“When I made the UFC, everyone said, 'You need to go overseas.' I thought I had to go as well, and I went to Tristar Gym, and I was there for one or two years. But changes were needed. I'd come off back-to-back losses - Court McGee and Stephen Thompson - and I needed to look at my roots and go back to the drawing board.”

Australian professional mixed martial artist

Robert John Whittaker is an Australian professional mixed martial artist. He competes in the light heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and was formerly the UFC Middleweight Champion. He is also the first Australian to win a UFC championship. Whittaker has built his reputation in the UFC across two weight classes, with his championship run in the middleweight division standing as the central achievement of his career. His public profile rests on elite competition at the highest level of mixed martial arts, and on the significance of his place in Australian sporting history.