Robert Whittaker had plenty to say about Joe Rogan’s UFC 329 commentary after his successful light heavyweight debut in Las Vegas.
Whittaker moved up to 205 pounds to face Nikita Krylov in the featured prelim at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and closed the show with a third-round TKO. He later revealed he weighed about 230 pounds when he walked to the octagon.
Rogan noted on the broadcast that Whittaker looked different and softer at light heavyweight, a description the former middleweight champion took issue with on The Ariel Helwani Show. “Are we going to talk about the elephant in the room? The commentary calling me fat,” Whittaker said.
“Talking about my weight. Do I look that out of shape? I had abs the day before. I just had some salt bloat going on. I don't know,” he added.
Whittaker also broke down his performance in the Krylov fight, admitting the moment may have affected his early work. “I started a bit hard. I think I got to work into the warmup,” he said. “I think the nerves made things go different in the first round because I found my rhythm as the fight progressed.”
Whittaker’s move mirrors another recent shift at 205 pounds, with Paulo Costa fighting Azamat Murzakanov at UFC 327 in a return to light heavyweight.
