Robert ‘The Reaper’ Whittaker appears ready for action this weekend. The former UFC middleweight champion expects to get back into the title race by defeating his upcoming opponent, Darren Till, at UFC Fight Night 174 on July 25.
However, it’s easier said than done.
Darren Till also appears quite confident about vanquishing ‘The Reaper’. Without a doubt, the middleweight thriller will be filled with fireworks.
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Despite all the hype and probabilities about the matchup, Whittaker’s experience in the 185 lbs division will benefit the Australian. While Till is comparably new to the division, Whittaker has had his moments of glory in the 185 lbs unit. The 29-year-old has already become the UFC middleweight champion, and he has beaten some killers in the process.
Here’s a look back at Whittaker’s 5 best moments inside the UFC cage.
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Robert Whittaker and his 5 best moments in UFC
The Taste of UFC Gold
Robert Whittaker held the UFC middleweight strap at UFC 213 against Yoel Romero. He held the title till UFC 243, citing himself as one of the best middleweights from the recent history.
In the original fight against Romero, Whittaker proved his ability to go through the distances. The middleweight giants landed significant strikes over the other throughout and turned it to a dogfight.
However, ‘The Reaper’ managed to outpoint Romero to notch the win via unanimous decision. Despite being taken into deep waters, Whittaker proved to be the better man that night. Thus, Whittaker’s win over Romero remains to be one of the biggest draws from his UFC career.
Defending the UFC Gold
Not only did Whittaker snatch away the title from Romero, he further defended it against the Cuban. The re-match between Whittaker and Romero happened at UFC 225. The rematch was carried out in the same manner as the primary contest, where the middleweight duo went head-to-head for all five rounds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0m2J9ttIpk
While many consider Romero to be the winner of the second fight, the judges awarded the victory to Whittaker via unanimous decision. Although the trilogy bout was rumored to happen, it doesn’t seem to be happening anytime soon.
The Reaper knocks out Jacare Souza
Not everyone can knock out the Brazilian ‘Souza’, especially when he is competing in the middleweight division. However, Whittaker earned himself a title shot by knocking out Souza in a nail-biting contest from UFC on Fox- ‘Johnson vs Reis’ in 2017.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP6A_L7y_1k
It was expected to be a long night for both men. Yet, Whittaker made it a quick night by knocking out Souza in the second round. Although the first round was a close contest, Whittaker left no doubts in round number 2. He planted a nasty kick over the Brazilian and made him hit the canvas.
Knocking out Derek Brunson
Whittaker made a massive statement when he KO’d Derek Brunson, one of the deadliest knockout artists in the middleweight division. Needless to say, a lot of people assumed Brunson to have an upper hand in the contest at UFC Fight night- ‘Whittaker vs Brunson’ in 2016. However, Whittaker had other plans on his mind.
He ended the fight quickly and did not even take it to the second round. One kick from Whittaker, and Bruson got knocked out cold, leaving his fans devastated. Yet, it was a special night for ‘The Reaper’ and all of his fans.
Victory on the UFC debut
A young Whittaker made his UFC debut in 2012 and fought Brad Scott at ‘UFC on FX: Sotiropoulos vs Pearson.’ The fight between two emerging superstars went for all three rounds. It was a close contest and UFC fans got to realize the Australian’s potent. After a battle of three rounds, Whittaker claimed the victory via the judge’s scorecard.
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As of now, ‘The Reaper’ is an A-listed superstar. He is just 29-years-old, which means Whittaker still has a long journey ahead. While he is looking for redemption this weekend, former middleweight champions Whittaker remains to be one of the best to have ever laced the 4-ounce gloves.
Read More |How Did Robert Whittaker Become A Champion?
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