Robert Whittaker eyes Magomed Ankalaev next, dismisses Paulo Costa rematch

Robert Whittaker is plotting his next light heavyweight opponent after a successful move up from middleweight, and he has made clear whom he wants to face next—and notably, whom he will not fight.

The Australian former middleweight champion (27–9) knocked out Nikita Krylov at UFC 329 in his light heavyweight debut, bouncing back after consecutive losses at 185 pounds. Now settled at 205 pounds, Whittaker is targeting Magomed Ankalaev, the former champion who recently defeated Bogdan Guskov at UFC Abu Dhabi. Whittaker acknowledged that Bogdan Guskov would have made for an appealing matchup, and he would also have been keen to face Jan Blachowicz had the Polish fighter not suffered a recent loss to Navajo Stirling at UFC Belgrade.

What Whittaker will not entertain, however, is a rematch with Paulo Costa. "Borrachinha" has been repeatedly suggested as an opponent, but Whittaker already beat him at middleweight in 2024 and sees no reason to revisit that chapter. The Australian also made clear he will not fight his City Kickboxing teammates Navajo Stirling and current light heavyweight champion Carlos Ulberg, citing the strong bonds they share at their Auckland gym. Stirling has similarly dismissed the prospect of fighting either Whittaker or Ulberg, emphasizing the camaraderie among the triumvirate.

Whittaker's stance reflects a practical approach to title contention: he is willing to climb the rankings against unaffiliated top contenders, but will table internal gym fights unless the stakes—a title shot—make them unavoidable and lucrative enough to justify testing that loyalty.