UFC star Robert Whittaker might have suffered two back-to-back losses in his recent outings, but he isn’t letting that stop him from chasing another fight.
“The Reaper” has had a rough couple of appearances, from having his jaw rocked by Khamzat Chimaev to suffering a decision loss to Reinier de Ridder. Still, the Australian plans on taking a crack at Sean Strickland at the upcoming UFC White House event. Whittaker hasn’t fought on U.S. soil in over two years, and if his plans to face Strickland come to fruition, the fighter may be eyeing a possible comeback.
“I would love to fight Sean Strickland in front of the White House,” Whittaker said on Fox Sports Australia. “For one, I think that’s going to be a monumental occasion. When are you ever going to be able to fight in front of the White House ever again?
“But I’ve been trying to fight Sean for the longest time just because I like that fight. We’ve been in the same circles for a while. He’s still ranked No. 3, which puts me right back into a conversation that I want to be a part of, and I think it’ll be a fun fight. I think it’ll be a good fight to watch. I’d love to be on that.”
The matchup makes sense for both fighters, with Whittaker looking to stay in the contender mix following consecutive losses to Reinier de Ridder and Khamzat Chimaev, and Strickland set to return in 2026 after serving a suspension for a post-fight altercation with a fighter at a Tuff-N-Uff event in Las Vegas this past June.
As of now, the matchup is yet to be confirmed. However, the UFC does have plans to return to Sydney, Whittaker’s home, but the former champion might not be available as his wife is expecting a baby.
“I want to, my head wants to, but I just don’t think it’s going to happen,” Whittaker said about potentially fighting in February. “I’m having a baby due in a few weeks, and I want to be there for that period. I want to be there for my kids during Christmas. I don’t want to be in camp during this period, I’ve missed a lot of them. Granted, I’ve had a lot of kids, but yeah, my heart’s just telling me I don’t really want to be in camp during this period of the new baby, introducing it to the family, Christmas and stuff.”
