Robert Whittaker has found himself on a roller-coaster ride with the recent change in his opponents for the UFC’s upcoming Saudi Arabia event on June 22! The main event for the promotion’s debut in the region was originally scheduled to be a no.1 contender clash between the former middleweight champion and Khamzat Chimaev. However, UFC CEO Dana White recently announced on social media that due to being “violently ill”, ‘Borz’ has been replaced by Ikram Aliskerov for the event.

Whittaker last stepped into the Octagon to face Paulo Costa at UFC 298 where he secured a unanimous decision victory against the Brazilian. However, with the short-notice change in opponents, ‘The Reaper’ will now have to come up with a game plan for a completely different style of fighter in Aliskerov. As such, let’s take a look and learn more about Whittaker’s gym, his coach, and all we know about how ‘The Reaper’ prepares for his fights!

Where does Robert Whittaker train in Australia and who are his teammates?

Born in Otahuhu, Auckland in New Zealand, Robert Whittaker’s family moved to Australia shortly after his birth. It was here that his journey in marital arts began when his father enrolled him and his brother in a karate school when he was just 7 years old.

After 8 years of training and earning his black belt in Goju-ryu karate, Whittaker then enrolled in a hapkido gym which was later transformed into an MMA gym by the coach, Henry Perez. This led to ‘The Reaper’ falling in love with MMA and in 2008, he made his debut in the sport when he signed with ‘Xtreme Fighting Championships’ in Australia.  

According to information available on Tapology, Whittaker currently trains out of the ‘Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Smeaton Grange’ gym in New South Wales, Australia. His teammates in the gym include fellow UFC middleweight Jacob Malkoun, who is also an ADCC Asia Trials Winner from 2019, ‘Dynamite’ David Francis, and Isi ‘Doxz’ Fitikefu.

His grappling coach at the gym is Alex Prates and according to an update from Whittaker’s Instagram, Brian Doyle handles the boxing coach duties for ‘The Reaper’. In the past, Whittaker has also trained with the ‘Tristar Gym’ in Canada from 2013-14 under coach Firas Zahabi, most notable for producing fighters like Georges St. Pierre, Rory MacDonald, Arnold Allen, and more.

Is Whittaker a black belt in BJJ?

Robert Whittaker holds a black belt in BJJ under his teacher, Alex Prates. In a post shared on his Instagram account in 2020, ‘The Reaper’ revealed that he had been training in gi jiu-jitsu for 16 years at that point.

The caption for the update stated, “Honoured to be handed my black belt from my coach and friend @alexprates07 . Started Gi 16 years ago and I’m stoked to have hit this milestone in my career. Lookout world. If you’re in so much as a long sleeve shirt. Danger.”

In conclusion, as Whittaker navigates this unexpected change in opponents on June 22, his team’s guidance and adaptability will play a crucial part in the fight. The switch to fighting Ikram Aliskerov will definitely present new challenges for ‘The Reaper’ but the fans will be hoping that the former 185 lbs king can secure a win and continue his journey towards reclaiming his throne!