Robert Whittaker makes a comeback to the Octagon in February as the former UFC middleweight champion prepares for his second fight in the light heavyweight division.
Whittaker will face Bogdan Guskov at UFC Sydney on February 7 at the Afterpay Arena in Australia. The event will also feature top lightweight prospect Quillan Salkilld, who is set to headline the card against Benoit Saint Denis.
The matchup gives Whittaker another opportunity to establish himself among the top contenders at 205 pounds. The division remains in a difficult position with champion Carlos Ulberg sidelined by injury, and a win could move either fighter closer to a title opportunity.
Guskov enters the fight after suffering a stoppage loss to former light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev in Abu Dhabi. He will now look to bounce back against an experienced opponent who has already made an impressive start to his new division.
Whittaker announced his arrival at light heavyweight at UFC 329, where he stopped Nikita Krylov in the third round. The former middleweight champion forced Krylov to quit after delivering a brutal beating, showing that he could remain competitive against bigger opponents.
The move to light heavyweight also marks a significant change for Whittaker, who previously competed at welterweight before spending more than a decade at 185 pounds. He has explained that moving up allows him to avoid the difficult weight cuts and enjoy the later stages of his career.
UFC Sydney will also mark Whittaker’s first fight in Australia since his middleweight title defeat to Israel Adesanya at UFC 243 in 2019. More than 57,000 fans attended that event, which remains one of the biggest in UFC history.
Interestingly, Whittaker has lost only once in his six appearances on home soil. His last fight in Sydney came in 2014, when he knocked out Clint Hester in the second round. The victory earned him a Fight of the Night bonus and marked an important moment in his rise through the middleweight division.
Now in the twilight of his career, Whittaker faces another major test against Guskov. A victory would strengthen his position in the light heavyweight division, but a loss could raise questions about how much longer he intends to compete.
