The former UFC middleweight champion withdrew from his fight against Jared Cannonier at UFC 248 for “personal reasons.” While that could mean anything or nothing, UFC President Dana White caused a wave of speculation when he gave an emotional response to questions about Whittaker’s absence.
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.
One possible explanation was apparently started by Twitter account @UFCRelated, which reported that Whittaker withdrew to donate bone marrow to his daughter. That has since been repeated as fact by a number of publications.
Yesterday, Whittaker took to Instagram to dispel the rumors.
Thanks everyone for all the support & well wishes, lots of false rumors out there so please ignore them. I have been off socials working with some personal matters and spending time with my family, i will back very soon, stronger & better than ever before. #alliswell #reapernation
