Overview
- Whittaker moved up to light heavyweight and scored a third‑round knockout of Nikita Krylov in July, a result he says validated the switch from middleweight.
- On the Believe You Me podcast in early August, Whittaker explicitly named Magomed Ankalaev as a preferred next opponent while declining a rematch with Paulo Costa.
- Ankalaev arrives with momentum after a fifth‑round stoppage of Bogdan Guskov at UFC Abu Dhabi, but that win did not automatically guarantee him a title shot.
- Whittaker said he will not fight teammates from City Kickboxing, ruled out bouts with Carlos Ulberg and Nav Stirling, and pushed back on Joe Rogan’s UFC 329 commentary about his physique.
- The UFC will decide matchmaking, but Whittaker expects to fight again before the end of 2026 and a win over a top name like Ankalaev could quickly put him in title discussion given the division’s fluid state.