"It's the tail-end of your prime" - Robert Whittaker lays down retirement plan as he closes in on UFC 290 

Robert Whittaker is only 32 years old. So, on the surface, he might seem young enough to carry onwards in the UFC middleweight division for a few more years, especially considering the advantage he enjoys over most of the division's competitors due to his well-rounded skill set.

Unfortunately for 'The Reaper', he has taken a tremendous amount of damage throughout his career from his two wars with Yoel Romero and the crushing knockout loss he suffered at the hands of Israel Adesanya. So, it's no wonder that he knows his retirement is closer than it is further down the line.

In a sitdown with Michael Bisping on the Englishman's YouTube channel, Robert Whittaker expressed his belief that by the time he turns 36, he'll consider retirement. According to him, 36 is the age at which most fighters start to slip out of their physical prime, which is crippling in a fundamentally physical sport like MMA.

His exact words are as follows:

"I think 36 is the tail-end of your prime. Like your prime-prime. Yeah, your experience can cover a lot of the physical attributes you may not be hitting, but yeah, I think 36 is like the tail-end of when you're no longer doing this physically."

Check out the interview below (5:34):

It's an introspective take from Whittaker, who, while highly skilled, benefits greatly from his explosive speed and bottomless gas tank. Without either physical attribute there to enable the true expression of his fighting style, it will be difficult for him to continue his pursuit of the middleweight title.

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Who is Robert Whittaker fighting at UFC 290?

Robert Whittaker will take part in a possible title eliminator against surging South African fighter Dricus du Plessis. If 'The Reaper' emerges victorious, he'll most likely earn a trilogy bout against Israel Adesanya, to whom he lost his middleweight title back at UFC 243, on home soil, no less.

While he came close to exacting his revenge at UFC 271, he didn't do enough in the judges' eyes to secure a win. Emerging victorious at UFC 290 may very well be his last avenue back into title contention, otherwise, he may not face 'The Last Stylebender' ever again.