Just two weeks after his knockout win over Ikram Aliskerov in Saudi Arabia, Robert Whittaker underwent emergency surgery while being unable to train, sleep or eat, meaning he must consult with doctors before making a decision about whether to compete in the headline bout at UFC 305.
Fox Sports Australia It was revealed Whittaker underwent emergency surgery for a severe mouth abscess just 24 hours before flying to the Middle East for a highlight win that would see him move on to a rumoured title fight.
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Headlining UFC's much-anticipated debut in Saudi Arabia last Sunday, Bobby Knuckles knocked out Aliskerov, one of the middleweight division's most promising prospects, in under two minutes with a ferocious attack that included a powerful right uppercut.
The Sydney native took the win without any punishment, and talk quickly shifted to him potentially competing at UFC 305, just eight weeks away.
The next Australian pay-per-view event will take place at the RAC Arena in Perth on August 18th.
On Tuesday, Whittaker's agent, Titus Day, confirmed that talks have already begun about Whittaker fighting on the card or serving as a backup in the main event, where UFC champion Dricus du Plessis defends his title against Israel Adesanya.
However, Day added that before any decision was made his client must first speak to a doctor about what kind of dental surgery he needed, and explained how he had the operation just one day before the end of his training camp in Australia.
Ironically, this drama unfolded at a time when the sports world's attention was focused on Irish megastar Conor McGregor's withdrawal from UFC 303 and then Whittaker's original opponent, Khamzat Chimaev, also pulling out of the historic Saudi Arabia card with an unexplained injury.
But Whittaker was plagued by an abscess in his mouth and missed the final three days of training in Sydney before undergoing root canal surgery and leaving for the final two weeks of preparation in the Middle East.
“Rob had a bad abscess that got worse a week before we left,” Day explained.
“He suffered from headaches and toothaches and felt as if he had been kicked in the side of his head.
“He couldn't train, he couldn't eat, he couldn't sleep.
“It really hurt.
“The whole side of my head was hurting so I had to be rushed into hospital for emergency surgery.”
Incredibly, it happened just a day before he and his team flew out to Dubai, where they would spend around 10 days before flying out to Riyadh for match week.
“Rob had already stopped training a few days before his surgery in Sydney,” Day continued.
“Then he flew away with his face paralyzed.
“I had no idea if I was OK.
“Everyone was praying that the swelling would go down and everything would be OK.
“And thankfully, that is what happened.
“But Rob still has some pain there.
“He will need to undergo further surgery in the coming weeks.”
Asked what caused it, Day continued, “It just happened out of the blue.”
“A few games ago, Rob had a cracked tooth and his bottom tooth was a little bit shifted so he was due for surgery to fix that.
“But he decided to do it later.
“But the abscess just suddenly appeared out of nowhere.”
With UFC 305 just eight weeks away, Whittaker's team will convene in the next few days and then meet with the fighter's medical staff to determine the next steps.
“In terms of Perth, it's too early to say at the moment,” Day acknowledged.
“Obviously, there was a lot of talk that night about Rob being the backup in the main event of UFC 305.
“There was talk of him fighting someone else.
“And potentially, he could still do either of those things.
“He will need to meet with the team and discuss it.
“Rob has committed time off to his family so we won't know until we speak with his family, coaches and doctors.”
However, Day stressed that if Whittaker agrees to fight at UFC 305, he won't necessarily be asked to be on standby for the main event.
Speaking immediately after his win at the weekend, Whittaker suggested he was ready for the tournament in Perth.
“I told everybody I was the boogeyman,” he said inside the Octagon immediately after the fight.
“I'm the strongest in the world and the most dangerous opponent for anyone in this weight class.
“I'm the most dangerous middleweight in the world.
“I'm willing to fight anytime, anywhere, and I proved that tonight.”
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“I'll prove it once again, I'll fight anyone.”
When asked if he was still interested in backing up du Plessis against Adesanya, he replied: “I'm healthy and fit. Let's go!”
His manager agreed that if he was healthy, he would be available to compete in the upcoming pay-per-view event in Australia.
“Rob doesn't like to wait, but he's not picky either,” Day said.
“If he does go to Perth it will be as a back-up fighter against someone like Sean Strickland or anyone else recommended by UFC.
“But the first question that needs to be addressed is, 'Is Rob ready?'”
Meanwhile, Aliskerov said on social media that he had no regrets about taking part at short notice, despite the result.
“Alhamdulillah, no excuses,” he wrote.
“I don't regret anything.
“It was a great experience to play against one of the best players in the sport.
“I'm still young. I plan to overcome my mistakes, learn and get back to business soon.”
“Thank you to everyone who sent messages of support.”
A former Combat Sambo World Champion, Aliskerov made his UFC debut last year with impressive knockout wins over Phil Hawes and Warley Alves.
The loss to Whittaker was his first inside the Octagon and just the second of his career since losing by knockout to Khamzat Chimaev in 2019 for Brave FC.
