Robert Whittaker (fighter)

1.1. Family and Childhood

Whittaker was born at Middlemore Hospital in Ōtāhuhu, Auckland, New Zealand, on 20 December 1990. His father is an Australian of European descent, while his mother has both Samoan and Māori ancestry. Shortly after his birth, at just one month old, Whittaker moved to Australia with his family. He maintains legal guardianship of his younger half-sister and brothers.

1.2. Early Martial Arts Training

At the age of seven, Whittaker's father enrolled him and his brother in a Goju-ryu karate school. This decision was driven by a desire to instill self-discipline and self-defense skills in his sons. After approximately eight years of dedicated training, Whittaker earned his black belt in Goju-ryu karate. His father then gave him the option to transition to another sport or discontinue karate entirely. While his brother opted out, Robert chose to pursue Hapkido training at a gym run by Henry Perez, following their family's move to Menai. Not long after Whittaker joined, Perez transformed his facility into a dedicated mixed martial arts (MMA) gym. With limited alternatives, Whittaker began training in MMA and quickly became captivated, choosing it over his prior interest in rugby league.

1.3. Pre-Professional Debut Career

Before embarking on his professional MMA career, Whittaker displayed athletic talent in other areas. In his younger years, he was a gifted rugby league player and was even placed in the development academy for the professional Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks club. He also worked as an electrician prior to his full-time commitment to fighting.

2.1. Early Professional Career

Whittaker made his professional MMA debut on 14 March 2009, with Xtreme Fighting Championships in Australia, facing fellow debutant Chris Tallowin. He secured a TKO victory in the first round. He then joined Cage Fighting Championships (CFC), where he built an impressive 6-0 record between 2009 and 2011, including a notable submission win over Ben Alloway, who would later also appear on The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes. On 30 October 2011, Whittaker experienced his first professional loss via submission to Hoon Kim at Legend Fighting Championships 6 in Cotai, Macau. He rebounded with two consecutive wins, including capturing the SFA Welterweight Championship against Shaun Spooner on 23 March 2012, before suffering his second defeat to Jesse Juarez via unanimous decision at Cage Fighting Championships 21, in a bout for the CFC Welterweight Championship, bringing his overall record to 9-2.

2.2. The Ultimate Fighter

In 2012, Whittaker's coach, Henry Perez, recommended him for the inaugural season of The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes. This reality television series featured a competition between teams of eight Australian fighters and eight British fighters. Whittaker was selected as a cast member for Team Australia.

In his first fight on the show, Whittaker faced Luke Newman. He landed a decisive punch just 19 seconds into the bout, knocking Newman unconscious and advancing to the semi-final round. This knockout was so impactful that it earned him an additional $25,000 as the "Knockout of the Season" bonus. In the semi-final, Whittaker was matched against his fellow Team Australia teammate and replacement fighter, Xavier Lucas. Whittaker secured another first-round TKO victory at 1:17, which propelled him to the final round of the competition, held live at UFC on FX: Sotiropoulos vs. Pearson.

2.3. Welterweight Stint in UFC

Whittaker officially made his UFC debut on 15 December 2012, at UFC on FX 6, also known as "The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes Finale." In the welterweight tournament final, he faced Brad Scott and won by unanimous decision, becoming the first winner of The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes welterweight tournament.

His early UFC career at welterweight saw mixed results:

• On 25 May 2013, at UFC 160, Whittaker defeated Colton Smith via TKO in the third round.
• He then faced Court McGee on 28 August 2013, at UFC Fight Night 27, losing via split decision.
• A scheduled bout against Brian Melancon for UFC Fight Night 33 on 7 December 2013, was canceled after Melancon withdrew due to injury and subsequently retired.
• On 22 February 2014, at UFC 170, Whittaker suffered a first-round TKO loss to Stephen Thompson.
• He concluded his welterweight stint with a unanimous decision victory over Mike Rhodes on 28 June 2014, at UFC Fight Night 43.

2.4. Move to Middleweight and Rise

In 2014, Whittaker made a significant move up to the middleweight division, which proved to be a turning point in his career.

• His middleweight debut was on 8 November 2014, at UFC Fight Night 55, where he faced Clint Hester. Whittaker won this back-and-forth contest via TKO in the second round, earning his first "Fight of the Night" bonus award.
• On 10 May 2015, at UFC Fight Night 65, Whittaker faced Brad Tavares, then ranked 14th in the middleweight division. He secured a stunning first-round knockout victory in just 44 seconds, earning his first "Performance of the Night" bonus.
• Whittaker was initially scheduled to fight Michael Bisping at UFC 193 on 15 November 2015, but Bisping withdrew due to an elbow injury. Uriah Hall stepped in as a replacement, and Whittaker defeated him by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, and 29-28).
• He continued his ascent by defeating Rafael Natal via unanimous decision at UFC 197 on 23 April 2016.
• On 27 November 2016, at UFC Fight Night 101, Whittaker faced Derek Brunson, who was ranked 8th. In a wild, back-and-forth brawl, Whittaker secured a first-round TKO victory, earning both "Performance of the Night" and "Fight of the Night" bonuses.
• Whittaker's impressive run continued on 15 April 2017, at UFC on Fox 24, where he faced Ronaldo Souza, ranked 3rd. Whittaker delivered a second-round TKO, becoming the first fighter to finish Souza since 2008. This victory earned him his third "Performance of the Night" bonus.

2.5. UFC Middleweight Championship

Whittaker's path to the UFC Middleweight Championship was marked by resilient performances and unexpected turns.

• He fought for the interim middleweight title against Yoel Romero, then ranked 1st, on 8 July 2017, at UFC 213. This opportunity arose after then-champion Michael Bisping announced he would be sidelined with a knee injury. Whittaker won the grueling five-round bout by unanimous decision, making history as the first Australian and first New Zealand-born fighter to hold a UFC title. This fight also earned him the "Fight of the Night" bonus. Following the fight, Whittaker was sidelined for the remainder of 2017 due to a grade two medial knee injury to his left leg.
• On 7 December 2017, then-undisputed middleweight champion Georges St-Pierre vacated the title after being diagnosed with colitis. As a result, Whittaker, as the interim champion, was promoted to undisputed UFC Middleweight Champion.
• His first scheduled title defense was against former middleweight champion Luke Rockhold at UFC 221 on 10 February 2018, in Perth, Australia. However, Whittaker was forced to withdraw from the event on 13 January 2018, due to an undisclosed injury. It was later confirmed by UFC president Dana White that Whittaker was in a serious condition after an untreated staph infection in his stomach.
• A rematch with Yoel Romero took place on 9 June 2018, at UFC 225. This fight was initially intended to be a title defense, but Romero missed weight, coming in at 185.2 lb ^{(185.2 lb)}, slightly over the championship limit. Consequently, the bout was contested as a non-title catchweight fight. Whittaker won the close fight via split decision, and the contest was awarded "Fight of the Night" honors. As Romero failed to make weight, Whittaker received the entire $100,000 bonus.
• In July 2018, the UFC announced that Whittaker and Kelvin Gastelum would serve as coaches for The Ultimate Fighter 28.
• Whittaker's next middleweight title defense was set against Gastelum at UFC 234 in February 2019. However, just hours before the event, Whittaker was forced to withdraw and undergo emergency dual surgery for an abdominal hernia of the intestine and a twisted and collapsed bowel.
• On 6 October 2019, Whittaker faced interim middleweight champion Israel Adesanya in a title unification bout at UFC 243 in Melbourne, Australia. He lost the bout and the undisputed championship via second-round knockout. The event broke UFC attendance records, drawing 57,127 spectators at Marvel Stadium, surpassing the previous record held by UFC 193 at the same venue.

2.6. Post-Championship Career

After losing the UFC Middleweight Championship, Whittaker embarked on a period of recalibration and continued to face top contenders.

• He was scheduled to face Jared Cannonier on 7 March 2020, at UFC 248. However, Whittaker pulled out of the bout for undisclosed reasons on 15 January 2020. In late April 2020, he revealed in an interview that his withdrawal was due to burnout.
• Whittaker made his return to the octagon on 26 July 2020, headlining UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs. Till against Darren Till. He won the back-and-forth fight via unanimous decision.
• He then faced Jared Cannonier on 24 October 2020, at UFC 254. Whittaker dominated the stand-up exchanges, fracturing Cannonier's left wrist in the first round with a right high kick and dropping him with another high kick in the third. He secured a unanimous decision victory.
• Whittaker was slated to fight Paulo Costa on 17 April 2021, at UFC on ESPN 22. However, Costa withdrew due to illness on 16 March, and Kelvin Gastelum stepped in as a replacement. Whittaker won the fight via unanimous decision, earning "Fight of the Night" honors.
• A highly anticipated rematch between Whittaker and Israel Adesanya for the UFC Middleweight Championship took place on 12 February 2022, at UFC 271. Despite securing four takedowns throughout the fight, Whittaker lost the close bout via unanimous decision, failing to reclaim the title.
• Whittaker was scheduled to face Marvin Vettori on 11 June 2022, at UFC 275, but withdrew for undisclosed reasons. The fight was rescheduled for UFC Fight Night 209 on 3 September 2022, in Paris, where Whittaker won via unanimous decision, proving his status as a top contender.
• A bout against Paulo Costa was booked for UFC 284 on 12 February 2023, but Costa disputed the announcement, stating he had not signed a contract, and the fight was canceled.
• Whittaker then faced Dricus du Plessis in a UFC Middleweight title eliminator fight on 8 July 2023, at UFC 290. In an upset, he lost the fight via technical knockout in the second round after being dropped by a right jab and finished with follow-up punches.
• On 17 February 2024, at UFC 298, Whittaker fought Paulo Costa. After surviving a head kick at the end of the first round that staggered him, Whittaker rebounded and won the bout by unanimous decision, with the fight earning "Fight of the Month" honors for February.
• Whittaker was scheduled to face Khamzat Chimaev on 22 June 2024, at UFC on ABC 6. However, Chimaev withdrew due to illness and was replaced by Ikram Aliskerov. Whittaker defeated Aliskerov by knockout in the first round, earning another "Performance of the Night" award.
• The rescheduled fight with Khamzat Chimaev eventually took place on 26 October 2024, at UFC 308. Whittaker lost the fight via a face-crank submission in the first round, which resulted in a dislocated jaw.

5.1. Family and Nationality

Whittaker is married to Sofia and they have three sons and one daughter. Beyond his immediate family, he also has legal guardianship of his younger half-sister and brothers.

Whittaker takes immense pride in his dual heritage, embodying both his Australian upbringing and his New Zealand roots. He has stated, "Pretty much all my mother's side is Kiwi and we have a strong Maori heritage." He further elaborated on his connection to his ancestry, saying, "I feel really privileged to have that Maori blood and link to my past. I got my tattoo out of respect to that." Born in New Zealand and moving to Australia at one month old, he explains, "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." Despite holding an Australian passport, he consistently expresses that he feels he represents both Australia and New Zealand as an MMA fighter, stating, "I'm blessed to be in this position - every time I walk into the octagon I feel like I'm representing Australia and New Zealand. It's the highest honour and the highest privilege." He also emphasizes his strong patriotism for Australia, noting that seeing the Australian flag and hearing his nationality announced energizes him. His left chest features a tattoo of the Southern Cross, a constellation featured on the Australian flag, while his right shoulder bears a traditional Māori tattoo, Tā moko_{Tah moh-koh}^Maori.

5.2. Community Service and Role Model

Whittaker actively engages in community service, holding clinics for youths at his home gym, Gracie Jiu Jitsu Smeaton Grange. He has also traveled to various remote Australian Indigenous youth communities in inland New South Wales. Through these efforts, he aims to inspire the younger generation to pursue combat sports and to serve as a positive role model. Whittaker has expressed his desire 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."

5.3. Personality and Interests

In his professional life, Whittaker is known for his humble and disciplined demeanor, often choosing not to engage in trash-talk outside of the octagon. He describes himself as "the type of fighter that goes into every fight with no ill will towards my opponent. I'm an athlete first and foremost and I love the sport." Beyond fighting, Whittaker is a known 親日家_shinnichika^Japanese (Japanophile) and has visited Japan multiple times. He has shared his appreciation for Japanese culture, stating, "I love Japan, and I grew up watching PRIDE and DREAM. I will definitely fight in Japan someday." His favorite fighter is Kazushi Sakuraba, and he enjoys Japanese food.

6.1. General Recognition

• In 2018, he was honored with the GQ Australia Sportsman of the Year award.

6.2. Mixed Martial Arts Accolades and Records

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • UFC Middleweight Championship (One time)
  • Interim UFC Middleweight Championship (One time)
  • First Australian to win a UFC championship
  • First New Zealand-born 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
    • vs. Derek Brunson
    • vs. Yoel Romero (x2)
    • vs. Kelvin Gastelum
  • Performance of the Night (Four times)
    • vs. Brad Tavares
    • vs. Derek Brunson
    • vs. Ronaldo Souza
    • vs. Ikram Aliskerov
  • Second most Post-Fight bonuses in UFC Middleweight division history (9), behind Anderson Silva
  • Tied for fifth longest win streak in UFC Middleweight division history (8) with Yoel Romero
  • Tied for third most wins in UFC Middleweight division history (14) with Anderson Silva and Derek Brunson
  • Tied for fourth most unanimous decision wins in UFC history (10)
  • Tied for third most decision wins in UFC Middleweight division history (9) with Michael Bisping
  • Fourth most significant strikes landed in UFC Middleweight division history (1098)
• UFC.com Awards
  • 2018: Fight of the Year (vs. Yoel Romero 2)
  • 2017: Ranked #4 Fighter of the Year
  • 2016: Ranked #10 Fight of the Year (vs. Derek Brunson)
• Superfight Australia
  • SFA Welterweight Championship (One time)
• MMA Mania.com
  • UFC/MMA 'Fighter of the Year' 2017 - Top 5 List No. 2
• MMAjunkie.com
  • 2024 February Fight of the Month (vs. Paulo Costa)
• Sherdog
  • 2017 Fighter of the Year
• MMA DNA.nl
  • 2017 Fighter of the Year
  • 2018 Fight of the Year (vs. Yoel Romero 2)
• BJPENN.COM
  • Scrap of the Month for June 2018 (vs. Yoel Romero 2)
• World MMA Awards
  • 2017 International Fighter of the Year

6.3. Freestyle Wrestling Achievements

• Australia Cup
  • Winner - 214 lb ^{(97 kg)} (2015)
• Australian National Wrestling Championships
  • Gold medal - 214 lb ^{(97 kg)} (2017)
• Commonwealth Games
  • Qualified - 214 lb ^{(97 kg)} (2018)

7.1. Professional Mixed Martial Arts Record

7.2. Mixed Martial Arts Exhibition Record