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Right now, Robert Whittaker is in no man's land. The Australian great is a former UFC middleweight champion and one of the most skilled fighters on the roster. He's well-known and can easily be used to elevate a PPV card that's lacking in star power. Despite his recent success in the cage, issues remain.
There is no clear direction for Robert Whittaker in the middleweight division. This is especially true after his long-anticipated bout with Paulo Costa collapsed due to the Brazilian's rejection of his promotional contract. Given the issues 'The Reaper' is encountering, he could consider changing weight classes.
While he could return to the welterweight division, doing so would cost him his ability to absorb damage. He'll be more dehydrated at 170 lbs, which doesn't bode well for someone seemingly in the latter half of their career.
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Instead, a move to the light heavyweight division might be better, and this list justifies five reasons why that is so.
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#5. Robert Whittaker might have to sit out a long time at middleweight
Losing to Israel Adesanya twice did Robert Whittaker no favors. The situation he has found himself in is a difficult one. While 'The Last Stylebender' recently lost his divisional crown in a thrilling bout with longtime nemesis Alex Pereira, the title scene is in a strange position.
The UFC is clearly intent on scheduling a rematch between 'Poatan' and Israel Adesanya. Thus, 'The Reaper' will have to wait and see how things play out. If his Nigerian rival recaptures his title, the Australian great is out of options. His goal is clearly to rebuild himself back into title contention.
But it will be tough for the UFC to schedule a matchup between Whittaker and the man to whom he has lost twice already. It will be even more difficult to sell that matchup to the fans. If Pereira wins, then it's a fresh matchup. But 'The Reaper' must first wait a considerable amount of time to see who the victor is.
Having to sit out for a long time isn't an ideal scenario, and he might not even get a title fight if Adesanya wins. He'll have spent all that time waiting for nothing while missing out on chances to make money fighting. If he moves to 205 lbs, however, he'll have an open path to the light heavyweight title after just a few wins.
#4. There are no matchups for him at middleweight
With Paulo Costa and the UFC butting heads over the terms of his contract, Robert Whittaker no longer has a scheduled opponent. What's even worse is that there's no one else he can fight without making a serious compromise. The former champion is currently ranked as the number two middleweight in the promotion.
He's already faced everyone ranked in the top five and defeated them all in convincing fashion, with the exception of Israel Adesanya. Unfortunately, the Nigerian is certainly headed for a rematch with Alex Pereira, so he's unavailable. Furthermore, there's no desire from fans to see Robert Whittaker face him for the third time.
The only other fighters that 'The Reaper' hasn't faced yet are ranked too low for him to consider. As the number two-ranked middleweight, the Australian great is ranked too high to accept a matchup with Sean Strickland, who is ranked seventh. While he was willing to face Paulo Costa, there's a difference.
The Brazilian is a former title challenger and is ranked sixth, which is the lowest 'The Reaper' might be willing to go. With no other matchups available, a crack at the light heavyweight division will provide him with an abundance of new opponents even if he fails to win the title there.
#3. The light heavyweight division is incredibly shallow
Robert Whittaker is arguably more skilled than every light heavyweight in the UFC. The heaviest divisions in the promotion are the shallowest. Heavyweight is incredibly top-heavy, with most of its quality fighters being in the top five. Meanwhile, the light heavyweight division is in a similar predicament.
It is a shallow division, so shallow that former middleweights Anthony Smith and Thiago Santos both managed to earn title fights there. Neither man was the most successful 185'er, yet they both succeeded in nearly reaching the top at 205 lbs. Robert Whittaker is significantly more skilled than them.
Anthony Smith is a hard-nosed generalist but is not exceptional in any facet of MMA. Thiago Santos possessed knockout power but was a brawler, not a technician. At 205 lbs, Robert Whittaker will enjoy a skill advantage, unlike anything he has ever had.
Jan Błachowicz and Glover Teixeira are much older. The division's most recent champion was Jiří Procházka. The Czech phenom has a phenomenal reach advantage but always undercuts it by stepping in very close to extend his boxing combinations. By doing so, he undercuts his own reach advantage and allows shorter foes to counter him. This is a recipe for disaster against Robert Whittaker's blitz.
Other 205'ers like Paul Craig are extremely limited as he possesses almost no striking skills to speak of. The gap between their skills and 'The Reaper' is sizable.
#2. Robert Whittaker will enjoy a significant speed advantage
No one in the light heavyweight division will be able to match the speed of Robert Whittaker's striking. The Australian great is extremely fast. He's so fast that prior to Israel Adesanya countering him en route to a KO win, he tagged his Nigerian rival several times with his blitz.
On its own, being fast will be a significant advantage during striking engagements. However, paired with 'The Reaper's skills, it can become an insurmountable wall for his foes. By causing his opponents to constantly miss, he'll exhaust them.
This will also reinforce his takedown defense, as he'll be able to evade takedowns before his foes can get in on his hips. Furthermore, 'The Reaper's physicality won't be in doubt, given his ability to contend with Yoel Romero in wrestling exchanges.
#1. It's a chance at immortality
Oftentimes, UFC fighters avoid the topic of fighting in a heavier division. Georges St-Pierre never challenged Anderson Silva and only dared to fight at 185 lbs once the division had a beatable champion. Similarly, Anderson Silva never fought Jon Jones, and 'Bones,' in turn, is yet to make his heavyweight debut.
While Israel Adesanya tried to capture the title at 205 lbs, the former kickboxer failed against Jan Błachowicz. While other fighters have succeeded in becoming two-division champions by chasing titles in heavier divisions, not many have succeeded. If Robert Whittaker manages to win UFC gold at 205 lbs, it will change his career.
'The Reaper' has been a champion before, but capturing a second title in a different division is an accomplishment that only a handful of UFC fighters can boast of.
