Robert Whittaker Opens Up On Recent Health Scare
UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker has addressed his recent health scare.
As a result of this medical issue, he was forced to withdraw from his first title defense against Luke Rockhold at UFC 221. The promotion already has a replacement for the champion as an interim title bout between top contenders Rockhold and Yoel Romero will take place at the upcoming pay-per-view event.
UFC President Dana White revealed in a recent interview that Whittaker was dealing with a staph infection in his stomach and did not receive proper treatment.
Whittaker talked about the scare during the UFC 221 open workouts (video via Submission Radio) in Sydney, Australia.
“Everyone knows I like to fight injured,” said Whittaker (transcript courtesy of MMA Fighting). “Half the fights I’ve taken I’ve always been injured. Just before I got ill, I pulled my hamstring. We could work around it, and we were doing things to compensate for it, we were working around it, but then I got a really bad infection, and the infection and the antibiotics just took it out of me.
I was really struggling to recover and then right at the end of the infection, I got the chickenpox [laughs]. That’s why I’ve got the scars all over my face. It was an absolute mess. If anyone’s had it, it’s just horrible [laughs].”
”When they offered this outcome to me I was delighted,” said Whittaker. “The number one and number two contenders get to bash each other, and I was just like, ‘Yes. Good. Please.’
As a fan of this sport, I would’ve paid to watch this fight. This is a fight I think people want to see, and I’m more than happy to bash Yoel again, or I’m more than happy to give it to Rockhold as well. We’ll see.”
Whittaker won the interim title when he beat Romero back at UFC 213 in July. Then the promotion made him the champion after Georges St-Pierre vacated the strap due to a medical condition in December after beating Michael Bisping at UFC 217 to win it.
The middleweight champ noted in the interview that he is hoping that he can defend his title against the winner sometime mid-year.
”I’m just focused on recovering,” Whittaker said. “I’m gonna let Yoel and Rockhold punch it out a bit, but things are good, and I’m looking for a big return mid-year. So let’s see what happens.”
