Whittaker Fires Back At Rogan's UFC 329 Commentary

Robert Whittaker said Joe Rogan's commentary during his UFC 329 win left him puzzled and frustrated.

The former middleweight champion knocked out Nikita Krylov in July, breaking the veteran's jaw in the third round to snap a two-fight skid. But as MMA Fighting reported, Rogan questioned Whittaker's physique at heavyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">light heavyweight during the broadcast, calling him soft at one point, and suggested Krylov had discovered a blueprint to beat him early in the contest.

Whittaker told Bedtime MMA the remarks caught him off guard. "A little upsetting," he said. "You should see the amount of memes that came out after that commentary; it's crazy. I picked up on that comment, but I assumed it was, like, an accident when they said they had 'the blueprint to beat me.' I don't understand where that blueprint was."

Whittaker's heavyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">Light Heavyweight Debut Performance

Whittaker conceded his opening round could have been sharper — he chalked it up to nerves or Krylov's early takedown pressure — but said he felt strong and fast throughout. He weighed in around 227 pounds on fight night, kept his speed, and hurt Krylov every time he landed clean. Rogan's tone shifted as the fight wore on, and Whittaker pulled away before finishing the job in Round 3.

The Australian is eyeing a return before year's end. He named Jan Blachowicz, Khalil Rountree, and Bogdan Guskov as potential opponents, noting the light heavyweight rankings are loose enough that one good win can put a fighter in title talks. Whittaker said he gives the UFC a date and they give him a name.

Original reporting:

• mmafighting.com — Robert Whittaker calls Joe Rogan’s UFC 329 fight commentary ‘upsetting’ | MMA Fighting