Robert Whittaker, a former UFC middleweight champion, faced a hard truth after his split decision loss to Reinier de Ridder at UFC on ABC 9 on July 26, 2025, in Abu Dhabi. In a candid interview with Submission Radio, Whittaker called regaining the title a “pipe dream,” choosing instead to focus on enjoying his remaining fights and sharing the UFC experience with his family. The defeat, his first back-to-back losses since 2014, led him to consider moving to light heavyweight, though he expressed concerns about the division’s taller fighters.
Whittaker’s Changed Perspective
Whittaker reflected on his title aspirations.
“The belt is kind of like a pipe dream at the moment after losing to De Ridder,” he told Submission Radio. “It’s another loss. It pushes me back into much further than I want to be from the title, the pathway to where I wanted to finish up.”
He shifted his goals.
“So right now my trajectory has kind of changed. I’ve got a few fights left. I want to enjoy the journey. I want to enjoy the fights.”
Whittaker emphasized family involvement.
“I want to enjoy the camp process. I want to enjoy fight week. I want to enjoy the fight itself. I want my family to be part of that.”
He added, “I want my boys and my kids to see the show, see the background of the big corporation that is the UFC, the most professional MMA tournament in the world through eyes nobody else can before I wrap things up. So that’s my biggest goal right now.”
Thoughts on Light Heavyweight
Whittaker addressed a potential move to 205 pounds.
“Yeah, maybe,” he said. “Maybe. I’ve been thinking about it lately. Hard to say. I feel everyone says I’m a small middleweight, but like, it takes a lot out of me regardless if I’m a small middleweight.”
He explained his hesitation.
“It takes a lot out of me to make the middleweight division. I feel better being heavier, but I’ve got short arms, and I’m not super tall, and I don’t like fighting tall guys, and there’s lots of tall guys in the light heavyweight division, you know?”
Whittaker noted a recent fight.
“But Johnny Walker had a good win on the weekend, as well. It’s good to see him get up. So I don’t know. Let’s wait and see.”
Whittaker’s loss to de Ridder at UFC on ABC 9 was a close split decision (47-48, 48-47, 48-47). Whittaker landed a Round 3 knockdown but couldn’t finish. De Ridder’s jab and step-knee disrupted Whittaker’s rhythm, with glove-grabbing incidents limiting his offense.
Whittaker respected the outcome.
“He did what he said he was going to do,” he told Michael Bisping post-fight. “I thought I ticked all the boxes, but his pressure was a lot. He got it off more times than not and walked away the winner.”
The loss followed a first-round submission to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308 in October 2024, where Whittaker suffered a jaw injury requiring dental surgery.
