Inside Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Arena, Robert Whittaker endured what many fans labeled a “robbery,” dropping a razor-close split decision to fellow veteran Reinier de Ridder in a grueling battle. Despite the backlash, the result stood—and with it, the Aussie suffered his second consecutive defeat, knocking him out of the division’s top five for the first time in over eight years. It was a setback that marked what some believe could be the beginning of the end of an era.

Robert Whittaker had previously expressed hopes of a “fairy tale ending” to his storied career, aiming for a four-fight run before retiring. But that dream now feels more distant than ever. The loss has sparked debate: is Whittaker’s recent decline the result of age, motivation, or something else entirely?

Robert Whittaker caught between Firas Zahabi’s sympathy and Caio Borralho’s blunt assessment

Can ‘The Reaper’ still bounce back? According to fellow middleweight contender Caio Borralho, the answer is no. In a candid appearance on The Schmo show, Borralho didn’t hold back: “I don’t think he wants to go out there and do a five-round war again. No, I don’t believe that. With all due respect—I’m a big fan—but right now, it’s just not his moment anymore. He looks very close to retirement or something like that, you know?”

That blunt assessment cast fresh doubt on whether fans will ever see Robert Whittaker return to title contention. But not everyone agrees with that outlook. Legendary figure Georges St-Pierre’s former coach offered a different perspective—one that points to jet lag rather than decline.

According to renowned coach and Tristar Gym head Firas Zahabi, travel fatigue may have played a bigger role than many realize. And he wasn’t just speculating as ‘The Reaper’ has now fought four times in the Middle East. On his YouTube channel, Zahabi shared his honest take: “I think Whittaker got tired. I don’t know what it was, man. They were in Arabia. Sometimes, you go there and it’s a different time zone. Maybe he didn’t do it right, didn’t go two weeks ahead. . Could be. I don’t know when he arrived. He traveled from Australia. Maybe it’s just such a different part of the world”

While some might blame the outcomes on matchups or accumulated wear and tear, the impact of time zone shifts plays a major role. Australia (Sydney or Melbourne) runs 6 to 8 hours ahead of Abu Dhabi or Saudi Arabia, depending on the season. Traveling from Australia to the U.S. brings an even more intense time difference—about 17 hours—and typically requires 3 to 6 days for the body to fully adjust. Although the Middle East poses a smaller shift, it still demands a recovery window of 2 to 4 days.

If fighters don’t handle the adjustment correctly, they risk stepping into the cage sluggish instead of sharp—especially in high-stakes matchups. That brings up an important question: is fighting in the Middle East truly a problem for Robert Whittaker? Probably not. In fact, the Aussie has repeatedly spoken about how much he enjoys competing in Abu Dhabi. That hinted alone suggests the setting isn’t the issue.

Instead, it points to a more sobering possibility: Robert Whittaker may already be past his prime, and what we’re seeing could mark the start of a gradual decline. But the former champion doesn’t see himself as done just yet. Let’s hear from the man himself.

Robert Whittaker breaks silence after loss to Reinier de Ridder

Robert Whittaker might be his own toughest critic right now. The former middleweight champion faced another tough setback this past weekend at Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Arena. Even though he’s previously described the city as his second home. Whittaker couldn’t deliver his best performance when it mattered most. His clash with Reinier de Ridder, however, was anything but one-sided. ‘The Reaper’ wasn’t sluggish or unprepared—quite the opposite.

He went toe-to-toe with the former ONE Championship titleholder and even scored a knockdown during the bout. But ‘The Dutch Knight’ proved resilient, withstanding the storm and edging out a split decision victory. Despite the loss, Whittaker remains undeterred. In a video message to his fans, he reflected on the experience:

“I’m disappointed, but I’m not disheartened. There are a lot of things I liked about the fight, but a lot of things I didn’t. I’m going to take it all, head back to the gym, sit with the team, pick it apart, and then get back on the horse. That’s all you can do. Congratulations to de Ridder. He had a particular game plan, he executed it well. It got him the win. It is what it is sometimes, but yeah, I’m going to learn from this experience and move forward.”

So what do you make of Robert Whittaker’s future in the UFC? Does the former champion still have what it takes for a fairytale comeback—or is he slowly slipping into the same pattern we saw after his losses to Israel Adesanya?
Drop your thoughts below.