Robert Whittaker has big plans for his return to the United States.
Should the former middleweight champion have his way, his next fight will be in June at the upcoming UFC White House event and he has another former titleholder in his sights: Sean Strickland.
“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 of times just because I like that fight. We’ve been in the same circles for a while. He’s still ranked 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.”
If Whittaker gets his Washington, D.C., date with Strickland, it will be the first time in over two years “The Reaper” has fought on U.S. soil. 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 compete again in 2026 following a recent suspension for a post-fight attack on a fighter at a Tuff-N-Uff event in Las Vegas this past June.
Unfortunately for Whittaker’s Australian fans, his planned timetable likely won’t include a home date. The UFC is expected to return to Sydney in February and if Whittaker signed on for that event, he would have to spend most of his holiday season preparing to fight as opposed to spending time with his family.
That time is especially crucial to Whittaker with a new baby on the way.
“I want to, my head wants to, but I just don’t think it’s going to happen,” Whittaker said of 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.
“I’ll be at the card for sure, but I’ll probably be looking [to fight] a little bit later down the track.”
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