As a former UFC champion enters the last phase of his UFC career, he is officially closing the book on one chapter and starting another. After years of service in the UFC middleweight division, former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker is ready to make a change as he moves to a new division. With the jump to the light heavyweight division, concerns about his potential success in the 205 lbs division still loom.

After a period of time, fighters do find it difficult to cut weight, and for the New Zealander coming off two consecutive defeats in the middleweight division, he needed to change divisions. With the move, Whittaker has now confirmed the timeline of his upcoming fight.

“[Your next fight’s in July, you’re telling me?] Yeah,” said Whittaker during an interview with Combat TV.

Robert Whittaker once boasted a solid record in the UFC. Right from his debut to becoming the middleweight champion, ‘The Reaper’ flexed a record of 11-2. However, the subsequent years turned out to be very tumultuous. After losing the title to Israel Adesanya at UFC 243, Whittaker took only small steps and could never maintain his position at the top by beating standout fighters like Dricus du Plessis or Khamzat Chimaev.

Whittaker’s last middleweight bout was against Reinier de Ridder, where he lost via split decision. Before that, he was submitted in the first round by current champion Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308 via a face crank, which dislocated his jaw. As questions loomed over his performances after the two back-to-back defeats, the light heavyweight move came into fruition.

But unlike in the majority of cases, where fighters move to a higher division due to weight cut issues, Whittaker’s case is an attempt to try something different before hanging up his MMA career. Take the example of Alex Pereira, who once reigned as the UFC middleweight champion.

After his loss to Israel Adesanya, ‘Poatan’ made his decision to move to the light heavyweight division, citing how the weight cut was taking a significant toll on his body. Whittaker still feels he can easily make the middleweight limit. But he just wants to fight in a division where he can bulk up a bit more.

While the decision sounds interesting, only time will tell how it actually turns out. For now, Whittaker’s next fight timeline has been revealed. Amid that, who the former UFC middleweight champion could fight remains a mystery.

Do we have an opponent for Robert Whittaker at UFC light heavyweight division?

Robert Whittaker has revealed that his return will be in July. While the official announcement is yet to be made, UFC 330, which will be a part of International Fight Week, could go down on July 11. This is one possibility where Whittaker could fight.

But there is also a slight chance that ‘The Reaper’ might also feature on the UFC Abu Dhabi Fight Night event, which is expected to happen in the last week of July. If that’s the case, Whittaker may have an opponent in place. And it is none other than the former light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev.

“I will see you guys in Abu Dhabi in July😊,” wrote Ankalaev on X.

Last year, Whittaker headlined the UFC Abu Dhabi card against Reinier de Ridder. And since then, the Kiwi fighter is yet to make his return. Meanwhile, his speculated opponent, Ankalaev, also hasn’t fought since his defeat to Alex Pereira at UFC 320.

Both Whittaker and Ankalaev revealed their return timeline at the same time, which surely strengthens the speculation, especially considering how almost every other top light heavyweight already has scheduled bouts coming up. But then again, the ultimate confirmation would only come after UFC’s announcement.

That said, will you be interested in watching Whittaker fight Ankalaev on his UFC light heavyweight debut? Let us know in the comments below!