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Robert Whittaker (fighter)

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Robert Whittaker
BornRobert John Whittaker
(1990-12-20) 20 December 1990 (age 34)
South Auckland, New Zealand
Other namesThe Reaper

ResidenceSydney, Australia
Height6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
DivisionMiddleweight
Welterweight
Reach73.5 in (187 cm)
StyleHapkido, Karate, Boxing, BJJ, Wrestling, Muay Thai
TeamPMA Super Martial Arts
Also training via: Gracie Jiu Jitsu/Wrestling Smeaton Grange - /Stand-Strong-Boxing Bulldog Gym Castle Hill
RankBlack belt in Hapkido[1]
Black belt in Karate[1]
Brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu[1]
Years active2009–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total22
Wins18
By knockout9
By submission5
By decision4
Losses4
By knockout1
By submission1
By decision2
Other information
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog
Nickname: Bobby Knuckles

Robert John Whittaker[2] (born 20 December 1990) is an Australian professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.[3] A professional MMA competitor since 2009, Whittaker was a contestant on the first installment of The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes and won the welterweight tournament. As of April 2017, he is #3 in the official UFC middleweight rankings.

Background

His Mother of maori descent, father Jack of Australian descent was a believer in the values of martial arts so he enrolled Robert in Karate at an early age.[4] After training in the discipline for a little over eight years, Robert switched to a Hapkido gym ran by Henry Perez.[4][5] In 2003 Perez transformed his gym into a MMA gym. Having no other choice, Whittaker began training in MMA and was immediately hooked.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

In 2009 Whittaker began competing in MMA as a professional. He signed with Australia's Xtreme Fighting Championships and made his debut 14 March 2009 against fellow pro debutee Chris Tallowin. Whittaker won the fight via TKO in the first round.[6] Whittaker then started his career with Cage Fighting Championships, going 6-0 inside the promotion from 2009 to 2011, with a notable win over fellow TUF: Smashes castmate, Ben Alloway.[7]

On 30 October 2011 Whittaker lost his first fight when he travelled to Cotai, Macau for Legend Fighting Championships 6. Whittaker fought Hoon Kim and lost via submission in the first round.[8] Whittaker bounced from the loss and won two straight before suffering his second loss to Jesse Juarez, bringing his overall record to 9–2.

The Ultimate Fighter [9]

In 2012 Whittaker was selected as a cast member for the first installment of The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes;[10] which pitted a team eight Australians versus a team of eight men from the United Kingdom.

In his first fight on the show Whittaker fought Luke Newman. Only 19 seconds into the first round Whittaker landed a punch flush on the chin of Newman, knocking him unconscious for several minutes. The win moved him onto the semi-final round.[11] The knockout also earned Whittaker an additional $25,000 for "Knockout of the Season".[12]

In the semifinal round, Whittaker was then matched against replacement fighter and fellow Team Australia teammate, Xavier Lucas. Whittaker won via knock out at 1:17 in the first round. The win moved Whittaker into the final round of the competition that would take place live on UFC on FX: Sotiropoulos vs. Pearson.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

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 ever winner of The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes alongside Norman Parke, who was the lightweight winner of the show.

Whittaker faced Colton Smith on 25 May 2013 at UFC 160.[13] He won the fight by TKO in the third round.

Whittaker faced Court McGee on 28 August 2013 at UFC Fight Night 27.[14] He lost the fight via split decision.[15]

Whittaker was expected to face Brian Melancon on 7 December 2013 at UFC Fight Night 33.[16] However, Melancon pulled out of the bout citing an injury and subsequently retired. As a result, Whittaker was removed from the card as well.[17]

Whittaker faced Stephen Thompson on 22 February 2014 at UFC 170.[18] He lost the fight via TKO in the first round.[19]

Whittaker faced Mike Rhodes on 28 June 2014 at UFC Fight Night 43.[20] He won the fight via unanimous decision.[21]

Whittaker faced Clint Hester in a middleweight bout on 8 November 2014 at UFC Fight Night 55.[22] He won the exciting back and forth fight via TKO in the second round. The win also earned Whittaker his first Fight of the Night bonus award.[23]

Whittaker faced Brad Tavares on 10 May 2015 at UFC Fight Night 65.[24] He won the fight via knockout in the first round.[25] The win also earned Whittaker his first Performance of the Night bonus award.[26]

Whittaker was expected to face Michael Bisping on 15 November 2015 at UFC 193.[27] However, Bisping pulled out of the fight on the 30th of September citing an elbow injury and was replaced by Uriah Hall.[28][29] Whittaker won the fight by unanimous decision.[30]

Whittaker next faced Rafael Natal on 23 April 2016 at UFC 197.[31] Whittaker won the back and forth fight via unanimous decision.[32]

Whittaker faced Derek Brunson on 27 November 2016 at UFC Fight Night 101.[33] He won the back and forth fight via first-round TKO.[34][35]

Whittaker faced Ronaldo Souza on 15 April 2017 at UFC on Fox 24.[36] He won by second-round TKO.[37] The win also earned Whittaker his third Performance of the Night bonus award.[38]

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
22 matches 18 wins 4 losses
By knockout 9 1
By submission 5 1
By decision 4 2
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Win 18–4 Ronaldo Souza TKO (head kick and punches) UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Reis April 15, 2017 2 3:28 Kansas City, Missouri, United States Performance of the Night.
Win 17–4 Derek Brunson TKO (head kick and punches) UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Brunson November 27, 2016 1 4:07 Melbourne, Australia Performance of the Night. Fight of the Night.
Win 16–4 Rafael Natal Decision (unanimous) UFC 197 April 23, 2016 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 15–4 Uriah Hall Decision (unanimous) UFC 193 November 15, 2015 3 5:00 Melbourne, Australia
Win 14–4 Brad Tavares KO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Miocic vs. Hunt May 10, 2015 1 0:44 Adelaide, Australia Performance of the Night.
Win 13–4 Clint Hester TKO (knee and punches) UFC Fight Night: Rockhold vs. Bisping November 8, 2014 2 2:43 Sydney, Australia Middleweight debut. Fight of the Night.
Win 12–4 Mike Rhodes Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Te-Huna vs. Marquardt June 28, 2014 3 5:00 Auckland, New Zealand
Loss 11–4 Stephen Thompson TKO (punches) UFC 170 February 22, 2014 1 3:43 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Loss 11–3 Court McGee Decision (split) UFC Fight Night: Condit vs. Kampmann 2 August 28, 2013 3 5:00 Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
Win 11–2 Colton Smith TKO (punches) UFC 160 May 25, 2013 3 0:41 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 10–2 Brad Scott Decision (unanimous) UFC on FX: Sotiropoulos vs. Pearson December 15, 2012 3 5:00 Gold Coast, Australia Won The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes Welterweight Tournament.
Loss 9–2 Jesse Juarez Decision (unanimous) Cage Fighting Championships 21 May 18, 2012 5 5:00 Sydney, Australia For the CFC Welterweight Championship.
Win 9–1 Shaun Spooner TKO (punches) Superfight Australia 13 March 23, 2012 1 4:01 Perth, Australia Won the SFA Welterweight Championship.
Win 8–1 Ian Bone TKO (punches) Cage Fighting Championships 19 December 9, 2011 1 3:15 Sydney, Australia
Loss 7–1 Hoon Kim Submission (triangle choke) Legend Fighting Championship 6 October 30, 2011 1 3:01 Macau, SAR, China
Win 7–0 Corey Nelson Submission (armbar) Cage Fighting Championships 18 August 26, 2011 1 4:40 Sydney, Australia
Win 6–0 Ben Alloway Submission (rear-naked choke) Cage Fighting Championships 17 June 3, 2011 1 4:07 Gold Coast, Australia
Win 5–0 Nate Thomson Submission (rear-naked choke) Cage Fighting Championships 15 October 8, 2010 1 2:21 Sydney, Australia
Win 4–0 Jay Cobain Submission (armbar) Cage Fighting Championships 14 June 5, 2010 1 0:32 Sydney, Australia
Win 3–0 Nick Ariel KO (punch) Cage Fighting Championships 12 March 12, 2010 1 2:50 Sydney, Australia
Win 2–0 Richard Walsh Submission (rear-naked choke) Cage Fighting Championships 11 November 20, 2009 1 2:40 Sydney, Australia
Win 1–0 Chris Tallowin TKO (punches) XFC 14 March 14, 2009 1 N/A Perth, Australia

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Robert Whittaker - Official UFC Fighter Profile". UFC.com. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  2. ^ "MIXED MARTIAL ARTS SHOW RESULTS : DATE: February 22, 2014 LOCATION: Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas" (PDF). Boxing.nv.gov. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
  3. ^ Ben Stanley (23 June 2013). "'Mozzie' UFC fighter gets kick out of Kiwi roots". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
  4. ^ a b "Legend Fighting Championships - Fighters - Robert Whittaker". legendfc.com. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
  5. ^ "Robert Whittaker - The Ultimate Fighter". tuf.tv. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
  6. ^ "Fight Finder". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
  7. ^ "ROBERT WHITTAKER "THE REAPER"". Sherdog. Sherdog.
  8. ^ "ROBERT WHITTAKER "THE REAPER"". Sherdog. Sherdog.
  9. ^ "ROBERT WHITTAKER "THE REAPER"". Sherdog. Sherdog.
  10. ^ "Cast Announced for TUF Smashes". ufc.com. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
  11. ^ "TUF 'The Smashes' Episode 3 Recap: Action in the House Heats Up". MMAWeekly.com. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
  12. ^ "Whittaker, Fletcher, Scott and Alloway each score $25K 'TUF' season bonuses". MMAJunkie.com. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
  13. ^ "'TUF' champs Robert Whittaker and Colton Smith join UFC 160 lineup". MMAJunkie.com. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
  14. ^ Staff (5 June 2013). "'TUF' winners Court McGee vs. Robert Whittaker added to UFC on FOX Sports 1 2". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  15. ^ Tim Burke. "UFC Fight Night 27 results: Court McGee takes decision over Robert Whittaker". bloodyelbow.com. Retrieved 28 August 2013.
  16. ^ Staff (2 October 2013). "Robert Whittaker vs. Brian Melancon added to UFC Fight Night 33 in Australia". MMAjunkie.com. Retrieved 2 October 2013.
  17. ^ Matt Erickson (20 November 2013). "Brian Melancon injury scraps bout with Robert Whittaker from UFC Fight Night 33 in Australia". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  18. ^ Matt Erickson. "UFC 170 adds Stephen Thompson vs. 'TUF' winner Robert Whittaker". MMAjunkie.com. Retrieved 18 December 2013.
  19. ^ Dave Doyle (22 February 2014). "UFC 170 results: Stephen Thompson finishes off Robert Whittaker". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
  20. ^ Staff (5 May 2014). "UFC Fight Night 43 gets Whittaker-Rhodes". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  21. ^ Matt Erickson (28 June 2014). "UFC Fight Night 43 results: Robert Whittaker cruises past Mike Rhodes". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
  22. ^ Matt Erickson (11 September 2014). "Five bouts, including Hester-Whittaker, added to UFC Fight Night 55 in Australia". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
  23. ^ Staff (8 November 2014). "UFC Fight Night 55 bonuses: Rockhold, Smolka, Whittaker, Hester win $50,000". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
  24. ^ Staff (17 February 2012). "UFC Fight Night 65 official for Australia with Hunt-Miocic, Tavares-Whittaker, more". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
  25. ^ Thomas Myers (10 May 2015). "UFC Fight Night 65 results: Robert Whittaker flattens, finishes Brad Tavares in 44 seconds". mmamania.com. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  26. ^ Staff (10 May 2015). "UFC Fight Night 65 bonuses: With 10 finishes in 12 fights, who got $50,000?". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  27. ^ Damon Martin (19 August 2015). "Michael Bisping vs. Robert Whittaker targeted for UFC 193 in Australia". foxsports.com. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  28. ^ Elias Cepeda (30 September 2015). "Michael Bisping injured, out of UFC 193". foxsports.com. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  29. ^ Damon Martin (1 October 2015). "Uriah Hall replaces Michael Bisping, faces Robert Whittaker at UFC 193". foxsports.com. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
  30. ^ Matt Erickson (14 November 2015). "UFC 193 results: Robert Whittaker outshines Uriah Hall for unanimous decision". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 14 November 2015.
  31. ^ John Morgan (8 February 2016). "Rafael Natal meets Robert Whittaker at UFC 197". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
  32. ^ Dave Doyle (23 April 2016). "UFC 197 results: Robert Whittaker wins slugfest over Rafael Natal". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
  33. ^ Marc Raimondi (21 September 2016). "Derek Brunson gets quick turnaround, faces Robert Whittaker at UFC Fight Night 101". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
  34. ^ Steven Marrocco (27 November 2016). "UFC Fight Night 101 results: Robert Whittaker stops Derek Brunson in wild back-and-forth brawl". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  35. ^ Tristen Critchfield (27 November 2016). "UFC Fight Night 101 bonuses: Robert Whittaker pockets $100K for first-round TKO". sherdog.com. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  36. ^ Guilherme Cruz (4 March 2017). ""Jacare" Souza vs. Robert Whittaker set for UFC on FOX 24". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
  37. ^ Damon Martin (16 April 2017). "Robert Whittaker stuns 'Jacare' Souza with brutal second-round TKO". foxsports.com. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
  38. ^ Staff (15 April 2017). "UFC on FOX 24 bonuses: History maker Demetrious Johnson among the night's winners". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
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