Is Robert Whittaker past his prime?
Considering that Robert Whittaker is only 29, my headline does not make much sense at first glance. But when you take a thorough analysis into “Bobby Knuckle’s” career as a mixed martial artist, you will get to know that he has been doing this since the age of seven when his father enrolled him alongside his brother into a karate gym.
A life long martial artist, Whittaker also started young in his pro MMA career, making his debut at the tender age of 18 at the Xtreme Fighting Championships. Robert Whittaker would make his debut in the UFC five days short of his 22nd birthday and has been a staple in the promotion since.
Considering all the above facts, Whittaker is already a veteran of the octagon in the same way as that of Max Holloway. They are comparatively young for their division, but the punishment that their body has taken during their lengthy UFC career is not relatable to most fighters their age.
While Max Holloway has never been in a war, which he didn’t orchestrate, Robert Whittaker has had a much more of a brawl-friendly career. Being 29 years old accounts for nothing when you go up against a monster like Yoel Romero, who proved to be the perfect dance partner for the Aussie inside the octagon.
But those ten-rounds of brutality have slowed Robert Whittaker down. His first fight with the Cuban resulted in a medial knee injury in his left leg because of an oblique kick in the first round.
Robert Whittaker showed his heart and will as he grinded his way to victory against a man many consider as the scariest in his division. He repeated that feat at UFC 225 in another five-round war which encapsulated how brave the Kiwi-born Australian is.
These wars inside the octagon can take lots out of a fighter, not just physically but emotionally and spiritually too. A perfect example here could be former UFC fighter Rory Macdonald, who never looked the same after his epic war against Robbie Lawler in their second bout.
Robert Whittaker has fought just three times since winning the interim middleweight title against Romero at UFC 213 and has been unlucky with a bunch of injuries that have left him sidelined from the action. Robert Whittaker also revealed in interviews he felt “burnt out” after his second fight against Yoel Romero after pushing himself to the max physically and mentally with a grueling training schedule.
“The Reaper” made no excuses for his loss against Adesanya though and claimed that a win over the charismatic Kiwi would only have put a band-aid on the issue. Considering what Whittaker has been through in his last few years as a fighter, UFC’s main event this weekend will show whether the former middleweight champion is finally out of his mental slumber.
Robert Whittaker, skill-wise, is probably one of the best in the middleweight division, while his toughness and bloodymindedness were on full display in that ten-round he spent with Romero inside the octagon. I wonder, though, how much of that toughness is left in the gas tank, for a guy who's into his eighth year as a UFC fighter.
The only way to find out is to tune in on Saturday night in a fight of high stakes for both Robert Whittaker and Darren Till.