Robert Whittaker says his middleweight days are officially over as he prepares to make a permanent move to light heavyweight at UFC 329.
Whittaker confirmed he is done fighting at 185 pounds and will debut at 205 against Nikita Krylov on the preliminary card at T-Mobile Arena, marking his 25th fight under the UFC banner.
"The middleweight Robert Whittaker, the chapter has closed," Whittaker said, adding, "I'm very happy as a light heavyweight. It is honestly life-changing. I recommend it to anybody." He continued about the matchup: "... It's a new chapter, a new page. I'm looking to test the waters with Nikita, tough guy. I look to have some fun."
The former UFC middleweight champion, who held the title from 2017 to 2019, described how the move has affected his preparation. "Honestly, it really is life-changing for me," Whittaker said. "I'm enjoying the journey. Normally, by this period. I'm hungry, waterloading, and longing to go home and missing my wife and kids. You know what? Just counting down the days till it's over, where I feel fighting requires such a high degree of focus and attention that you can't be looking past it. So wanting to go home, it's kind of splitting my attention. So yeah, I'm at a good place right now."
