Robert Whittaker Gets Sydney Homecoming Against Bogdan Guskov

Robert Whittaker is finally fighting in Sydney again, but the UFC did not give him an easy homecoming.

The former middleweight champion will face Bogdan Guskov in a light heavyweight co-main event at Afterpay Arena on Sunday, February 7, 2027. UFC Australia and New Zealand announced the booking Sunday night. The card airs Saturday, February 6, in the United States because of the time difference.

It will be Whittaker's first fight in Sydney since he stopped Clint Hester in November 2014. He last competed in Australia at UFC 243 in Melbourne in 2019, when Israel Adesanya took the middleweight title from him.

"Fighting in Sydney again is a dream come true," Whittaker told Fox Sports Australia. "I'm in the veteran part of my career and I'm having fun with it. Being able to do it in front of my friends, fans and family is great."

A serious test for Whittaker at 205 pounds

Whittaker, 35, moved to light heavyweight in July and stopped Nikita Krylov in the third round at UFC 329. That win ended a two-fight skid and gave him a clean start in a division where the punches carry more weight and the physical matchups are less forgiving.

Guskov is built to test that move. The 34-year-old from Uzbekistan has finished all 18 of his professional wins, 15 by knockout and three by submission. His UFC run includes stoppages of Zac Pauga, Ryan Spann, Billy Elekana and Krylov. He also fought former champion Jan Blachowicz to a majority draw before losing to Magomed Ankalaev in a five-round main event in July.

The official UFC athlete pages list Guskov at No. 10 and Whittaker at No. 11 in the light heavyweight rankings. Whittaker has the sharper footwork and far more experience against championship-level opposition. Guskov has the size, power and the kind of finishing record that can wreck a hometown celebration with one exchange.

Whittaker's plan is not complicated. "They are all big and they all hit bloody hard," he told Fox Sports Australia. "The idea is to be quick and nimble on my feet and hit him before he hits me. Keep it simple."

UFC Sydney now has its top two fights

The co-main event gives the Sydney card a second major Australian attraction. Unbeaten UFC lightweight Quillan Salkilld will headline against Benoit Saint Denis, a booking the promotion announced on October 27. Salkilld is 6-0 in the UFC and has finished his past four opponents in the first round.

Salkilld's main event against Saint Denis is a fast-track test for a rising contender. Whittaker versus Guskov has a different tension. One man is trying to build a second title run late in his career. The other can take a former champion's place in the rankings with a single violent night.

Whittaker has spent more than a decade as one of Australian MMA's biggest names. Now he gets another Sydney walkout, 12 years after the last one, with a dangerous puncher waiting at the end of it.