Since being promoted from interim to official UFC middleweight champion after Georges St-Pierre voluntarily relinquished the title in 2017, Robert Whittaker hasn’t actually defended his belt.
‘The Reaper’ did go on to beat Yoel Romero in a Fight of the Year (2018) epic at UFC 225, but it didn’t count as an official title defense due to ‘Soldier of God’ missing weight.
Couple that with a string of injuries and illnesses that have led to fight cancellations and general inactivity inside the Octagon and Whittaker is now officially the longest-reigning champion without a title defense to his name, breaking an unwanted UFC record formerly held by ex-featherweight and lightweight champ Conor McGregor.