"I think he's got a great chance of being the champ in that weight class" - Josh Thomson endorses Robert Whittaker's rumored move up to light heavyweight

During a recent episode of the Weighing In podcast, Josh Thomson supported Robert Whittaker's rumored decision to move up to the light heavyweight division. Thomson insisted that the 185-pounder could be successful if he steps up a weight class.

The Australian is preparing to step into the octagon for the 19th time when he locks horns with Marvin Vettori this weekend. Both fighters have failed to beat middleweight king Israel Adesanya on two occasions and a win here, despite being at the top of the division, may not be enough to earn them another shot at the title.

Discussing the reports with his co-host John McCarthy, Josh Thomson sided with 'The Reaper's' decision to move up, claiming he has a solid chance of capturing gold in the 205lbs weight class:

"I look at Robert Whittaker, there's a lot of talk of him going up to 205... I think he's got a great chance of being the champ in that weight class, it just depends on how he carries that weight... I looked at the guys in the 205lbs division and there's not one that I look at that he can't beat, not one... I'm not trying to say that he can't be beat, I'm simply saying that he can beat all of them... The reality is, there's not a guy in that 205lbs division, now that Jon Jones is out of there... Robert Whittaker could beat all of them."

'The Reaper' has proved he is championship material throughout his stay with the UFC. Since making the move up from welterweight, he has only been beaten by Israel Adesanya in his 13 fights in the division.

Check out what Josh Thomson had to say about Whittaker's potential move to light heavyweight:

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How would Robert Whittaker fare at light heavyweight?

Robert Whittaker without a doubt has the skillset to go up and compete with the bigger fighters. That said, one thing that may cause problems for him is his height compared to the elite at light heavyweight.

'Bobby Knuckles' is arguably a much more well-rounded mixed martial artist than current 205lbs champion Jiri Prochazka. However, the Czech fighter stands an estimated five inches (13cm) taller than the former middleweight champion.

While height could be a problem, we have seen competitors like Daniel Cormier find success in the division despite not being the tallest, and Whittaker has all the ability to be a serious player at 205lbs.