Robert Whittaker recently dropped out of UFC 248, and it’s now been revealed that it’s in order to donate bone marrow to his sick daughter.
Whittaker was scheduled to fight Jared Cannonier in March, and was looking to bounce back from his defeat to Israel Adesanya in back October 2018.
Apologetic
But the Australian fighter recently announced that he wouldn’t be participating in the Las Vegas event.
In a heartfelt social media post, Whittaker showed a picture of him walking with this daughter and apologised for his decision, althought he didn’t disclose the reason.
Whittaker wrote on Instagram: “I’m sorry to all my friends, supporters and family for not being able to fight in March. A lot has happened over the 12 last months and I need to take some time now to be with my family, slow things down and to refocus. Sorry to everyone again but I’ll be back. The best is yet to come.”
Brave and Unselfish
It’s now been revealed that Whittaker will miss the PPV event to donate bone marrow to his sick daughter, Lilliana.
When asked about Whittaker’s decision, Dana White refused to say too much, but expressed his admiration for the former middleweight champion’s bravery.
Speaking to Submission Radio, White said: “That’s personal for Whittaker.”
“If Whittaker wants to talk about that, he can,”
“But I’ll tell you this, when you talk about somebody whose priorities are in the right place, who is completely selfless and down to the core and a good human being, that’s Robert Whittaker.”
“The reason Robert Whittaker is not fighting in this fight is one of the most unselfish things I’ve seen in my life”
“He’s a good man, he’s a good human being, and I have a lot of respect for him.”
“Good luck to him in what he’s dealing with right now.”
“I can’t put into words and articulate how I feel about Robert Whittaker.”
“He’s the real deal, man.”
Speedy Recovery
Whittaker also withdrew from a fight back in February 2019 when he was rushed to hospital with a collapsed bowel.
The 29-year-old was reluctant to pull out but was told by doctors that stepping into the Octagon could be life-threatening.
British middleweight Darren Till is currently the lead candidate to replace Whittaker.
Till’s last fight was a decision win against Kevin Gastelum at UFC 244 in November.
(Featured image source: Instagram/ Robert Whittaker)