Robert Whittaker's Ambitious Homecoming at UFC 2027 in Sydney

Robert Whittaker knows exactly where he wants the next chapter of his career to play out – and when.

Fresh off a statement-making light heavyweight debut, where he stopped Nikita Krylov at UFC 329, the former middleweight champion has turned his gaze homeward. If the UFC sticks with its recent habit of landing in Sydney in February, Whittaker wants in on the 2027 card. Badly.

He hasn’t fought in his hometown since 2014, when he finished Clint Hester. A decade and a full career’s worth of miles later, the itch to walk out in front of his own people again has become impossible to ignore.

“Unfortunately not a lot of fight news,” Whittaker told Fox Sports Australia. “I am training and preparing for things, but honestly, I heard rumors that UFC is coming to Sydney early next year. I know I've been saying I want to fight in Sydney and fight at home for a long time so, here we are. I'm going to try and reserve myself, save myself, prepare for the best, and hopefully get in there.”

So the plan is simple: stay ready, stay healthy, and keep the calendar clear for a homecoming.

There’s also a name already circled.

When Whittaker moved up and started calling out contenders at 205, one former champion answered. Jan Blachowicz, the ex-UFC light heavyweight king, accepted the challenge and, as far as Whittaker is concerned, that offer still stands.

“He's the only one who hit back, and he's happy for that fight,” Whittaker said of Blachowicz. “He's happy for that fight, I'm happy for that fight, and that's where we're at. But, I'm preparing for anybody and anything. Just looking to get out there and get my hand raised one more time.”

Blachowicz, 29-12-2 in MMA and 12-9-2 in the UFC, is coming off a rough night – a first-round TKO loss to Navajo Stirling at UFC Fight Night 283 in August. That result hasn’t cooled Whittaker’s interest. If anything, it sharpens the stakes: a former middleweight champion testing himself against a former light heavyweight champion, both trying to reassert themselves in a division stacked with danger.

Whittaker’s move to 205 already answered one question – could his speed, timing and well-rounded game translate against bigger men? The Krylov finish suggested they could. A showdown with Blachowicz in Sydney would ask a far bigger one: can he turn a long-awaited homecoming into the launchpad for a full-scale run at a second UFC title, in a second division?