The day before UFC 234, Robert Whittaker was forced to withdraw from his scheduled title defense due to a collapsed bowel that required emergency surgery. It was a crushing blow for Whittaker who released a statement from his hospital bed apologizing to his fans and to Gastelum. Fortunately, everything went fine with the surgery and Whittakers manager says they are targeting a return to action this summer and the UFC middleweight champion has now confirmed that goal.
Speaking on his own YouTube channel, Grange TV, Whittaker addressed what happened ahead of UFC 234 and what his return plan looks like.