Robert Whittaker is returning to Australia for his second light heavyweight bout against Bogdan Guskov in the co-main event at UFC Sydney. The event takes place on February 6 at the Afterpay Arena, headlined by Quillan Salkilld and Benoit Saint Denis in a five-round lightweight fight.
Return to Home Soil
This appearance marks Whittaker’s first fight in Australia since he lost his middleweight championship to Israel Adesanya at UFC 243 in 2019. That event established a record for the highest live attendance in UFC history with over 57,000 spectators present. It stands as Whittaker’s lone defeat in his six total appearances fighting in Australia.
The last time Whittaker fought specifically in Sydney was in 2014 during his sixth UFC appearance. That night marked his transition from welterweight to middleweight, where he secured a second-round knockout against Clint Hester and earned Fight of the Night honors.
Light Heavyweight Campaign
Over the past decade, Whittaker solidified his status as a premier middleweight after starting his career at welterweight. He transitioned to the 205-pound division at UFC 329, defeating Nikita Krylov via a third-round knockout. That victory placed him among a select group of athletes with knockouts across three distinct weight classes.
The win ended a two-fight losing skid against Khamzat Chimaev and Reinier de Ridder for the 35-year-old fighter. Whittaker now aims to gain traction at light heavyweight and potentially pursue another UFC championship opportunity.
Opponent Overview and Fight Card
His opponent, Guskov, previously secured four consecutive victories with finishes in every bout, including knockout wins over Zac Pauga and Ryan Spann in 2024 that secured performance bonuses. Additional victories over Billy Elekana and Nikita Krylov in 2025 positioned him for a major career advancement.
Guskov enters the matchup following a fifth-round stoppage loss to Magomed Ankalaev at UFC Abu Dhabi in July. Prior to stepping in to support the Abu Dhabi card, Guskov was scheduled to face Jan Blachowicz at UFC Serbia.
The UFC Sydney lineup includes Quillan Salkilld versus Benoit Saint Denis, Robert Whittaker versus Bogdan Guskov, Niushiyue Ji versus Takaya Suzuki, and Marwan Rahiki versus JooSang Yoo.
