Whittaker to Romero: 'If you don't make weight, I'm not fighting you'

Ahead of his rematch with Yoel Romero, Robert Whittaker won't make the same move Luke Rockhold did.

The 40-year-old Romero missed weight prior to knocking out Rockhold at UFC 221 last month - a stoppage that earned him a second date with the middleweight champ at UFC 225 - but as Whittaker told "Submission Radio" this week, he won't agree to take the cage as Rockhold did should the Cuban repeat the transgression in June.

"Nah, no way. Like, why would you?" Whittaker said. "I don’t understand anyone who takes fights when their opponent doesn’t make weight. 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? 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."

Romero stepped up to face Rockhold on one month's notice after a bevy of afflictions forced Whittaker to bow out of his first title defense. That might have played a role in the failed cut to 185 pounds, as he'd made weight in each of his nine previous middleweight tilts. The Cuban was therefore deemed ineligible to win the interim title that was on the line at UFC 221 after coming in nearly 3 pounds heavy, but still earned a rematch opposite Whittaker with his brutal KO of Rockhold.

Should the challenger hit championship weight without incident, Whittaker will aim to do what he couldn't when they clashed for an interim crown at UFC 213 last July - get his hand raised within the distance. The pair are scheduled to headline UFC 225 in Chicago on June 9.

- With h/t to MMANytt