Robert Whittaker says light-heavyweight punches felt like middleweight punches after months of training

Robert Whittaker said the power difference between light heavyweight and middleweight was not what he expected after months of training. "I trained extensively for months with the impression that I was going to fight a boogeyman and that every touch of his gloves would send me to sleep," Whittaker said.

"Any time I jumped into sparring or started moving around, if I zigged instead of zagged and took a shot, it almost felt like a failed session.

I wasn't happy with it. I wanted to respect the power. But once I got in there and took some shots, they felt like anybody else's. " Whittaker said he will never fight light heavyweight champion Carlos Ulberg, citing a policy against facing training partners or teammates.

He is debuting at 205 pounds against Nikita Krylov in the featured prelim at UFC 329 in Las Vegas on Saturday. His remarks were reported on July 11.