Robert Whittaker Returns to Australia After 6 Years for Light Heavyweight Clash With Bogdan Guskov at UFC Sydney

Robert Whittaker is heading back home for his second outing at light heavyweight. The former UFC middleweight champion is set to face Bogdan Guskov in the co-main event of UFC Sydney as he looks to build on his impressive debut in the division.The Fight Night event will take place at Afterpay Arena in Sydney, Australia, on February 6. Quillan Salkilld and Benoit Saint Denis are set to headline the card in a five-round lightweight showdown.This will also mark Whittaker’s first fight in Australia since losing his middleweight title to Israel Adesanya at UFC 243 in 2019. That event drew more than 57,000 fans, setting a record for the largest live attendance in UFC history. Interestingly, it remains the only time Whittaker has lost on home soil across his six appearances in Australia. #UFCSydney co-main event is LOCKED IN 🔒@BogdanGuskov vs @robwhittakermma[ #FeelNewSydney | #ILoveSydney | SAT FEB 6 | LIVE on @paramountplus ] https://t.co/S5h4PeLRZL— UFC (@ufc) November 1, 2026ALSO READ:Conor McGregor Fires Shots at Canelo Alvarez, Eyes New Sales Records for UFC FarewellThe last time ‘The Reaper’ competed in Sydney was back in 2014, during just his sixth UFC outing. Whittaker moved up from welterweight to middleweight for the first time that night and made an immediate impression, knocking out Clint Hester in the second round. The entertaining contest also earned Fight of the Night honors.Whittaker has since established himself as one of the best middleweights of his generation, spending more than a decade competing at 185 pounds after previously fighting at welterweight. He made the jump to light heavyweight at UFC 329, where he announced his arrival with a third-round knockout of Nikita Krylov. The victory also put him in an exclusive group of fighters with knockout wins across three different weight classes. View this post on Instagram A post shared by MMA Junkie (@mmajunkie)The result was particularly important for the 35-year-old, as it snapped a two-fight losing streak against Khamzat Chimaev and Reinier de Ridder. Now, Whittaker will look to build some momentum at 205 pounds and potentially make one more run toward UFC gold.Standing across from him will be a dangerous opponent looking to get back on track. Guskov put together an impressive four-fight winning streak, finishing every opponent along the way. His knockout victories over Zac Pauga and Ryan Spann in 2024 also earned him performance bonuses. Further wins over Billy Elekana and Nikita Krylov in 2025 appeared to put him on the verge of a major breakthrough.However, things didn’t go his way against Magomed Ankalaev at UFC Abu Dhabi in July, where he suffered a fifth-round stoppage loss. Guskov will now look to bounce back against one of the most experienced fighters in the division.Interestingly, Guskov was initially scheduled to fight Jan Blachowicz at UFC Serbia before stepping in to replace Khalil Rountree Jr. and help save the Abu Dhabi card.With Whittaker vs. Guskov now official, here’s how the UFC Sydney lineup looks:Quillan Salkilld vs. Benoit Saint DenisRobert Whittaker vs. Bogdan GuskovNiushiyue Ji vs. Takaya SuzukiMarwan Rahiki vs. JooSang Yoo