Robert Whittaker disgusted by 'slurry' interviews at UFC 293, says fighters need to be more responsible - "We are under the spotlight"
Robert Whittaker’s public conduct and sense of responsibility are well-known in the MMA world. It has made him one of the best role models in the sport. Naturally, someone making racial or homophobic references in public does not sit well with ‘The Reaper’. UFC 293 event witnesses fighters Charles Radtke and Manel Kape make homophobic remarks during their octagon interviews.
Robert Whittaker made an appearance on the MMAArcade podcast to review and discuss the aftermath of the UFC 293 pay-per-view event. While speaking about Manel Kape and Charles Radtke’s conduct in the octagon, the 32-year-old expressed dissatisfaction at the remarks made in public and stated:
“There was some crazy stuff said post-fight. They’re just saying some real slurry, bigotry, bad words, things you can’t say in 2024! I’m not one to tell anybody what to do, okay? But I just want everyone, all the fighters, all the fighters that fight… Understand, you want to be real, okay?”
While Whittaker does not intend to stop anyone from expressing their true feelings. He believes that fighters need to be more responsible while speaking on a public platform.
“Just remember that we are under the spotlight in front of millions of fans. And of those millions of fans," added Whittaker. "There are kids, impressionable kids… Starting watching UFC from [young] ages… Really young kids watching and, set a good example!”
You can watch Robert Whittaker express his opinions from the 28:25 mark of the video below:
Robert Whittaker wins hearts with a nice gesture during UFC 293 open workouts
At UFC 293, former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya returned to compete in Australia first time after defeating Whittaker to win the title in October 2019. During the open workouts for UFC 293, Adesanya asked the people present to raise their hands if they witnessed his title win nearly four years ago.
Robert Whittaker, who was attending the open workout, hilariously raised his hands. The moment was captured on camera and posted on @oocmma's Twitter handle. Watch it below:
Whittaker garnered a lot of appreciation from the fans for accepting this part of his legacy with grace and sportsmanship.