UFC

Who Is Robert Whittaker Set To Face At UFC Sydney?

Robert Whittaker faces Bogdan Guskov in the UFC Sydney co-main event on Feb. 6, his first fight in Sydney since 2014 and his second at light heavyweight.

ByPranav Pandey

Robert Whittaker is set to fight in Sydney for the first time in more than a decade when he faces Bogdan Guskov in the co-main event of UFC Sydney on February 6.

The former UFC middleweight champion will look to build on his successful light heavyweight debut as he pursues a potential title run in a second division. The UFC announced the five-round light heavyweight matchup on Sunday.

The event will take place at Afterpay Arena and will be headlined by an intriguing lightweight clash between rising Australian prospect Quillan Salkilld and French contender Benoit Saint Denis.

“The Reaper” also confirmed the booking on social media, expressing excitement about competing in front of his home crowd again.

Super excited to announce my fight in Sydney this February,” Whittaker said. “I know I told a lot of people I’m doing everything I can to get there. Well, guess what? It’s happening. I haven’t fought in Sydney for like ten plus years. My middleweight debut was a long time ago at this point.

Robert Whittaker Continues His Light Heavyweight Journey

Whittaker’s upcoming fight will mark his second appearance at 205 pounds after spending the majority of his UFC career in the middleweight division.

“The Reaper” moved up following consecutive defeats to Khamzat Chimaev and Reinier de Ridder. He made an impressive start to his new chapter at UFC 329 in July, stopping Nikita Krylov with a third-round knockout despite appearing noticeably smaller than his opponent.

Meanwhile, Guskov will enter the matchup looking to rebound from a loss to former light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev. The Uzbekistani fighter suffered a fifth-round TKO defeat in their July encounter after previously building a four-fight finishing streak.

Guskov has also recorded a knockout victory over Krylov, giving both fighters a win against the same opponent. He currently sits ahead of Whittaker in the rankings, making the matchup a meaningful test for the Australian rather than a straightforward homecoming bout.