Whittaker Says Other Names Were Offered Before Guskov

Bogdan Guskov was not the first name suggested for Robert Whittaker's return to Sydney. Whittaker said others were offered, but they were either tied up or had excuses.

A fight 12 years in the making

The UFC announced Whittaker against Guskov as the co-main event of UFC Sydney on Feb. 6 at Afterpay Arena. It is Whittaker's second appearance at light heavyweight. He last fought in Sydney 12 years ago.

"2014. I don't think I had any kids then," Whittaker said on his podcast. He called the return cool and said he is coming back older, more mature and heavier, but just as sharp.

Who stepped in

Whittaker thanked Guskov for taking the fight and flying to Sydney. "There were other names thrown in the hat," he said, adding that nobody else could or would do it. He did not name them in this account.

Guskov arrives off a loss. Magomed Ankalaev dominated and stopped him in the main event of the UFC Abu Dhabi card in July.

What Whittaker expects

Whittaker calls Guskov dangerous. He describes him as tall and rangy, with light heavyweight power that will hurt if it lands. His plan is to hit and not get hit, and to keep it very simple.

He comes off a successful move up to 205 pounds. At UFC 329 in July he knocked out Nikita Krylov in the third round.

On rankings, Whittaker said he does not know how the Meta ones work. In his view, who you fight matters less than fighting well and doing it consistently.

Our take

The unnamed opponents are the open point. Whether a higher-ranked light heavyweight was among them, and who turned the fight down, would show how much appetite there was for this matchup. Until Whittaker or the UFC says more, the story is that Guskov accepted when others did not, and that his July loss makes this a chance to recover far from home.

Source: MMA Fighting