If Yoel Romero shows up to UFC 225 to fight Robert Whittaker and fails to make weight, then Whittaker will not be fighting him, says the UFC middleweight champion.

Romero somewhat threw a wrench into the works at UFC 221, where he met Luke Rockhold in an interim title fight, only to show up over the 185-pound limit. Had Rockhold refused to go on and accept the fight, the UFC would have been in a serious quandary, as the entire event was focused on who would be facing Whittaker later this year.

While Rockhold eventually came to an agreement with the promotion, Whittaker says if it happens when he and Romero step onto the scales, he won’t be doing the same thing.

“I don’t understand anyone who takes fights when their opponent doesn’t make weight,” Whittaker said, speaking with Submission Radio.” It’s like, if you rock up at 87 kilos, which is what Romero did – it was like 86 kilos or something like that – then why don’t I rock up at 95 (kgs)? What’s the difference? We’re both not making weight, we’re both not professional enough to do it, you know? And the weight cut is directly influential to the fight itself.

“I think not making weight is the most unprofessional thing you can do. It’s as bad as just not showing up for the fight itself. So, if you don’t make weight, I’m not fighting you. I’ll give the shot to someone else who can make the weight, who can do their freaking job.”

–