UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi: Robert Whittaker determined to delay curtain call - ESPN

UFC veteran Robert Whittaker has given an insight into his mentality as he approaches the tail-end of his career, revealing the stress of fighting never changes and that he still considers himself a realistic middleweight title shot.

Whittaker's bout with Dutchman Reinier de Ridder headlines UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi, the Australian returning to the Octagon for the first time since his equally painful and devastating loss to Khamzat Chimaev late last year.

Chimaev submitted Whittaker midway through the first round, effectively grabbing the title shot that the former champion was after while smashing up the Australian's teeth in the process.

«Every loss is character building,» Whittaker reflected to ESPN a couple of weeks out from his fight with de Ridder. «It's the teeth. I would never have gotten them fixed if they weren't broken sort of thing.

»I wouldn't have had that time with my family. I wouldn't have had the time to work on other projects. Yeah, it's just I'm happy with my past. And I get back in there in two weeks to do it all over again."

Saturday night's bout [Sunday morning AEST] with de Ridder represents Whittaker's 24th foray into the Octagon.

The Australian became middleweight champion back in 2017, defeating Yoel Romero via unanimous decision, and then beat the Cuban once again, before he then lost his title to Israel Adesanya in front of the biggest crowd in UFC history at UFC 243.

Whittaker worked his way back for another title shot in 2022, only to be denied once more by Adesanya, and has since gone on to record another three middleweight victories from five fights, his two losses coming to current champion Dricus Du Plessis and then Chimaev, who will be the South African's challenger next month.

You