always just do what I do now and just go in a bit lighter. So, who knows. I’m deceivingly heavy.”
On there being no truth to him fighting Paulo Costa
“Yeah, nah, I haven’t heard anything about anything. Did he say in December? There’s no way I’m fighting in December (laughs). No way. I wasn’t gonna fight for a title in December, I’m not gonna fight him. Nah, there’s nothing happening”