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UFC 234: Whittaker vs Gastelum is here, and headlining the night is none other than Robert Whittaker.
A fight who has often gone overlooked despite his incredible performances in the Octagon, Whittaker is someone that the fans don't know too much about. Disciplined and accomplished during his fights, he has taken on and beaten some of the best fighters to have ever entered a UFC Octagon.
Currently the UFC Middleweight Champion, Robert Whittaker is about to put his title on the line for the first time since winning it, when he faces Kelvin Gastelum.
Whittaker has somehow managed to evade the headlines altogether, despite getting a massive number of wins to his name. Heading into this fight against Gastelum this weekend, Whittaker is on a 9-fight unbeaten streak, which is extremely impressive for anyone. In Middleweight alone, his fight streak currently stands at 8.
Heading into this fight, he should be the odds on favourite and being a Champion there should be far more hype surrounding the fight -- something that is conspicuously lacking.
In this article, we are going to shed a bit more light on this character, who is one of the best fighters to ever enter an Octagon -- and somehow not be talked about.
Without further ado, here are the 5 best fights in Robert Whittaker's UFC career so far.
#1 Colton Smith
As with any story, to know more about Whittaker's UFC career, it is important to head down memory lane towards the very bare beginnings.
In his second fight for the UFC in 2013 at UFC 160, Whittaker came across a fighter named Colton Smith.
After winning at The Ultimate Fighter 16 Finale, Smith was riding a high, entering a fight against another newcomer to the promotion in Whittaker.
The two of them faced each other on the FX Preliminary Card for UFC 160, and there Colton Smith fell victim to Robert Whittaker in the third round of their fight.
After managing to get to the third round, Smith was unable to continue and was knocked out by Whittaker.
#2 Uriah Hall
In one of the biggest fights of his career since moving to Middleweight, Robert Whittaker might have finally been about to make his name in the UFC.
Whittaker had lost a number of big fights to the likes of Stephen Thompson and Court McGee. Since the losses, he had moved to Middleweight and even won his first fight there.
When it came to facing Uriah Hall, however, Robert Whittaker was on his biggest card till date. He was fighting on the main card under a Ronda Rousey and Holly Holms fight, as well as a Mark Hunt fight. Given the enormity of these two fights, his decision win over Uriah Hall went unnoticed.
Hall had been on a run, defeating Gregor Mousasi in a previous fight, so this loss brought him up to a halt. Whittaker, on the other hand, continued his run of form, a run that has not stopped yet.
#3 Derek Brunson
Prior to fighting Robert Whittaker, Derek Brunson was on the run of his life. He had cultivated a seemingly unstoppable run, and there did not appear to be anyone on the roster who could potentially beat him.
A five-fight win streak saw him head into the main event of UFC Fight Night 101, better known as UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs Brunson with an immense amount of confidence. It would not last.
Robert Whittaker showed everyone in the audience why he was on the run that he was on. He put on a distinguished masterclass in MMA, and within the first round, put an end to Brunson's run, also effectively starting a run that Brunson would sooner forget about.
He knocked out Brunson via TKO at 4 minutes and 7 seconds of the start of the first round and picked up his 6th win in a row.
Since the loss, Brunson has gone on to lose 3 of his next 5 fights.
#4 Ronaldo Souza
Back on the main card, instead of the main event, Robert Whittaker was facing an opponent who again had seemed to be on a good run in the UFC. At UFC on Fox: Johnson vs Reis, Robert Whittaker was fighting under a title fight, where Demetrious Johnson was defending the Flyweight Title for the umpteenth time.
He had his eyes on the prize, and the prize for him was nothing less than a title fight of his own -- the Middleweight Championship, something that was held by Michael Bisping at the time.
However, a win against Ronaldo Souza would get him a shot at the Interim Middleweight Title.
So, Whittaker went into the fight against Ronaldo Souza holding absolutely nothing back. The fight was one for the ages, as the two warriors stepped into the Octagon, both with a future title shot in their minds.
Souza put up a fight, and the first round passed without either man gaining a significant advantage. The second round was different, however, as Whittaker seized on every mistake that Souza made, forcing him to make even more.
3 minutes and 28 seconds into the second round, that was it. A TKO win via punches and kicks from Whittaker saw him put Souza away, and head towards the biggest fight of his life.
#5 Yoel Romero
Yoel Romero is known for being one of the best and one of the more controversial fighters to have ever entered the UFC Octagon. Known for dispatching his opponents with both ruthlessness and precision, entering the Octagon with him is not a prospect that too many people would look forward to.
But, that's exactly what Robert Whittaker was doing prior to their fight at UFC 213. Whittaker was finally getting the shot at the Interim Middleweight Championship that he had always wanted, and he was not about to let Yoel Romero get in his way.
When the two of them met inside the Octagon, Whittaker was more than prepared for everything that Romero would bring to the table. Not only was he prepared, but he also had answers of his own.
He countered every move that was thrown at him by Romero, and at the end of the night, he was standing tall, having won the fight via Decision and holding the Interim (soon to be Undisputed) Middleweight Championship.
