Robert Whittaker has admitted to feeling burnt out after suffering back-to-back UFC losses, with the Australian star's return to the octagon still unclear.
The former middleweight world champion has tasted defeat at the hands of Khamzat Chimaev and Reinier de Ridder, with the latter coming via a devastating split decision.
Whittaker has not fought since the July setback and has since stepped away from training, leading to question marks over his future in the sport.
READ MORE: 'Move on': Stokes in tense exchange over E-scooter criticism
READ MORE: 'Disruptive' NBA great cops 2am sacking in bizarre scenes
READ MORE: More pain for Tigers as Galvin's brother leaves for Bulldogs
The 34-year-old's career has seemingly been winding down for the past few years and speaking with Nine's Today during his time off, Whittaker conceded he needed a break to spend time with his family after the recent birth of his sixth child.
"I jumped back into the gym [after losing to de Ridder] and started moving around and I realised burnout is real," the Auckland-born fighter said.
"I started feeling that burnout, feeling like things needed to change. I wasn't really happy with the prep last time and I wasn't enjoying it as much as I had.
"So I was like you know what, I'm gonna step aside from the game and have a bit of a break and just be there, especially with my wife so close to labour. Every other time, I have been in camp during labour … this time, I have been in full dad mode.
"It's been great for me, my soul feels reinvigorated and I feel hungry again."
Whittaker (26-9) remains one of only three Aussies to capture gold in the sport's top promotion, with Alexander Volkanovski and Jack Della Maddalena the others.
Volkanovski is slated to defend his featherweight title against Diego Lopes in Sydney next year and when asked if he would be part of the February pay-per-view, Whittaker was quick to dismiss any chance of competing in front of his home fans.
"Not in February, I don't think there's enough time for me to prepare properly," he said.
"I am going to be there, lurking around with Volk headlining. It's an Australian card, so there's going to be a lot of Australian fighters and I cannot wait, it's gonna be awesome."
Whittaker is still ranked inside the top-10 at middleweight, with a long-awaited clash against the polarising Sean Strickland a potential option when he does return.
But for now, Whittaker is enjoying life as a dad – just don't expect any more kids.
"Definitely not, we were happy with two," he said.
"She's an absolute weapon, I couldn't be prouder of her. My family is growing and everyone is happy, all the kids are old enough to care … it's amazing."
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.