Robert Whittaker parents: Here's everything you need to know about the former UFC champion's family

Robert Whittaker and his upbringing provided the groundwork for who he has become today.

His father Jack Whittaker and his mother Jewel Whittaker have played roles in shaping their son into the highly-ranked contender/ former UFC middleweight champion known the world over. In fact, Robert has gone as far as to pointedly shout out Jack as a major reason he has been so successful in MMA due to the martial arts support his dad gave him through his upbringing.

The UFC's first Australian champion was born on December 20th, 1990 in Otahuhu, Auckland, New Zealand at Middlemore Hospital. Robert has said his mother Jewel's side of the family is largely Kiwi with a strong Maori heritage throughout.

His parents separated when he was 10 and Jack raised him and his brother Steven as a single parent in the year 2000. The Whittaker brothers would relocate to the Sydney suburb of Menai to a housing commission apartment his father resided in during this time.

The Southern Cross tattoo that Robert Whittaker has on his chest is something he strikes before octagon outings over the years. This has a deeper meaning than getting hyped up as it reminds him of his dad who got him the tattoo.

Whittaker is now a husband and father himself as he continues his journey in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Check out Robert Whittaker in dad mode below:

Robert Whittaker and his next UFC test

To the aforementioned point of his UFC story still unfurling, Whittaker will next compete later this week on Saturday. On February 17th in the co-main event of UFC 298, he clashes with Paulo Costa in the pay-per-view attraction.

The 33-year-old looks to rebound from a loss and get back into the win column over a relevant middleweight (the number six contender) and former title challenger in the division. Robert Whittaker last fell to now-UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis via second-round TKO at UFC 290 in July last year.

The welterweight winner of the inaugural TUF: Smashes season has been a fixture in the promotion for close to a dozen years now and is the number three-ranked UFC middleweight at this juncture.

The New Zealand native holds notable UFC wins over 'Jacare' Souza, Jared Cannonier, Darren Till, Marvin Vettori and Yoel Romero twice to name but a few.