Former champion booked for UFC Sydney co-main event

Robert Whittaker | Ian Maule, Getty Images Robert Whittaker’s light heavyweight journey continues at UFC Sydney.The promotion announced Thursday that the former UFC middleweight champion is set to fight Bogdan Guskov (18-4-1) on Feb. 6 at Afterpay Arena in Sydney, Australia. This marks Whittaker’s first fight in his home country since he lost his UFC championship to Israel Adesanya at UFC 243 in 2019, and his first fight in Sydney since 2014.Watch Whittaker’s video announcement below.Sydney, you ready?!Robert Whittaker fights at home for the first time in over a decade, and he takes on #10 LHW Bogdan Guskov!#UFCSydney | Register for presale access at link in bio | #FeelNewSydney | #ILoveSydneypic.twitter.com/nIYnhm22lX— UFC_AUSNZ (@UFC_AUSNZ) November 1, 2026Whittaker (27-9) made a successful jump up to the 205-pound division this past July at UFC 329 with a third-round knockout victory over veteran Nikita Krylov. That snapped a two-fight losing streak and the 35-year-old Whittaker looks to make one more run at a title to cap off his storied career.With the win, Whittaker currently stands as the No. 12 light heavyweight in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings.Guskov seeks to right the ship after his most recent fight ended in disaster. “Hitman” was scheduled to rematch Jan Blachowicz at UFC Serbia, but instead competed a week earlier at UFC Abu Dhabi in July, stepping in as a replacement for Khalil Rountree Jr to face Magomed Ankalaev. The bout was mostly one-sided, with Ankalaev eventually knocking Guskov out in the fifth round.UFC Sydney is headlined by Australia’s Quillan Salkilld as he looks to go 7-0 inside the octagon when he faces fellow lightweight contender Benoit Saint Denis.