Robert Whittaker Sees Alexander Volkanovski’s Success Fueling His Light Heavyweight Title Run

Alexander Volkanovski’s latest knockout has given Robert Whittaker a reason to rethink how much time he has left at the top. At 35, the former middleweight champion is starting over at light heavyweight, and seeing a 38-year-old Australian still winning at championship level has sharpened his ambition: he wants another run at a UFC title.

Volkanovski made the case with his performance against Movsar Evloev at UFC 333, stopping the featherweight contender by knockout. The two-time champion remains at 145 pounds, where his latest win adds another striking chapter to a career that has already survived difficult setbacks. After consecutive knockout defeats to Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria, he has returned to winning title fights and is again setting the pace in his division.

Whittaker watched that return with the perspective of a veteran considering his own future. Speaking on Submission Radio, he called Volkanovski “just so good” and “an inspiration.” The example mattered less as an abstract lesson about age than as a direct prompt to keep pursuing the sport’s biggest prize.

“And whenever I see Volk do that — go in there and just smash someone, smoke some dude at his age — I’m like, ‘You know what? I’m going on another title run.’ That’s it. That’s it. I’m doing it,” Whittaker said, laughing.

A new division gives Whittaker a fresh route

Whittaker has previously spoken openly about nearing the end of his fighting career. His move to 205 pounds changes the immediate question: rather than extending his run at middleweight, he is trying to establish himself in a new weight class and see how far that opportunity can take him.

He made a strong first impression. At UFC 329, Whittaker finished Nikita Krylov in his light heavyweight debut and entered the division’s rankings at No. 11. That result gave him a foothold, but a single win doesn’t settle where he belongs among the contenders. His next assignment offers a clearer test of whether he can move upward quickly.

Whittaker is scheduled to face No. 10-ranked Bogdan Guskov at UFC Sydney next February. The matchup also brings him back to his home city for the first time in over a decade, with the event set for Afterpay Arena. Beating an opponent ranked just above him would give Whittaker a direct chance to improve his standing while building momentum in unfamiliar company.

The division may also offer a different kind of career runway. Fighters at light heavyweight have historically enjoyed considerable longevity, a point that could encourage Whittaker as he adapts to the class. That general pattern doesn’t guarantee a longer peak or a quick climb. The practical measure will be what he can do against the ranked opponents in front of him, beginning with Guskov.

Volkanovski’s example, Whittaker’s own test

The comparison between the Australians is motivating, but their situations are distinct. Volkanovski is defending his place at featherweight after years of establishing himself there. Whittaker is a former middleweight champion entering a new division after a successful debut. What he can take from Volkanovski is the reminder that age alone needn’t end an elite career; the next results still have to support the ambition.

That makes the Sydney bout more than a homecoming. Whittaker can use it to show that his finish of Krylov was a meaningful start to his light heavyweight run and that he can handle a ranked opponent in the division. A win would move him closer to the names above him. A difficult night would underline how much work remains in a class he has only just entered.

Volkanovski’s knockout has supplied the spark, while Whittaker’s next fight will supply the evidence. He has already earned a place in the light heavyweight rankings; now he has a chance to climb them against Guskov in front of his home crowd. If he turns that opportunity into another win, the title-run talk will carry more weight.