Robert Whittaker, former Middleweight champion is set to make his comeback at UFC 298. He will be squaring off with the formidable striker, Paulo Costa, gracing the octagon for the first time after his defeat against the current champion Dricus Du Plessis last year. Moreover, as per the UFC rankings, he is currently ranked #3 in the world.

It might be thus safe to say that he is in the run for a title shot down the line, provided he wins his upcoming fights. Regardless, ahead of the bout, let’s look back at history and scrutinize every single loss of the former champion and figure out his weak spots. So without further ado, let’s dive in

The five defeats of Robert Whittaker

The Australian is proven to be one of the greatest middleweight fighters in recent times. However, he has been defeated 5 times, and at times, brutally. He made his debut in the UFC as a welterweight but did not find much success. He was handed back-to-back defeats against the likes of Court McGee and Stephen Thompson via submission and TKO respectively.

It was crucial for him to make a conscious change and he did just that as he moved up in weight class and became a middleweight fighter back in 2014. Since then, he has been on a legendary 7 fight-win streak. Thereafter, he ultimately became a champion in 2017 after he defeated Yoel Romero.

Trending

Israel Adesanya Responds After Shaquille O’Neal Brands Two-Time Champ “Greatest Athletes Ever” Along With Jon Jones and Kamaru Usman

April 27, 2024 07:23 AM EDT

“Colby Called the Cops” – Ryan Garcia Teaching Covington His Boxing Secrets Leaves Combat World in Splits

April 28, 2024 07:49 AM EDT

How Much of BKFC Does Conor McGregor Own? All We Know About the UFC Star’s Deal With David Feldman’s Promotion

April 28, 2024 11:53 AM EDT

Michael Chandler Handed Sad Update on Conor McGregor Fight at UFC 303 – “He’s Not Going to Get Pay-Per-View Points”

April 24, 2024 07:47 PM EDT

Colby Covington Officially Confirms Status for UFC 303: Conor McGregor vs Michael Chandler Co-Main Rumors With Ian Garry

April 28, 2024 03:16 PM EDT

Get instantly notified of the hottest UFC stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

However, things went quite downhill after his first title defense. He was destined to face the then-rising star, Israel Adesanya. In the lead-up to this bout, Whittaker was targeted verbally by Adesanaya and the then-contender tried to get under his skin.

In their bout, ‘The Last StyleBender,’ handed him his third defeat and dethroned him from the title. This loss had a profound effect on the Australian who took some time off but resorted back to the MMA lifestyle to make a successful comeback against Darren Till. After losing his title, he went on a three-fight win streak and was rightfully given the opportunity to face for the belt again.

However, yet again, Whittaker couldn’t get the better of Adesanaya and was defeated for the second time. That being said, this time around, the fight was relatively closer and more competitive than their first encounter. Not to mention, many consider Whittaker to have won the bout and deemed the decision to be a ‘robbery.’ However, notwithstanding the opinions of MMA pundits and fans, it was time for him to go back to the drawing board.

He made a quick turnaround against Marvin Vettori and defeated him. Thereafter, he suffered his recent defeat against the South African, who then went on to become the champion. So the Du Plessis bout may not necessarily be an embarrassing loss. All in all, he has been defeated 5 times in his career, 2 at the welterweight division and 3 in the middleweight division. 4 out of his 5 victories come by the way of stoppages.

Nevertheless, he continues to be the fighter he is and is eager to rise to world championships.

Whittaker promises a grand comeback

The former champion has achieved quite a lot in the sport and is eager to get more wins under his belt, while the MMA world takes notice of it. According to him, Costa is not much of a threat, and he is not interested in fighting him to a decision but rather in violently hurting him. In addition, he is confident in his abilities to do so.

Watch This Story– Israel Adesanya ranks himself above Michael Jordan in pettiness

In a press conference, he stated, “I’m coming into this fight hungrier than ever.” Whittaker continued. “I’ve been focusing on bringing that animal back. I’m not just in it, this fight, to win. I’m in it to hurt Costa, and I think that mentality is a powerful thing to have.” His comments make this match-up more exciting than it already is, and the fans cannot wait for it.

Amidst this enthusiasm, we ask you, how do you see this fight playing? Who is going to win? Share with us your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.

UFC Legend Discloses Why Robert Whittaker Is the “Spoiled Apple” Because of Israel Adesanya Ahead of Dricus du Plessis Fight