The status of UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker’s immediate fighting future was put in doubt recently when Dana White commented that the fighter was in a “serious condition” after a staph infection spread to his stomach after being incorrectly treated.
The ailment forced Whittaker to pull out of his first title defense in his adopted home of Australia against former champion Luke Rockhold (Yoel Romero has been drafted in as a replacement).
“He had staph infection in his stomach,” Dana White said to assembled media in the TD Garden in Boston post-UFC 220. “From what I understand it wasn’t treated properly and started to eat away at parts of his organs. He’s in serious condition, so it’s going to be a minute before he’s back, I think. Hopefully it turns around quick, but that stuff is life-threatening if not treated the right way.”
Whittaker took to Instragram a little more than a week ago, commenting that he was “sick as a dog” but today, thankfully, a much more positive update has been posted, showing the 185-pound champion in a boxing ring working with a trainer.
It’s not immediately clear when the photograph was taken, or if Whittaker is back in training as of now, but it is a positive update nonetheless.
