Robert Whittaker Quotes & Statements

“I think he needs to find that hunger. It's easy to say he may be a little comfortable at the moment. He's got money, he's reached the top of the mountain, he's done everything. He's ticked every box”

– via Fox Sports Australia, offering a blunt assessment of Israel Adesanya’s current mindset following "The Last Stylebender's" recent career skid.

“I like the idea of Reyes, Jan [Blachowicz], Ankakaev. I want to fight someone in the direction I want to head which is upwards.”

– via Fox Sports Australia, naming his ideal targets for a move to the Light Heavyweight division

“I don't think Max can lose that title... I worry for Oliveira, Max is a better striker. Oliveira is gonna get hurt, man. He gets hurt in a lot of fights”

– via Submission Radio, picking Max Holloway to retain his BMF belt in the upcoming UFC 326 main event

“Night and day, absolute night and day. Having been in there with Chimaev and everyone who saw what he did to Dricus [du Plessis], it's not the same. It is not the same”

– via Submission Radio, warning Sean Strickland that his TKO victory over Anthony Hernandez does not prove he is ready for the "levels" of the champion

“Tai is pretty young still. I think Tai needs to step back from the game for a little bit. Assess the situation and just work on his craft... He just needs to sharpen his skill set to get around dudes like Rozenstruik”

– via the MMArcade Podcast, offering a constructive critique of his friend and former training partner Tai Tuivasa after "Bam Bam" suffered his sixth consecutive loss at UFC 325.

“Volk and Max were the boogeymen of that division. They were running through people until they fought each other and then Ilia dismantles both of them.”

– via the UFC 325 Weigh—In Show, explaining why he has moved Ilia Topuria to the #2 spot on his all—time featherweight list.

“Paddy jumped levels, and he has been doing that consistently throughout his career... He took a bit of a beating, but he gave as good as he got... I definitely think he needs to take a step back”

– via MMArcade Podcast, advising Paddy Pimblett on how to navigate his career after his UFC 324 loss to Justin Gaethje.

“I don't care that he lost the fight, he comes back and murders most guys.”

– via MMArcade Podcast, reacting to the five round war between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett

“Ilia’s striking is leagues above everybody in the UFC... he’ll make you pay for every step you take. The Gaethje that fought Paddy won’t beat Ilia right now.”

– via MMArcade Podcast (Episode 81), breaking down why the UFC 324 version of Justin Gaethje is stylistically "screwed" against Ilia Topuria

“Ilia’s striking is leagues above everybody in the UFC... he’ll make you pay for every step you take. The Gaethje that fought Paddy won’t beat Ilia right now.”

– via MMArcade Podcast (Episode 81), breaking down why the UFC 324 version of Justin Gaethje is stylistically ""screwed"" against Ilia Topuria"

“I'm really cool with Izzy. Someone said before we hashed things out that we probably have a lot more in common than we think and would probably be friends in another life. Here I'm happy to break bread with him and go to dinner with him when he's around.”

– via That MMA Girl, discussing the evolution of his relationship with former rival Israel Adesanya.

“The petr yan we saw tonight was the one we saw before he lost the title to sterling with that grounded knee the one that has the highest caliber of skills in wrestling, jiujitsu, especially in kickboxing. He went out there and dismantled merab. Didn't slow down for a second”

– via the MMArcade Podcast, believing that the Petr Yan who defeated Merab Dvalishvili was the "best version" of Yan, possessing the highest caliber of skills.

“Obviously, he's [Dvalishvili] a wrestler, and his wrestling game is just so strong and he uses that to such devastating effect. He's only getting better in my eyes. Everyone can attest that his weakness is his standup, but over the last five fights, i want to say, his standup has gotten significantly better.Bar a puncher's chance, I just don't see where a weakness of his is right now. There's always a puncher's chance in every fight. Him shooting the same time Petr decides to throw a knee, it could happen... I don't see it going any differently. I think he's gotten defensively more sound with his striking”

– via Fox Sports Australia, praising Merab Dvalishvili's continuous improvement, especially in striking, and suggesting that only a "puncher's chance" gives Petr Yan a path to victory.

“I think Islam would get it done. If the fight becomes a scramble off and a wrestle off, Islam's gonna come out of it better just 'cuz he's built for it”

– via the MMAarcade Podcast, believing Islam Makhachev would defeat Georges St Pierre (GSP) in their respective primes.

“I think Islam might have the size to [win the title at 185 lbs]. Those guys are different breeds. Islam vs. Khamzat would be huge, and if you put it in Abu Dhabi, everyone's winning from that card”

– via the MMArcade Podcast, suggesting Islam Makhachev has the size for middleweight and proposing a massive fight with Khamzat Chimaev

“I’ve been trying to fight Sean for the longest of times. Just because I like that fight, we’ve been in the same circus for a while. He’s still ranked 3, which puts me right back into a conversation I want to be a part of. And, I think it would be a fun fight, I think it will be a good fight to watch”

– via Fox Sports Australia

“I would love to fight Sean Strickland in front of the White House. For one, I think this is going to be a monumental occasion. When are you ever going to be able to fight in front of the White House ever again?”

– via Fox Sports Australia

“The guys who had the best chance of beating Alex Pereira aren't in the division anymore. It was a generation ago... There's no one in that division posing a threat to Alex. Moving up to heavyweight is the right thing to do, super stadom wise and money wise.”

– Reacted to Pereira's win at UFC 320.

“You know who would 've given Alex hell dude? DC.Light Hevyweight DC would've ran him over.”

“Ankalaev has the skill set to beat Pereira because, look at Pereira's opponents that he's fought. Yeah, he ran through them, but those dudes weren't the guys to beat him. There aren't a lot of those heavy wrestler”

– mix guys in the division at this moment.

“Eye pokes need to be addressed. He got three warnings, didn't he? I remember the ref coming in, giving him the 'hard warning' and then Nassourdine goes straight out, like his hands are open straightaway. Fingers still pointing up. Guy made zero changes from that hard warning.”

“I don't think either one of them is overly superior in any which way... Jack has nothing to lose. And I think Islam's got everything to lose.”