What stance does Robert Whittaker fight in? Breaking down 'The Reaper's' striking style
Former undisputed middleweight champion Robert Whittaker is one of the most well-rounded fighters on the UFC roster. After suffering an upset loss against current champion Dricus du Plessis last year, 'The Reaper' has bounced back, claiming a dream start to his 2024 campaign, with a unanimous decision win over Paulo Costa at UFC 298.
He is set to take on Ikram Aliskerov at the upcoming UFC Riyadh after his original opponent Khamzat Chaimev was forced ot of the contest due to health complications.
According to Duelbits, the Australian is a -200 favorite against Aliskerov (+155 underdog) for their upcoming clash.
Check out the opening odds for Robert Whittaker vs. Ikram Aliskerov below:
While Aliskerov is as well-rounded as they come, his recent fights have given a taste of how much of a knockout threat the Russian is on the feet. With the fight a week out, let us take a closer look at 'The Reaper's' striking prowess.
What stance does Robert Whittaker fight in?
Robert Whittaker fights orthodox, which means he fights with his left foot in front, making his left side closer to his opponent. In most cases, fighting in this stance also means the fighter will be throwing most of his power punches with his right hand.
While 'The Reaper' is one of the most well-rounded fighters on the roster, he is extremely dangerous on the feet and has nine knockouts to his name. However, his finish rate has diminished in recent years with his last non-decision win coming back at UFC on Fox 24 in 2017.
Whittaker holds back belts in Goju-Ryu karate and Hapkido and has often exhibited impressive footwork in his fights. 'The Reaper' is also exceptionally well at mixing up his stand-up game, employing both kicks and punches.
His signature left-hand-high kick combo has discombobulated many top fighters including former title challengers Yoel Romero, and Jared Cannonier, among others.
Check out Robert Whittaker's left-hand-high kick combo below:
Whittaker holds a striking accuracy of 42 percent and a significant strike defense of 56 percent.
Nevertheless, he has shown vulnerability against counter strikers like Israel Adesanya and has been trumped by volume strikers like Stephen Thompson and power punches like du Plessis.
Despite this 'The Reaper' has also shared the cage and triumphed against dangerous contenders including Darren Till, Derek Brunson, and Uriah Hall.