Robert John Whittaker (born 20 December 1990) is an Australian professional
mixed martial artist
Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...
. He currently competes in the
Middleweight division in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship
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 Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
(UFC), where he is a former
UFC Middleweight Champion. A professional MMA competitor since 2009, Whittaker was a contestant on the first series of ''
The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes'' and won the
welterweight tournament.
Whittaker became interim middleweight champion after winning the title at
UFC 213; he was promoted to undisputed champion after
Georges St-Pierre
Georges St-Pierre (; born May 19, 1981) is a Canadian actor and former professional mixed martial artist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters in mixed martial arts (MMA) history. St-Pierre was a two-division champion in the Ult ...
vacated the UFC Middleweight Championship in 2017. As of November 15, 2022, he is #2 in the
UFC middleweight rankings.
Background
Whittaker was born at
Middlemore Hospital
Middlemore Hospital is a major public hospital in the suburb of Otahuhu, Auckland, New Zealand. The hospital has approximately 800 beds. There are 24 operating theatres across two sites.
History
In 1943, during World War II, construction comme ...
in
Ōtāhuhu
Ōtāhuhu is a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand – to the southeast of the CBD, on a narrow isthmus between an arm of the Manukau Harbour to the west and the Tamaki River estuary to the east. The isthmus is the narrowest connection between the ...
,
Auckland
Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about I ...
, New Zealand. His father is an
Australian
Australian(s) may refer to:
Australia
* Australia, a country
* Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia
** European Australians
** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists
** Aboriginal ...
of
European descent and his mother is of
Māori
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
and
Samoan descent.
Moving to Australia shortly after, Whittaker's father enrolled Robert, aged seven, and his brother in a
Goju-ryu Karate
(; ; Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the influence of Chinese martial arts, particularly Fuj ...
school, to encourage them in self-discipline and self-defence.
After training in the discipline for a little over eight years, and earning his black belt, his father offered him the chance to change to another sport or drop karate entirely. While his brother decided to drop out, Robert chose to switch to a
Hapkido
Hapkido ( , , also spelled ''hap ki do'' or ''hapki-do''; from Korean language, Korean 합기도 ''hapgido'' ) is a Eclecticism#Martial arts, hybrid Korean martial art. It is a form of self-defense that employs joint locks, grappling, throw (g ...
gym run by Henry Perez, following his move to
Menai.
Not long afterwards, Perez transformed his gym into an MMA gym. Having no other choice, Whittaker began training in MMA and was immediately hooked, choosing MMA as his preferred sport over
Rugby League
Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...
.
Whittaker prefers not to engage in
trash-talk
Trash talk is a form of insult usually found in sports events, although it is not exclusive to sports or similarly characterized events. It is often used to intimidate the opposition and/or make them less confident in their abilities as to win e ...
outside of the octagon. As he puts it:
Mixed martial arts career
Early career
In 2008 Whittaker signed with Australia's Xtreme Fighting Championships and made his debut 14 March 2009 against fellow pro debutant Chris Tallowin. Whittaker won the fight via TKO in the first round.
Whittaker continued his career with Cage Fighting Championships, going 6-0 inside the promotion from 2009 to 2011, with a notable win over fellow ''
TUF: Smashes'' cast member, Ben Alloway.
On 30 October 2011 Whittaker lost his first fight when he travelled to
Cotai
Cotai (; pt, Zona do Aterro de Cotai) is a piece of newly reclaimed land on top of Seac Pai Bay between Taipa and Coloane islands in Macau, that has made two independent islands become one island, since 2005. The word (a portmanteau of Col ...
,
Macau
Macau or Macao (; ; ; ), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (MSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. With a pop ...
for Legend Fighting Championships 6: he fought Hoon Kim and lost via submission in the first round.
Whittaker bounced back from the loss and won two consecutive bouts before suffering his second loss to
Jesse Juarez
Jesse Juarez (born May 8, 1981) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the Welterweight division of the Absolute Championship Berkut. A professional competitor since 2006, Juarez has also formerly competed for Strikeforce ...
, which brought his overall record to 9–2.
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighter
In 2012, Whittaker's coach, Henry Perez, put him forward for the first series of
The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes,
which pitted a team of eight Australians against a team of eight men from the United Kingdom, and he was selected as one of the cast members.
In his first fight on the show, Whittaker fought Luke Newman. Whittaker landed a punch flush on the chin of Newman after 19 seconds, knocking him unconscious for several minutes. The win moved him onto the semifinal round.
The knockout also earned Whittaker an additional $25,000 for "Knockout of the Season".
In the semifinal, Whittaker was matched against replacement fighter and fellow Team Australia teammate, Xavier Lucas. Whittaker won via knockout at 1:17 in the first round. The win moved Whittaker into the final round of the competition, which would take place live on
UFC on FX: Sotiropoulos vs. Pearson.
Early UFC fights
Whittaker made his UFC debut on 15 December 2012 at
UFC on FX 6, which was also known as "The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes Finale". He would fight
Brad Scott to determine the welterweight winner of
The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes. Whittaker won the fight via unanimous decision to become the first winner of ''The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes'' alongside
Norman Parke, who was the lightweight winner.
Whittaker faced
Colton Smith
Colton Thomas Smith (born August 14, 1987) is an American mixed martial artist who formerly competed in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Smith is best known for competing on, and winning The Ultimate Fighter: Team ...
on 25 May 2013 at
UFC 160
''UFC 160: Velasquez vs. Bigfoot 2'' was a mixed martial arts event held on May 25, 2013, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Background
The main event was a rematch between former UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez and An ...
. He won the fight by TKO in the third round.
Whittaker faced
Court McGee
Courtney Scott "Court" McGee (born December 12, 1984) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional MMA competitor since 2007, McGee mostly fought in local prom ...
on 28 August 2013 at
UFC Fight Night 27
''UFC Fight Night: Condit vs. Kampmann 2'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 27'') was a mixed martial arts event held on August 28, 2013, at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. The event was broadcast live on Fox Sports 1.
Backg ...
. He lost the fight via split decision.
Whittaker was expected to face
Brian Melancon on 7 December 2013 at
UFC Fight Night 33. However, Melancon pulled out of the bout citing an injury and subsequently retired. As a result, Whittaker was removed from the card.
Whittaker faced
Stephen Thompson on 22 February 2014 at
UFC 170
''UFC 170: Rousey vs. McMann'' was a mixed martial arts held on February 22, 2014, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The event was released on DVD on May 27, 2014. The DVD was distributed by ''Anchor Bay Entertainment''.
Ba ...
. He lost the fight via TKO in the first round.
Whittaker faced
Mike Rhodes on 28 June 2014 at
UFC Fight Night 43
''UFC Fight Night: Te Huna vs. Marquardt'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 43'') was a mixed martial arts event held on June 28, 2014, at Vector Arena in Auckland, New Zealand.
Background
The event was the first that the organization hosted in N ...
. He won the fight via unanimous decision.
Move to middleweight
Whittaker faced
Clint Hester
Clint Hester (born November 21, 1986) is an American professional boxer and mixed martial artist who last competed in 2016. A professional competitor since 2008, he fought in the UFC and was a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. T ...
in a middleweight bout on 8 November 2014 at
UFC Fight Night 55. He won the back-and-forth fight via TKO in the second round. The win also earned Whittaker his first ''Fight of the Night'' bonus award.
Whittaker faced
Brad Tavares on 10 May 2015 at
UFC Fight Night 65
''UFC Fight Night: Miocic vs. Hunt'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 65'') was a mixed martial arts event held on 10 May 2015 at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre in Adelaide, South Australia.
Background
The event was the first that the promot ...
.
He won the fight via knockout in the first round. The win also earned Whittaker his first ''Performance of the Night'' bonus award.
Whittaker was expected to face
Michael Bisping
Michael Gavin Joseph Bisping (; born 28 February 1979) is an English actor, sports analyst, commentator and retired mixed martial artist, who competed in the Middleweight and Light Heavyweight division of the UFC. A professional competitor s ...
on 15 November 2015 at
UFC 193
''UFC 193: Rousey vs. Holm'' was a mixed martial arts event held on 14 November 2015, at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It was the most attended UFC event in the history of the company at the time, with 56,214 people filling ...
. However, Bisping pulled out of the fight on 30 September, citing an elbow injury, and was replaced by
Uriah Hall.
Whittaker defeated Hall by unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, and 29–28).
Whittaker next faced
Rafael Natal on 23 April 2016 at
UFC 197
''UFC 197: Jones vs. Saint Preux'' was a mixed martial arts event held on April 23, 2016, at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Background
The event's number was initially planned for an event taking place on March 5, 2016 at HSBC Are ...
. Whittaker won the back and forth fight via unanimous decision.
Whittaker faced
Derek Brunson
Derek Brunson (born January 4, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Middleweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of September 5, 2022, he is #5 in the UFC middleweight ra ...
on 27 November 2016 at
UFC Fight Night 101
''UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Brunson'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 101'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on November 27, 2016, at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
B ...
. He won the back and forth fight via first-round TKO. The win also earned him the ''Performance of the Night and'' the ''Fight of the Night bonus awards.''
Whittaker faced
Ronaldo Souza
Ronaldo Souza dos Santos (born December 7, 1979), nicknamed " Jacare" (), is a Brazilian former mixed martial artist and submission grappler who competed for UFC from 2013 to 2021. A highly regarded grappler on the world ...
on 15 April 2017 at
UFC on Fox 24. He won by second-round TKO and in the process became the first person to finish Souza since 2008. The win also earned Whittaker his third ''Performance of the Night'' bonus award.
UFC Middleweight Champion
Whittaker fought for the interim middleweight title against
Yoel Romero
Yoel Romero Palacio (born April 30, 1977) is a Cuban professional mixed martial artist and former freestyle wrestler. He currently competes in the Light Heavyweight division for Bellator MMA. Romero formerly competed in the Middleweight divis ...
on 8 July 2017 at
UFC 213, after
Michael Bisping
Michael Gavin Joseph Bisping (; born 28 February 1979) is an English actor, sports analyst, commentator and retired mixed martial artist, who competed in the Middleweight and Light Heavyweight division of the UFC. A professional competitor s ...
announced a nagging knee injury which would go on to keep him on the sidelines for several months. Whittaker won by unanimous decision, and became the first Australian and first New Zealand born fighter to hold a
UFC title.
This win earned him the ''Fight of the Night'' bonus award.
He missed the remainder of 2017, as he was recovering from a
medial knee injury
Medial knee injuries (those to the inside of the knee) are the most common type of knee injury. The medial ligament complex of the knee is composed of the superficial medial collateral ligament (sMCL), deep medial collateral ligament (dMCL), and th ...
to his left leg.
On 7 December 2017, then middleweight champion
Georges St-Pierre
Georges St-Pierre (; born May 19, 1981) is a Canadian actor and former professional mixed martial artist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters in mixed martial arts (MMA) history. St-Pierre was a two-division champion in the Ult ...
vacated the
title
A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...
after being diagnosed with
colitis
Colitis is swelling or inflammation of the large intestine ( colon). Colitis may be acute and self-limited or long-term. It broadly fits into the category of digestive diseases.
In a medical context, the label ''colitis'' (without qualification ...
. As a result, Whittaker was promoted to undisputed champion. He was slated for his first title defence at
UFC 221
''UFC 221: Romero vs. Rockhold'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on February 11, 2018, at Perth Arena in Perth, Western Australia.
Background
While the UFC has hosted 11 previous events ...
against former middleweight champion
Luke Rockhold
Luke Skyler Rockhold (born October 17, 1984) is an American retired mixed martial artist. He is best known for his time in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he competed in the Light Heavyweight (MMA), Light Heavyweight a ...
on 10 February 2018 at
Perth Arena
Perth Arena (known commercially as ) is an entertainment and sporting arena in the city centre of Perth, Western Australia, used mostly for basketball matches. It is located on Wellington Street near the site of the former Perth Entertainmen ...
in Australia. On 13 January 2018, it was reported that Whittaker had pulled out of the event due to an undisclosed injury and would be replaced by
Yoel Romero
Yoel Romero Palacio (born April 30, 1977) is a Cuban professional mixed martial artist and former freestyle wrestler. He currently competes in the Light Heavyweight division for Bellator MMA. Romero formerly competed in the Middleweight divis ...
for the interim middleweight championship. The winner of this bout would then face Whittaker in a unification bout. On 20 January 2018, Dana White confirmed that Whittaker was in a serious condition after he was not properly treated from a
staph infection in his stomach.
A rematch with Romero took place on 9 June 2018 at
UFC 225. At the weigh-ins, Romero missed weight, coming in at 186 lbs, 1 pound over the middleweight limit for a title fight. Romero was given additional time to make weight, but he weighed in at 185.2 lbs, 0.2 lbs over the title fight limit. Romero was fined 20% of his fight purse and the fight was contested as a non-title catchweight bout. Whittaker won the fight by a close split decision. Their fight was awarded with 'Fight of The Night' honours. As Romero had failed to make weight, Whittaker received a $100,000 bonus, which would normally have been shared by both fighters.
In July 2018, the UFC announced that Whittaker and
Kelvin Gastelum had been selected as coaches for Ultimate Fighter 28. On 2 November 2018, it was announced that Whittaker's next middleweight title defence would be against
Kelvin Gastelum, in February at
UFC 234. However, Whittaker pulled out of the event a few hours beforehand after he was forced to undergo emergency dual surgery immediately, due to an
abdominal hernia of the intestine and a twisted and collapsed bowel.
Whittaker faced
Israel Adesanya on 6 October 2019 at
UFC 243.
He lost the bout and the championship via second-round knockout.
Post UFC Middleweight Championship
Whittaker was scheduled to face
Jared Cannonier on 7 March 2020 at
UFC 248
''UFC 248: Adesanya vs. Romero'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on March 7, 2020 at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United States.
...
. However, on 15 January 2020, it was announced Whittaker pulled out of the bout for undisclosed reasons. In late April 2020, Whittaker revealed in an interview that he withdrew from the bout and training altogether due to
burnout.
Whittaker faced
Darren Till on 26 July 2020 at
UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs. Till. He won the fight via unanimous decision.
Whittaker faced
Jared Cannonier on 24 October 2020 at
UFC 254
''UFC 254: Khabib vs. Gaethje'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on October 24, 2020 at the du Forum on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Background
The event proceeded ...
. He won the fight via unanimous decision.
Whittaker was scheduled to face
Paulo Costa on 17 April 2021 at
UFC on ESPN 22. However, on March 16 Costa withdrew from the fight due to illness, and he was replaced by
Kelvin Gastelum.
Whittaker won the fight via unanimous decision. This fight earned him the
Fight of the Night award.
A rematch between Whittaker and Adesanya for the
UFC Middleweight Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships.
Historical notes
At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...
took place on 12 February 2022 at
UFC 271. Whittaker lost the bout via unanimous decision.
Whittaker was scheduled to face
Marvin Vettori June 11, 2022 at
UFC 275. However, Whittaker withdrew for undisclosed reasons.
The pair was rescheduled to meet at
UFC Fight Night 209
''UFC Fight Night: Gane vs. Tuivasa'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 209'' and ''UFC on ESPN+ 67'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on September 3, 2022, at Accor Arena in Paris, Fra ...
on September 3, 2022. Whittaker won the fight via unanimous decision.
Whittaker was scheduled to face
Paulo Costa on February 12, 2023, at
UFC 284
''UFC 284: Makhachev vs. Volkanovski'' is an upcoming mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that will take place on February 12, 2023, at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.
Background
The event will mark the promot ...
. However, Costa disputed the official announcement by the promotion indicating he had never signed a contract and the fight would not take place.
Freestyle wrestling career
Whittaker began competing in amateur freestyle wrestling tournaments in 2015, when he unexpectedly turned up to compete in the Australia Cup in
Canberra. He won each of his three bouts. It was also at the 2015 Australia Cup that Whittaker flagged the possibility of potentially representing Australia in
Olympic
Olympic or Olympics may refer to
Sports
Competitions
* Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896
** Summer Olympic Games
** Winter Olympic Games
* Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...
or
Commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with " republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from th ...
wrestling competitions. He returned to the wrestling mat in May 2017 and claimed the Australian National Wrestling Championships gold medal in the 97 kg (213 lbs) division. After winning the national championship, Whittaker entered Australia's
2018 Commonwealth Games
The 2018 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XXI Commonwealth Games and also known as Gold Coast 2018, was an international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth that were held on the Gold Coast, ...
97 kg qualifying tournament in November 2017. He would once again claim first place in his division and in doing so qualified to represent Australia in the
2018 Commonwealth Games
The 2018 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XXI Commonwealth Games and also known as Gold Coast 2018, was an international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth that were held on the Gold Coast, ...
on the
Gold Coast, the city in which he made his UFC debut. Following his qualification, Whittaker made it clear he would only compete in the Commonwealth Games if the event did not interfere with his UFC commitments. It was confirmed in March 2018 that Whittaker would be one of eight Australians to compete in the Commonwealth Games wrestling competition in April 2018. However, Whittaker was forced to withdraw from the Games less than three weeks from the event in order not to risk being stripped of his UFC championship title, as the UFC was concerned that an injury incurred during the Commonwealth Games would render him unable to compete for the middleweight championship at
UFC 225 against
Yoel Romero
Yoel Romero Palacio (born April 30, 1977) is a Cuban professional mixed martial artist and former freestyle wrestler. He currently competes in the Light Heavyweight division for Bellator MMA. Romero formerly competed in the Middleweight divis ...
on 9 June 2018.
Championships and accomplishments
General
*
GQ Australia
''GQ Australia'' is an Australian lifestyle publication and the Australian version of men's magazine '' GQ''.
Published by NewsLifeMedia, a division of News Corp Australia, the print and digital men's title offers advice, news and features acr ...
** 2018
GQ Australia
''GQ Australia'' is an Australian lifestyle publication and the Australian version of men's magazine '' GQ''.
Published by NewsLifeMedia, a division of News Corp Australia, the print and digital men's title offers advice, news and features acr ...
Sportsman of the year award
Mixed martial arts
*
Ultimate Fighting Championship
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 Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
**
UFC Middleweight Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships.
Historical notes
At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...
(one time)
**Interim
UFC Middleweight Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships.
Historical notes
At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...
(one time, first)
**First Australian UFC champion
**
The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes Welterweight Tournament Winner
**
The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes Knockout of the Season
**
Fight of the Night (five times)
vs. Clint Hester
Clint Hester (born November 21, 1986) is an American professional boxer and mixed martial artist who last competed in 2016. A professional competitor since 2008, he fought in the UFC and was a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. T ...
, Derek Brunson
Derek Brunson (born January 4, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Middleweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of September 5, 2022, he is #5 in the UFC middleweight ra ...
, Yoel Romero
Yoel Romero Palacio (born April 30, 1977) is a Cuban professional mixed martial artist and former freestyle wrestler. He currently competes in the Light Heavyweight division for Bellator MMA. Romero formerly competed in the Middleweight divis ...
(2), and Kelvin Gastelum
**
Performance of the Night (three times)
vs. Brad Tavares, Derek Brunson
Derek Brunson (born January 4, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Middleweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of September 5, 2022, he is #5 in the UFC middleweight ra ...
, and Ronaldo Souza
Ronaldo Souza dos Santos (born December 7, 1979), nicknamed " Jacare" (), is a Brazilian former mixed martial artist and submission grappler who competed for UFC from 2013 to 2021. A highly regarded grappler on the world ...
*Superfight Australia
**Superfight Australia Welterweight Championship (one time)
*MMA Mania.com
**UFC/MMA 'Fighter of the Year' 2017 - Top 5 List #2
*
Sherdog
Sherdog is an American website devoted to the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). It also has many forums and discussion pages on the many topics of MMA like records, promotions, etc. The site is a member of the CraveOnline network and provides MM ...
** 2017 Fighter of the Year
*MMA DNA.nl
** 2017 Fighter of the Year
** 2018 Fight of the Year.
*BJPENN.COM
** Scrap of the Month for June 2018
*World MMA Awards
** 2017 International Fighter of the Year
Freestyle wrestling
*Australia Cup
**Winner - 97 kg (2015)
*Australian National Wrestling Championships
**Gold medal - 97 kg (2017)
*Commonwealth Games
** Qualified - 97 kg (
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
)
Personal life
Whittaker and his wife Sofia have three sons, John, Jack and Jace, and a daughter, Lilliana. Whittaker also has legal guardianship of his younger half sister and brothers Kerehi and Henry Matafeo.
Representing both Australia and New Zealand
Whittaker once stated in an interview, "Pretty much all my mother's side is
Kiwi
Kiwi most commonly refers to:
* Kiwi (bird), a flightless bird native to New Zealand
* Kiwi (nickname), a nickname for New Zealanders
* Kiwifruit, an edible berry
* Kiwi dollar or New Zealand dollar, a unit of currency
Kiwi or KIWI may also ref ...
and we have a strong
Maori heritage. He said further, "I feel really privileged to have that Maori blood and link to my past. I got my
tattoo
A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, and/or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several tattooing proc ...
out of respect to that." Whittaker was born in New Zealand and moved to Australia when he was one month old. As stated in an interview, "My mother wanted to have me back home, so she came back. After I was born we came back to Australia. It's half of who I am, is Maori, and my mum's roots go back to
Samoa
Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands (Manono Island, Manono an ...
."
When asked about his nationality in an interview with the Australian TV programme
''The Project'', he declared that he had an Australian passport but added that he felt as if he represented both countries as an MMA fighter.
In an interview with ''
GQ Australia
''GQ Australia'' is an Australian lifestyle publication and the Australian version of men's magazine '' GQ''.
Published by NewsLifeMedia, a division of News Corp Australia, the print and digital men's title offers advice, news and features acr ...
'', he stated:
Youth clinics for community service
Whittaker has held clinics for youths in his spare time at his home gym, Gracie jiu-jitsu at Smeaton Grange, and also visited several remote
Australian Indigenous
Indigenous Australians or Australian First Nations are people with familial heritage from, and membership in, the ethnic groups that lived in Australia before British colonisation. They consist of two distinct groups: the Aboriginal peoples ...
youth communities at inland
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
. Through this community service, he hopes to inspire the younger generation to take up combat sports by being a good role model to them. Whittaker has said "I want to be a good role model for young up-and-coming athletes, and I want to be a role model to men in general. If I could affect a kid, then this whole journey is amazing. To help them to have some sort of a career path in the sport and fitness industry, and if I could do that for one kid even that would make my day."
Mixed martial arts record
, -
,
, align=center, 24–6
,
Marvin Vettori
, Decision (unanimous)
,
UFC Fight Night: Gane vs. Tuivasa
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. ...
, France
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 23–6
,
Israel Adesanya
, Decision (unanimous)
,
UFC 271
,
, align=center, 5
, align=center, 5:00
,
Houston, Texas, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 23–5
,
Kelvin Gastelum
, Decision (unanimous)
,
UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs. Gastelum
,
, align=center, 5
, align=center, 5:00
,
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 22–5
,
Jared Cannonier
, Decision (unanimous)
,
UFC 254
''UFC 254: Khabib vs. Gaethje'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on October 24, 2020 at the du Forum on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Background
The event proceeded ...
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 21–5
,
Darren Till
, Decision (unanimous)
,
UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs. Till
,
, align=center, 5
, align=center, 5:00
,
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 20–5
,
Israel Adesanya
, KO (punches)
,
UFC 243
,
, align=center, 2
, align=center, 3:33
,
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a me ...
, Australia
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 20–4
,
Yoel Romero
Yoel Romero Palacio (born April 30, 1977) is a Cuban professional mixed martial artist and former freestyle wrestler. He currently competes in the Light Heavyweight division for Bellator MMA. Romero formerly competed in the Middleweight divis ...
, Decision (split)
,
UFC 225
,
, align=center, 5
, align=center, 5:00
,
Chicago, Illinois
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 19–4
,
Yoel Romero
Yoel Romero Palacio (born April 30, 1977) is a Cuban professional mixed martial artist and former freestyle wrestler. He currently competes in the Light Heavyweight division for Bellator MMA. Romero formerly competed in the Middleweight divis ...
, Decision (unanimous)
,
UFC 213
,
, align=center, 5
, align=center, 5:00
,
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 18–4
,
Ronaldo Souza
Ronaldo Souza dos Santos (born December 7, 1979), nicknamed " Jacare" (), is a Brazilian former mixed martial artist and submission grappler who competed for UFC from 2013 to 2021. A highly regarded grappler on the world ...
, TKO (head kick and punches)
,
UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Reis
,
, align=center, 2
, align=center, 3:28
,
Kansas City, Missouri, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 17–4
,
Derek Brunson
Derek Brunson (born January 4, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Middleweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of September 5, 2022, he is #5 in the UFC middleweight ra ...
, TKO (head kick and punches)
,
UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Brunson
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 4:07
,
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a me ...
, Australia
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 16–4
,
Rafael Natal
, Decision (unanimous)
,
UFC 197
''UFC 197: Jones vs. Saint Preux'' was a mixed martial arts event held on April 23, 2016, at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Background
The event's number was initially planned for an event taking place on March 5, 2016 at HSBC Are ...
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 15–4
,
Uriah Hall
, Decision (unanimous)
,
UFC 193
''UFC 193: Rousey vs. Holm'' was a mixed martial arts event held on 14 November 2015, at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It was the most attended UFC event in the history of the company at the time, with 56,214 people filling ...
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a me ...
, Australia
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 14–4
,
Brad Tavares
, KO (punches)
,
UFC Fight Night: Miocic vs. Hunt
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 0:44
,
Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater A ...
, Australia
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 13–4
,
Clint Hester
Clint Hester (born November 21, 1986) is an American professional boxer and mixed martial artist who last competed in 2016. A professional competitor since 2008, he fought in the UFC and was a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. T ...
, TKO (knee and punches)
,
UFC Fight Night: Rockhold vs. Bisping
,
, align=center, 2
, align=center, 2:43
,
Sydney, Australia
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 12–4
,
Mike Rhodes
, Decision (unanimous)
,
UFC Fight Night: Te Huna vs. Marquardt
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Auckland
Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about I ...
, New Zealand
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 11–4
,
Stephen Thompson
, TKO (punches)
,
UFC 170
''UFC 170: Rousey vs. McMann'' was a mixed martial arts held on February 22, 2014, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The event was released on DVD on May 27, 2014. The DVD was distributed by ''Anchor Bay Entertainment''.
Ba ...
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 3:43
,
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 11–3
,
Court McGee
Courtney Scott "Court" McGee (born December 12, 1984) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional MMA competitor since 2007, McGee mostly fought in local prom ...
, Decision (split)
,
UFC Fight Night: Condit vs. Kampmann 2
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of U.S. state and territorial capitals, state capital and List of U.S. states' largest cities by population, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat, seat of ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 11–2
,
Colton Smith
Colton Thomas Smith (born August 14, 1987) is an American mixed martial artist who formerly competed in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Smith is best known for competing on, and winning The Ultimate Fighter: Team ...
, TKO (punches)
,
UFC 160
''UFC 160: Velasquez vs. Bigfoot 2'' was a mixed martial arts event held on May 25, 2013, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Background
The main event was a rematch between former UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez and An ...
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 0:41
,
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 10–2
,
Brad Scott
, Decision (unanimous)
,
UFC on FX: Sotiropoulos vs. Pearson
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Gold Coast, Australia
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 9–2
,
Jesse Juarez
Jesse Juarez (born May 8, 1981) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the Welterweight division of the Absolute Championship Berkut. A professional competitor since 2006, Juarez has also formerly competed for Strikeforce ...
, Decision (unanimous)
, Cage Fighting Championships 21
,
, align=center, 5
, align=center, 5:00
,
Sydney, Australia
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 9–1
, Shaun Spooner
, TKO (punches)
, Superfight Australia 13
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 4:01
,
Perth
Perth is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the Australian states and territories of Australia, state of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth most populous city in Aust ...
, Australia
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 8–1
, Ian Bone
, TKO (punches)
, Cage Fighting Championships 19
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 3:15
,
Sydney, Australia
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 7–1
, Hoon Kim
, Submission (triangle choke)
, Legend Fighting Championship 6
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 3:01
,
Macau
Macau or Macao (; ; ; ), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (MSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. With a pop ...
,
SAR, China
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 7–0
, Corey Nelson
, Submission (armbar)
, Cage Fighting Championships 18
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 4:40
,
Sydney, Australia
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 6–0
,
Ben Alloway
, Submission (rear-naked choke)
, Cage Fighting Championships 17
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 4:07
,
Gold Coast, Australia
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 5–0
, Nate Thomson
, Submission (rear-naked choke)
, Cage Fighting Championships 15
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 2:21
,
Sydney, Australia
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 4–0
, Jay Cobain
, Submission (armbar)
, Cage Fighting Championships 14
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 0:32
,
Sydney, Australia
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 3–0
, Nick Ariel
, KO (punch)
, Cage Fighting Championships 12
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 2:50
,
Sydney, Australia
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 2–0
,
Richard Walsh
, Submission (rear-naked choke)
, Cage Fighting Championships 11
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 2:40
,
Sydney, Australia
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 1–0
, Chris Tallowin
, TKO (punches)
, XFC 14
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, N/A
,
Perth
Perth is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the Australian states and territories of Australia, state of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth most populous city in Aust ...
, Australia
,
Pay-per-view bouts
Freestyle record
! colspan="7", Senior Freestyle Matches
, -
! Res.
! Record
! Opponent
! Score
! Date
! Event
! Location
, -
! style=background:white colspan=7 ,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 6–0
, align=left, Christopher Galbraith-Clark
, style="font-size:88%", Fall
, style="font-size:88%" rowspan=2, November 2017
, style="font-size:88%" rowspan=2, 2017 AUS Commonwealth Team Trials
, style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=2,
Australia
, -
, Win
, align=center, 5–0
, align=left, Nick Verryenne
, style="font-size:88%", TF 10–0
, -
! style=background:white colspan=7 ,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 4–0
, align=left, Nick Mann
, style="font-size:88%", N/A
, style="font-size:88%" , May 2017
, style="font-size:88%" , 2017 Australian National Championships
, style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" ,
Minto,
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
, Australia
, -
! style=background:white colspan=7 ,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 3–0
, align=left, Christopher Galbraith-Clark
, style="font-size:88%", TF 14–4
, style="font-size:88%" rowspan=3, July 2015
, style="font-size:88%" rowspan=3, 2015 Australia Cup
, style="text-align:left;font-size:88%;" rowspan=3,
Canberra,
ACT, Australia
, -
, Win
, align=center, 2–0
, align=left, Sean Belisle
, style="font-size:88%", 8–2
, -
, Win
, align=center, 1–0
, align=left, Don Endermaun
, style="font-size:88%", TF 13–0
, -
See also
*
List of current UFC fighters
This list of current UFC fighters records current Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighters' information, country origins, recent fighter signings and departures, fight schedules and results and the champion of each division. , the UFC roster ...
*
List of male mixed martial artists
This is a list of notable professional male mixed martial arts fighters in alphabetical order.
__NOTOC__
A
* Shamil Abdurakhimov - ( M-1, UFC)
* Daichi Abe - ( UFC, Pancrase)
* Hiroyuki Abe - (Shooto, KOTC, Cage Rage, DEEP, Pride)
* ...
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Whittaker, Robert
1990 births
Living people
Australian sportspeople of Samoan descent
Australian male mixed martial artists
Welterweight mixed martial artists
Middleweight mixed martial artists
The Ultimate Fighter winners
Sportspeople from Sydney
Sportsmen from New South Wales
Australian male karateka
Australian practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu
Samoan practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu
People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu
Australian hapkido practitioners
Mixed martial artists utilizing hapkido
Mixed martial artists utilizing Gōjū-ryū
Mixed martial artists utilizing freestyle wrestling
Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu
Australian people of Māori descent
Australian people of Samoan descent
Australian people of Polynesian descent
New Zealand emigrants to Australia
Samoan male mixed martial artists
Australian male sport wrestlers
Ultimate Fighting Championship champions
Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters