Robert Whiteford (born 12 April 1983) is a Scottish

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...

competing in

Featherweight Featherweight is a weight class in the combat sports of boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and Greco-Roman wrestling. Boxing Professional boxing History A featherweight boxer weighs in at a limit of . In the early days of the division, ...

division. A professional competitor since 2009, he formerly competed for the

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. The larg ...

, being the first Scottish fighter to be signed by the promotion,

Bellator MMA Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) was an American mixed martial arts promotion (entertainment), promotion founded in 2008 by Bjorn Rebney and operated until 2025. The promotion takes its name from ''wikt:bellator, bellātor ...

, and

Absolute Championship Berkut Absolute Championship Akhmat (ACA), formerly known as Absolute Championship Berkut (ACB), is a Chechen mixed martial arts, kickboxing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu organization and one of the leading promotions in Europe. To date, most events have been ...

Career

Whiteford has a strong background in

judo is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, combat sport, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyc ...

and

Muay Thai Muay Thai or Muaythai (, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, the Art of Eight Limbs or the Science of Eight Limbs, is a Thai martial art and full-contact combat sport that uses stand-up striking, sweeps, and various clinch fighting, cl ...

, he first began fighting for team "Hostile Territory" based out of "The Dojo" gym in

Alloa Alloa (Received Pronunciation ; Scottish pronunciation /ˈaloʊa/; , possibly meaning "rock plain") is a town in Clackmannanshire in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It is on the north bank of the Forth at the spot where some say it ceases to ...

. He then joined the Dinky Ninja Fight Team (DNFT) The Griphouse Gym, in Glasgow where he has remained a member of the team since. He now lives and trains in

South Florida South Florida, sometimes colloquially shortened to SoFlo, is the Regions of the United States#Florida, southernmost region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is one of Florida's three most commonly referred to directional regions; the two others are ...

American Top Team American Top Team (ATT) is one of the primary teams in mixed martial arts. The gym was founded by Dan Lambert, who brought in former members of Brazilian Top Team Marcus "Conan" Silveira, Marcelo Silveira and Ricardo Liborio, but there is no fo ...

. He has also spent time training with "Sweden All Stars" in

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

. Whiteford made his professional debut in 2009 competing primarily for regional promotions across the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

where he was able to compile a record of 10 - 1 before signing with the UFC in the fall of 2013. Whiteford was also a bronze medalist at the 2006 Commonwealth Judo Championships in 2006 in the category of senior male under 73 kg.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Whiteford made his promotional debut on 26 October 2013, as a short notice replacement for an injured Mike Wilkinson and faced

Jimy Hettes James Michael Hettes (born June 9, 1987) is a retired American mixed martial artist who competed as a Featherweight (MMA), featherweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Hettes is a 2-time Keystone State Games Judo Gold Medalist ...

UFC Fight Night 30 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. The large ...

. Hettes defeated Whiteford via submission (triangle choke) in the second round. Whiteford faced Daniel Pineda on 15 March 2014 at UFC 171. Whiteford defeated Pineda via unanimous decision. Whiteford was expected to face

Dennis Siver Dennis D. Siver (Russian: Дмитрий Сивер, tr. Dmitriy Siver, born January 13, 1979) is a retired Russian-born German mixed martial artist who competed in the welterweight, lightweight, and featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting ...

on 4 October 2014 at UFC Fight Night 53. However, Whiteford was forced out of the bout in mid-September with an injury and replaced by Charles Rosa. Whiteford faced Paul Redmond on 18 July 2015 at

UFC Fight Night 72 ''UFC Fight Night: Bisping vs. Leites'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 72'') was a mixed martial arts event held on July 18, 2015 at the OVO Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland. Background After previously hosting 15 events at various locations around ...

. He won the fight via knockout in the first round. Whiteford faced Darren Elkins on 24 October 2015 at UFC Fight Night 76. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. Whiteford faced Lucas Martins on 10 April 2016 at UFC Fight Night 86. Whiteford lost the fight via split decision and was subsequently released from the promotion.

Bellator MMA

After three straight wins in

, Whiteford signed with

Bellator Bellator, warrior in Latin, may refer to: * Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States * Bishop Bellator of Sufetula (5th century) Taxonomy * ''Bellator'' (fish), a fish genus in the family Triglidae (sea robins) ** ...

. He made his promotional debut against Sam Sicilia at Bellator London 2 on November 23, 2019. Despite being knocked down multiple times during the bout, Whiteford came back and knocked Sicilia out with only six seconds left in the final round. Whiteford faced Andrew Fisher on October 1, 2021 at Bellator 267. After being eye poked three times, Whiteford was unable to continue and the bout was called a no contest. Whiteford faced

Daniel Weichel Daniel Weichel (born November 22, 1984) is a German former professional mixed martial artist who last competed in the Featherweight division for Bellator MMA. He has also competed in M-1 Global and Shooto. Background Born and raised in Germany, ...

on May 13, 2022 at

Bellator 281 ''Bellator 281: MVP vs. Storley'' (also known as '' Bellator London'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by Bellator MMA that took place on May 13, 2022, at SSE Arena in London, England. Background Yaroslav Amosov was to make his firs ...

. He lost the bout via TKO stoppage in the first round. After a 2 year layoff, Whiteford faced fellow UFC veteran

Roger Huerta Roger Huerta (born May 20, 1983) is an American mixed martial artist currently fighting in the lightweight division. He initially gained exposure by competing in the lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Bellator Fighting Ch ...

in the co-main event of PFL Europe 3 on September 28, 2024. He would win the fight via unanimous decision.https://mmauk.net/2024/09/29/pfl-europe-glasgow-results/

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align=center, 17–5 (1) ,

, Decision (unanimous) , PFL Europe 3 (2024) , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

, Scotland , , - , Loss , align=center, ,

, TKO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:12 ,

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, England , , - , NC , align=center, 16–4 (1) , Andrew Fisher , NC (accidental eye poke) , Bellator 267 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:50 ,

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 16–4 , Sam Sicilia , KO (punches) , Bellator London 2 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 4:54 ,

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 15–4 , Kane Mousah , Decision (split) , , ACB 87 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located south-east of Sheffield and nor ...

, England , , - , - , Win , align=center, 14–4 ,

Nam Phan Nhat Nam Si Phan (born March 13, 1983), better known as Nam Phan, is an American retired mixed martial artist and professional boxer. A professional in mixed martial arts since 2001, Phan has competed for the UFC, WEC, Strikeforce, World Victor ...

, Technical Submission (guillotine choke) , , ACB 54 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:29 ,

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 13–4 , Kevin Petshi , Decision (unanimous) , , ACB 47 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Scotland , Catchweight (141 lb) bout. , - , Loss , align=center, 12–4 , Lucas Martins , Decision (split) , UFC Fight Night: Rothwell vs. dos Santos , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Zagreb Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...

, Croatia , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–3 , Darren Elkins , Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Holohan vs. Smolka , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

, Ireland , , - , Win , align=center, 12–2 , Paul Redmond , KO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Bisping vs. Leites , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:04 ,

, Scotland , , - , Win , align=center, 11–2 , Daniel Pineda , Decision (unanimous) , UFC 171 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–2 ,

, Technical Submission (triangle choke) , UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Munoz , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:17 ,

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 10–1 , Paul Reed , Decision (unanimous) , Scottish Fight Challenge 6 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Stirling Stirling (; ; ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Central Belt, central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town#Scotland, market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the roya ...

, Scotland , , - , Win , align=center, 9–1 , Martin Svensson , TKO (punches) , Vision FC 4 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:43 ,

, Scotland , , - , Win , align=center, 8–1 , Carl Fawcett , Decision (majority) , Supremacy Fight Challenge 6 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Gateshead Gateshead () is a town in the Gateshead Metropolitan Borough of Tyne and Wear, England. It is on the River Tyne's southern bank. The town's attractions include the twenty metre tall Angel of the North sculpture on the town's southern outskirts, ...

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 7–1 , Antanas Jazbutis , Decision (unanimous) , Vision FC 3 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Scotland , , - , Win , align=center, 6–1 , Jonny Goodall , TKO (punches) , Headhunters MMA 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:15 ,

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

, Scotland , , - , Win , align=center, 5–1 , Liam James , Decision (unanimous) , Supremacy Fight Challenge 2 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 4–1 , David Galbraith , KO (punches) , On Top 1 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:22 ,

, Scotland , , - , Win , align=center, 3–1 , Chris Batty , TKO (submission to punches) , Absolute Combat 3 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, N/A ,

, Scotland , , - , Win , align=center, 2–1 , Rich Edgeworth , TKO (punches) , Hostile Territory Fight Night 5 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, N/A ,

, Scotland , , - , Win , align=center, 1–1 , Alan Duffy , TKO (punches) , Absolute Combat 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:39 ,

, Scotland , , - , Loss , align=center, 0–1 , Bobby McVitie , TKO (doctor stoppage) , Absolute Combat 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Scotland , , -

References

External links

* *
Robert Whiteford - UFC Fans
{{DEFAULTSORT:Whiteford, Robert Living people 1983 births Scottish male mixed martial artists People from Armadale, West Lothian Scottish male judoka Featherweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing judo Mixed martial artists utilizing Muay Thai Scottish Muay Thai practitioners Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters 21st-century Scottish sportsmen