Ex-UFC champion admits "decent paycheck" could make him switch to boxing

Former UFC Middleweight Champion Robert Whittaker has apparently put some serious thought into the prospect of a post-MMA boxing career.

It may not be quite as prevalent a trend as it seemed to be just a couple years ago, but major UFC and MMA stars making the switch to the boxing ring remains a hot topic of discussion for even some of the UFC’s most successful and (presumably) well-paid names.

UFC Hall of Famer Anderson Silva stopped fellow former UFC titleholder Tyron Woodley last Friday before former Interim UFC Lightweight Champion Tony Ferguson also scored his second boxing win on Saturday night, and now Whittaker is the latest UFC star to openly express interest in a foray into the boxing ring.

Robert Whittaker Open To Post-UFC Boxing Move

Speaking about the Silva vs. Woodley matchup on his MMArcade Podcast, Whittaker admitted that the money available in boxing might be enough to lure him into the ring at some point.

“Mate, I might be on the next card with [Woodley],” Whittaker said. “Depends how much it’s gonna pay. Like, I’m sure – that was a big card, Netflix card. I’m sure the paycheck was considerable. But I think everyone would like to throw hands for a decent paycheck.”

Robert Whittaker fights against Paulo Costa during UFC 298 at Honda Center. | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Woodley’s meeting with Silva marked the third time that the former UFC welterweight king has stepped into the boxing ring and his first fight of any kind since 2021. “The Chosen One” exited the UFC after four-straight losses in that same year before he met Jake Paul in the boxing ring on two occasions, dropping a split decision in their first meeting before he was knocked out in their rematch.

"The Reaper" Has Lost Back-To-Back Fights For The First Time

Silva also lost to Paul in 2022 but has experienced considerably more boxing success than Woodley since leaving the UFC on a three-fight skid, and Whittaker may not follow his fellow champions to the boxing ring quite yet given that he’s still one of the UFC’s top-ranked middleweights.

After coming up short in a rematch with Israel Adesanya at UFC 271, Whittaker has only lost to the very best middleweights on the UFC roster. “The Reaper” was stopped by future middleweight titleholder Dricus du Plessis at UFC 290 before earning back-to-back wins over Paulo Costa and Ikram Aliskerov, and at UFC 308 the 35-year-old fell to current UFC Middleweight Champion Khamzat Chimaev.

Robert Whittaker moves in with a hit against Paulo Costa during UFC 298 at Honda Center. | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Whittaker now finds himself on the first two-fight skid of his career after following the Chimaev fight with a contentious split decision loss to Reinier de Ridder, but the former champion still currently sits at #9 in the UFC middleweight rankings.

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