Kiwi on brink of joining UFC top ranks
Heavy hitter Robert Whittaker a headline act tipped to be a world champion in the not too distant future, reports Marvin France.
MARK Hunt’s war on doping has left a fairly large void among Australasian fighters in the UFC but Robert Whittaker may be just the man to fill it.
The New Zealand-born, Australian-bred middleweight continues his remarkable rise in Melbourne today when he headlines a UFC card for the very first time.
Having spent the majority of his life across the Tasman, Whittaker is perhaps more identified as an Australian fighter yet, as shown by the Maori tattoo on his right shoulder, is immensely proud of his Kiwi roots.
And on the back of a five-fight win streak that has lifted him to seventh in the rankings, he is potentially just two wins away from challenging for a UFC title.
But when it comes to leading the way for mixed martial arts in this part of the world, the 25-yearold Sydney-based striker is not quite prepared to put himself on Hunt’s level just yet.
‘‘Mark Hunt’s a legend everywhere, so that’s a big call,’’ Whittaker said ahead of his bout against Derek Brunson at UFC Fight Night 101.
‘‘I’ll do my best to try and spread the word . . . but I’m definitely feeling for Mark Hunt.’’
Indeed, the ‘Super Samoan’ is a notable absence from the octagon today as he fights for the UFC to take a tougher stance on performance-enhancing drugs.
Hunt has played a big part in the promotion’s push for a presence Down Under, regularly featuring in events in Australia while headlining two of the last three cards.
The Kiwi heavyweight told the MMAHour this week that he rejected an offer to fight in Melbourne against Josh Barnett due to the UFC’s refusal to insert a clause in his contract that would have awarded Hunt the full purse in the event Barnett tested positive for any banned substances.
With former middleweight champion Luke Rockhold and Ronaldo Souza originally scheduled to meet in the main event, it is unclear whether Hunt would have again been given top billing.
An injury to Rockhold meant that honour was handed to Whittaker, who described it as the ‘‘biggest milestone’’ of his career to date.
And New Zealand featherweight Dan Hooker, who is up against American Jason Knight in the prelims, believes it will be the first of many.
‘‘I personally believe that he was going to get the headline spot to start with so to see Robert Whittaker headlining the card is amazing,’’ Hooker said.
‘‘I think he’s going to be a world champion one day so we should get behind him and support him as much as we can.’’
Of course, being the headline act is not just about having your face plastered across billboards.
On top of the extra promotional and media demands, there is also a heightened expectation from the home fans to put on a show.
But Whittaker has taken it in all in his stride.
‘‘No more than usual,’’ he said when asked if there was any added pressure to perform. ‘‘Realistically, I’m only fighting a little bit later and I get a bit of extra special treatment.’’
As for the prospect of going five rounds for only the second time in 20 professional bouts, Whittaker said: ‘‘I’m working my cardio to the highest level anyway, I don’t train my cardio for just 15 minutes.’’
Today’s main event is an intriguing match-up between two rising middleweights looking to break into the elite of the division.
Brunson (16-3) is ranked one place below Whittaker (16-4) and is on a five-fight winning streak of his own.
While his background may lie in wrestling, the American has shown he is just as dangerous on his feet with his last four fights all finishing via first round TKO.
Striking is Whittaker’s strongpoint and if Brunson wants to keep the fight standing, he is only happy to oblige.
‘‘The key is not engage in his game,’’ Whittaker said. ‘‘He’s going to try and bully me, he’s going to try and take me down, try and tire me out but I’m not going to enter his world.
‘‘I’m going to use my striking to hurt him and start dictating the pace, picking him apart and once he gets hurt he’ll start to get tired, he’ll start to get sloppy, he’ll start to get reckless and that’s when I’ll finish him.’’