Whittaker’s star appeal
ROBERT Whittaker has been on a Las Vegas blackjack table when Iron Man called.
While on Instagram, Australia’s first UFC champ is followed by Thor.
And now this Sunday afternoon, at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne ... well, no less than Jason Bourne will be in the house.
For even superheroes need somebody to cheer, right?
And Down Under, that fella is
Bobby Knuckles.
On the eve of his first Australian title defence at UFC 234, News Corp can reveal Hollywood megastars Matt Damon and Chris Hemsworth will both be cageside as Whittaker throws down against American challenger Kelvin Gastelum.
A keen follower of mixed martial arts, Thor: Ragnarok star Hemsworth is already a longtime supporter of Australia’s most dangerous man – joining the likes of legendary surfer Kelly Slater, F1 ace Daniel Ricciardo and actors Robert Downey Jnr and Sylvester Stallone.
Damon, meanwhile, not only boasts an estimated Forbes fortune worth $240 million, but is also a Whittaker fan and one of several celebrities who bought into the UFC during its 2016 $4 billion sale.
Others who invested alongside the two-time Golden Globe winner include Stallone, Mark Wahlberg, Serena Williams and New England QB Tom Brady.
Elsewhere, a host of local fans including boxing great Jeff Fenech and Brisbane Broncos coach Anthony Seibold will also be in attendance with UFC president Dana White, who is also flying in via pri- vate jet for a card that sold out in eight minutes, or quicker than the Rolling Stones.
All of which continues the remarkable rise of a kid from Sutherland housing commission stock who, seven years ago arrived in the UFC as an unknown Cityrail elec- trician. A former Cronulla Sharks wannabe who entered The Ultimate Fighter: Smashes for nothing more than free training gear – then went on to win the thing.
Just as he now sits unbeaten through nine straight UFC fights.
And still, Bobby Knuckles never saw any of this.
How could he?
Like after UFC 213, in July, 2017, when having defeated Cuban monster Yoel Romero for the interim middleweight title, he sat at an MGM Grand blackjack table when his mobile buzzed.
“And it was Robert Downey Jnrs,” he says, referencing the Iron Man star.
“Obviously I called back immediately.”
Not that any of this mattered to Whittaker yesterday.
No, not Damon or Hemsworth – who the UFC have confirmed as guests – nor his growing profile, new BMW sponsorship or talk of an ANZ Stadium superfight.
“Because my superfight is this weekend,” Whittaker said after training.
“I can’t be worrying about anything outside that. Sunday is going to be too close, too hard.”
And as for Gastelum’s promise of a first round KO?
“Maybe he’s right,” the Mt Annan father-of-three shrugged. “But I can tell you plenty of others have said that before too.
“They were saying it when I first started out, as the underdog in all my fights, and they’re still saying it now when I’m the champ.
“I reckon if you get them all together, you’d have a club.”
Yep, just like those superheroes.