Robert Whittaker Eyes Another UFC Title Run After Alexander Volkanovski’s UFC 333 Knockout

Alexander Volkanovski’s knockout of Movsar Evloev at UFC 333 has given Robert Whittaker a fresh reason to picture another run at championship gold. Whittaker is 35, entering a new weight class and preparing for a climb through the light heavyweight ranks. Seeing a fellow Australian dominate at 38 has made that climb feel worth pursuing.

“He’s just so good,” Whittaker said on Submission Radio. “He’s an inspiration, man.” He described the effect of watching Volkanovski go out and “smash someone” at his age, then put his own ambition plainly: “You know what? I’m going on another title run.” Whittaker laughed as he repeated the point, but the remark connects directly to the next stage of his career.

Volkanovski’s result resets the age conversation

Volkanovski, a two-time UFC featherweight champion, remains at the top of the 145-pound division at 38. His stoppage of Evloev at UFC 333 is already being discussed as a possible contender for Performance of the Year at the end of 2026. For Whittaker, the significance reaches beyond a highlight finish: Volkanovski has offered a vivid example of a veteran still capable of delivering a title-level performance.

That example carries extra weight because Volkanovski’s recent career included back-to-back knockout defeats to Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria. His return to a dominant win against Evloev is a reminder that a difficult stretch does not, by itself, settle what remains possible for an established fighter. Whittaker has previously spoken openly about nearing the end of his own time in the cage. Now, watching Volkanovski compete at a high level has helped him imagine extending that timeline.

Whittaker’s reaction is personal, but it also reflects the particular force of seeing a peer succeed. Volkanovski’s result doesn’t promise that another fighter will follow the same path. It does give Whittaker a concrete performance to point to when considering whether age should define his ambitions. His words suggest that the inspiration has already translated into a clear goal: pursue a second opportunity at a championship.

A new division gives Whittaker a different climb

Whittaker has already taken his first step at light heavyweight. He finished Nikita Krylov at UFC 329, making a winning debut at 205 pounds and entering the division’s rankings at No. 11. The result gives his title hopes a starting point in a new weight class, rather than leaving the ambition as a response to Volkanovski’s success alone.

The next measure comes at UFC Sydney, where Whittaker is scheduled to face Bogdan Guskov, ranked No. 10, next February. The bout brings him back to his home city for the first time in over a decade, with the fight set for Afterpay Arena. A win would give him a chance to move upward from No. 11 and build on the momentum of his debut. Guskov’s ranking makes the matchup a direct test of where Whittaker stands among the division’s contenders.

That makes the Sydney fight meaningful on two levels. It’s a return home for a well-known Australian fighter, and it’s an early opportunity to show that his move to 205 pounds can produce a sustained run. Whittaker’s finish of Krylov supplies an encouraging first result; the Guskov matchup will provide a new opponent and a ranked challenge. One victory cannot establish a route to a title, but it can strengthen the case for taking the next step.

The next result will put the ambition in focus

Light heavyweight also offers Whittaker a setting he sees as compatible with a longer career. The source describes the division as one where fighters have historically enjoyed considerable longevity, a point that may encourage him as he adapts to the class. That context doesn’t determine what happens in the cage, but it helps explain why he sees room to keep pursuing the sport’s highest prize.

Volkanovski’s example is powerful because it combines late-career success with a result that was emphatic. Whittaker has responded not with a prediction about how quickly he’ll reach a title fight, but with renewed resolve to make another run. His task now is practical: carry the momentum from his light heavyweight debut into a bout with a top-10 opponent.

UFC Sydney will show whether the ambition can keep pace with the climb. A strong performance against Guskov would give Whittaker another result to build on and a clearer position in the 205-pound division. For now, Volkanovski has supplied the inspiration; Whittaker’s next fight is where he’ll begin to shape the evidence for his own run.