Robert Whittaker reveals injury update and rules out fighting again this year
Robert Whittaker has provided an injury update following his latest UFC outing and revealed that he will not return to the octagon again this year.
Robert Whittaker has shared that he will not return to the octagon this year and revealed multiple injuries he suffered after his recent UFC outing in July.
Robert Whittaker provides injury update
Whittaker suffered two back-to-back losses in the middleweight division, with chances of another immediate title shot fading, and the weight cut was draining his power and performance. ‘The Reaper’decided to move up to light heavyweight in the pursuit of a second belt.
He faced Nikita Krylov in his debut at the 205-pound division and delivered a spectacular performance to secure a third-round knockout victory. However, the physical toll of the fight and the demanding training camp has now forced Whittaker to take an extended break.
In his recent appearance on the MMArcade Podcast, ‘The Reaper’ revealed that he had suffered injuries in his knees and ribs. The former middleweight champion admitted that he is unsure exactly when the injuries occurred, but believes they could have been caused by the fight or the intense training leading into it.
“After the last fight, I just kept having some weird pains in my knees and my ribs,” Whittaker said. “So eventually, before I commit to it, I found out that I had a fractured rib. I had a tear in one of the tendons in my knee. And I don't know how. I think this might have been from the fight, but I think just the amount of training and stuff that led into it pushed my body a bit too much.”
Whittaker said he wanted to return in November or December, but due to injuries, he will not be able to fight in the final part of the year.
“So the timeline didn't work for us. And with me not being able to fight realistically at the back end of this year," Whittaker added.
Check out Robert Whittaker’s comments below:
With the victory over Krylov, Whittaker entered the top 15 in the 205-pound division. He will look to fight someone from the top 10 and get one step closer to a title shot. Now he has to recover fully and wait until next year to continue his pursuit of another title.
