LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 9: (L-R) Robert Whittaker punches Yoel Romero in their interim UFC middleweight championship bout during the UFC 213 event at T-Mobile Arena on July 9, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
Robert Whittaker was determined to fight Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 234. The UFC middleweight champion wasn’t gonna let a severe hernia get in the way. That was the case until doctors in Melbourne, Australia told him he needed emergency surgery.
On Sunday, he posted a video to Instagram to break the news. He wrote: “Hey guys ! Still kicking. I’m sorry to all my friends, fans and family for not being able to get in there Sunday. Apparently if you get emergency surgeries you can’t be cleared to fight. Thanks for the overwhelming support from all my fans I am so blessed to know you guys have my back. A big thanks to my team mates @fabricioitte @alexprates07 @standstrongboxingcoachjustin @justinlang_ep @titusday77 and all the others from behind the scenes you guys were there from start to finish worrying and prioritizing my health above all. Lastly to @danawhite and @ufc for the immediate help and support throughout the process of testing and the emergency surgeries. I am blessed I found out when I did and avoided life long consequences. I’ll be back better than ever.”
He continued: “Let me say that I’m sorry to all my friends and family and fans that came out to watch me perform,” Whittaker said in the video. “But unfortunately I couldn’t be there. I tried my best to try and swing it. I was fighting the doctors all the way up until they said, ‘You’ve gotta get surgery or you’re gonna lose part of your bowel.’ Or it could be potentially fatal. I had to look at my health first — I’m sorry, guys.”
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The 28-year-old Australian said he was diagnosed with a collapsed bowel and an internal hernia hours before UFC 234 kicked off. The problem began when he attempted to rehydrate after the weigh-in for the card. Everything he ingested, he threw up.
Later that day, the middleweight champion was able to have surgery and thanked UFC president Dana White and the UFC medical team for giving him what he thought was the best care possible. The 185-pounder, currently ranked No. 12 in the pound-for-pound rankings, plans to make a return to fighting and be better than ever.
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