Robert Whittaker names Magomed Ankalaev as next target after moving up in weight, rejects Paulo Costa rematch

Robert Whittaker is looking for his next opponent at light heavyweight, and he has a clear preference. In comments reported by Yahoo Sports on August 4, Whittaker indicated that he is interested in fighting Magomed Ankalaev and dismissed the idea of a Paulo Costa rematch, a sign that the former Ultimate Fighting Championship champion wants to build his post-transition run around current top-tier light heavyweight challenges rather than revisiting past work.

Whittaker, listed at 27-9, framed his matchup interests as a matter of opportunity across the division. The pivot matters because light heavyweight has been a proving ground for wrestlers and pressure-heavy finishers, and Whittaker’s stated willingness to chase Ankalaev suggests he sees a fight style match as well as a championship pathway.

Ankalaev is the most prominent name tied to Whittaker’s interest right now because Ankalaev recently closed distance on the division’s title picture with a win in Abu Dhabi. Yahoo Sports’ report notes that Ankalaev defeated Bogdan Guskov at UFC Abu Dhabi last month, establishing him as a fresh benchmark opponent among the UFC’s upper echelon of light heavyweights.

The reported dismissal of a Paulo Costa rematch adds another layer to how Whittaker is attempting to steer his next chapter. Costa has been a recurring “what if” for fans when it comes to rematch potential, but Whittaker’s public preference for Ankalaev indicates he wants the fight to carry more immediate division gravity than revisiting an earlier matchup.

For Whittaker, the move also functions as a statement about his own identity in the UFC after changing weight classes. Light heavyweight is not simply a larger version of middleweight, and it typically demands more resistance to grappling exchanges and different pacing when opponents are bigger, stronger, and built to drag fights into extended rounds. Whittaker’s interest in Ankalaev, as presented in the report, reads as a willingness to test himself against a proven, high-volume threat.

Whether a fight between Whittaker and Ankalaev becomes official will depend on how the UFC sequences contenders and title-eligibility fights. Even when a public preference is clear, matchups still need to fit within the division’s immediate scheduling and rank order, and nothing in the Yahoo Sports report confirms bout terms, timelines, or whether either man has already been booked elsewhere.

What to watch next is how the UFC responds to the momentum created by that matchup interest. If Whittaker is positioned as a legitimate light heavyweight challenger, the Ankalaev connection could become a focal point for the next round of title-picture sorting, especially after Ankalaev’s reported Abu Dhabi win over Guskov.

If the promotion instead pushes Whittaker toward a different contender, the contrast would likely highlight how quickly light heavyweight decides its next “must-fight” names. Either way, Whittaker’s comments clarify that the rematch door with Costa is not the one he wants to walk through next, while Ankalaev is the target he is already pointing toward.