Robert Whittaker wants to share the octagon with Sean Strickland in 2026.
Whittaker (26-9 MMA, 17-7 UFC) and Strickland (29-7 MMA, 16-7 UFC) have circled each other at the top of the UFC middleweight division for years. They have both reigned as champion and stood on the edge of title contention with ups and downs along the way, and one side now thinks it’s time to fight.
“I want to fight in Sydney next February. That’s when I’d like to fight next,” Whittaker said on his “MMArcade Podcast” with co-host Jonny Roses. “I’d love to fight Strickland. I’ve been wanting that fight for a while. I think it’d be a good fight. He always brings people to cards. I don’t think he’ll come all the way to Australia. But let’s see what happens.”
Whittaker, No. 7 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie middleweight rankings, is coming off back-to-back losses against Reinier de Ridder and Khamzat Chimaev. The 34-year-old recently admitted his career is winding down, and title hopes have become “kind of a pipe dream.”
The callout of No. 4-ranked Strickland shows he’s at least looking up, though, but it remains to be see when the controversial former titleholder will make his octagon return.
Strickland, 34, hasn’t fought since February when he suffered a unanimous decision loss to then-champion Dricus Du Plessis in their UFC 312 rematch. He’s currently serving a suspension with the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) for entering the cage at a regional event and throwing blows with a competing athlete. He is eligible for a return in 2025 if he fulfills terms of his suspension.
