Robert Whittaker Released from Hospital Following Surgery, Hoping for June Return
By: Tristen Critchfield Feb 13, 2019
Robert
Whittaker was discharged from a Melbourne hospital on Tuesday
following emergency hernia surgery, the fighter’s manager, Titus
Day, told
ESPN.com.
The middleweight champion was forced to withdraw from his title
defense against Kelvin
Gastelum at UFC 234 on the day of the event after suffering a
collapsed bowel and internal hernia. According to Day, Whittaker
remains in a great deal of pain following the procedure.
Whittaker was told by doctors that he won’t be able to do much
beyond walking for the first four to six weeks of his recovery.
After that, he may be cleared to begin light training.
"I'd say he'll be able to fight next sometime between June and
August depending on recovery," Day told ESPN. "Hopefully closer to
June.”
That would seem to align with Gastelum’s timetable. Gastelum’s
manager, Ali Abdelaziz, told ESPN that he was hoping to have the
fight vs. Whittaker
rebooked in June or July. Whittaker, who has won nine fights in
a row, has not competed since defeating Yoel Romero
in June 2018.