Whittaker plans to announce retirement at Australian UFC event and become a firefighter
"As soon as I reach the point where I'm starting to drag my feet again and things are starting, it's hard for me to get to the sessions, it's hard for me to enjoy them, I'll announce my retirement in an Australian card and fight up my last one. I want to sail off into the sunset properly. I want to finish my career in my home country. I want to be a fireman."
About this episode
Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker joined Ariel Helwani for a rare in-person interview following his first-round submission victory over Nikita Krylov at UFC 329, marking his successful light heavyweight debut after back-to-back losses at 185 pounds. Whittaker, now one of only four UFC fighters with stoppages in three different weight classes alongside Conor McGregor, Jared Cannonier, and Max Holloway, revealed the profound personal and physical struggles that nearly ended his career. The 37-year-old disclosed that brutal weight cuts at middleweight left him feeling fragile and weak in the final weeks of training camps, with recovery completely bottoming out and his attention split between competition and longing to be home with his wife and six children. Against the advice of many in his circle but with his wife's unwavering support, Whittaker moved to 205 pounds where he now fights at his natural walking weight of 230 pounds. In a dramatic departure from conventional fight preparation, Whittaker brought his entire family including all six children and his mother-in-law from Australia to Las Vegas for UFC 329, allowing his two oldest sons to watch him compete live for the first time. The champion described this shift as essential to his renewed happiness and performance, eliminating the mental distraction that had plagued previous camps. Whittaker also offered pointed analysis of Conor McGregor's recent loss, suggesting the Irishman lost the starvation and feral edge that defined his prime years due to wealth and fame. Looking ahead, Whittaker revealed plans to retire at a UFC event in Australia when he stops enjoying training and pursue an unexpected second career as a firefighter, a profession his children admire more than mixed martial arts.
Key takeaways
- Robert Whittaker revealed brutal middleweight weight cuts left him feeling fragile and weak with bottomed-out recovery in final weeks of training camps
- Whittaker disclosed his attention was split between fighting and missing his wife and six children during recent camps, contributing to back-to-back losses
- The former champion brought all six children, his wife, and mother-in-law from Australia to UFC 329 to eliminate mental distraction and provide strength
- Whittaker's two oldest sons, ages 11 and 9, watched their father compete live for the first time at UFC 329 in Las Vegas
- Whittaker became only the fourth UFC fighter to earn stoppages in three different weight classes alongside McGregor, Cannonier, and Holloway
- Whittaker analyzed McGregor's loss as the result of wealth destroying the starvation and feral edge that made him a superpower fighter
- The champion plans to retire at an Australian UFC event and pursue firefighting, saying his children idolize firemen more than UFC fighters