Brendan Schaub Thinks Robert Whittaker Should Move Back To 170 Pounds

Commentator and former UFC fighter Brendan Schaub thinks former UFC champion Robert Whittaker should contemplate a move back down to welterweight after UFC 271.

Whittaker fell to Israel Adesanya in their rematch at UFC 271 via a unanimous decision. Whittaker had plenty of positive moments in the fight, but it wasn’t enough to earn the win on the judges’ scorecards.

Whittaker had bounced back in a big way after his first loss to Adesanya at UFC 243. He earned dominant wins over the likes of Darren Till, Kelvin Gastelum, and Jared Cannonier.

During a recent episode of his podcast, Schaub pointed out why he believes 170 may be the next correct move for Whittaker.

“Robert Whittaker used to fight at 170, he’s not a big welterweight,” Schaub said. “That reach advantage that Israel Adesanya has on him is a huge issue for him. You saw him miss a million punches, the reach and distance is a huge issue for him. Well, it won’t be an issue for him at 170. Yeah I know, he’s better at 185, but at this point in his career, he’s a completely different animal. A better, much skilled fighter.” (h/t BJPenn)

Whittaker began his UFC career as a welterweight, suffering losses to the likes of Stephen Thompson and Court McGee. He would then move up to middleweight and go on the title run that he is today.

Following the loss to Thompson, Whittaker would then win nine fights in a row including back-to-back title fights against Yoel Romero. He would also earn solid wins over the likes of veteran Derek Brunson and former The Ultimate Fighter winner Uriah Hall.

Whittaker seems intent on pushing forward to a potential third fight with Adesanya down the line, but welterweight could be in the realm of possibility. For now, Whittaker will rest up and plan on a return later in 2022.

Do you think Robert Whittaker should remain at middleweight?