Whittaker confident fellow Australian can claim second title

Backs superfight plan and joint retirement idea

UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, who is weighing his next move after a successful title defense. [Getty Images]
UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, who is weighing his next move after a successful title defense. [Getty Images]

Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker of Australia has given a strong endorsement of fellow Australian Alexander Volkanovski's chances of becoming a two-division champion, saying Volkanovski would be certain to defeat lightweight champion Justin Gaethje if the two were to meet.

MMA Junkie reported Thursday (local time) that Whittaker made the comments on his "MMArcade Podcast," expressing hope that a superfight between Volkanovski and Gaethje would come together.

"I want to see Volkanovski fight Gaethje," Whittaker said. "Because Volkanovski is going to beat Gaethje. Definitely going to win. I'm 100 percent sure of it."

Volkanovski most recently defended the featherweight title at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on Saturday, stopping unbeaten challenger Movsar Evloev of Russia by TKO at 4 minutes 54 seconds of the second round.

The victory gave Volkanovski nine wins in featherweight title bouts, moving him past Jose Aldo of Brazil to stand alone as the all-time leader in that category. Volkanovski also extended his featherweight title defenses to seven, drawing level with Aldo.

After the fight, Volkanovski named a bout with lightweight champion Gaethje as his next goal — and drew particular attention by suggesting the two fighters could face each other and then retire together.

Whittaker was enthusiastic about that vision. "It's a beautiful thing — two guys pouring everything into it, hanging up their gloves together and cementing their legacies," Whittaker said. "It would be a fantastic ending, like finding treasure at the end of a rainbow."

The lightweight title remains the one prize that has eluded Volkanovski. In 2023, Volkanovski challenged then-lightweight champion Islam Makhachev of Russia twice but lost both bouts, falling short of a two-division title.

Volkanovski has continued to show elite-level form at featherweight, however, compiling a career record of 29 wins and four losses. After defeating Diego Lopes of Brazil twice, Volkanovski added the previously unbeaten Evloev to that run.

Robert Whittaker, who voiced strong support for fellow Australian Alexander Volkanovski's retirement plans. [Getty Images]
Robert Whittaker, who voiced strong support for fellow Australian Alexander Volkanovski's retirement plans. [Getty Images]

Whittaker also said Volkanovski is undervalued because of his age, noting that the betting odds for the Evloev fight were set close to even before the bout.

"It seems like featherweights don't realize how good Volkanovski is until they're actually standing in front of him," Whittaker said. Volkanovski has previously beaten Max Holloway three times and also holds a win over Aldo. Whittaker said he finds it hard to understand why doubts about Volkanovski keep resurfacing despite that record.

The UFC has also left the door open for the matchup. UFC CEO Dana White reacted positively to Volkanovski's proposal after UFC 333, saying, "Given what he's accomplished, there's not much we'd say no to."

Volkanovski has said he intends to retire after a fight with Gaethje regardless of the outcome, framing it as a final bid for a second title while making clear he does not want to hold up the lightweight division in the process.


yjc@heraldcorp.com