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This Thursday, Sydney’s Robert Whittaker is scheduled to face Court McGee on the undercard of UFC Fight Night: Condit versus Kampmann 2 at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Whittaker is perhaps best-known as the welterweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes.
He defeated the UK’s Brad Scott in the show’s finale on the Gold Coast at UFC on FX 6: Sotiropoulos versus Pearson last December.
In his last fight, Whittaker knocked out Colton Smith in devastating fashion at UFC 160: Velasquez versus Bigfoot 2.
Jason Tulio: Describe your experiences as a TUF winner. What has that been like?
Robert Whittaker: Winning the show has definitely boosted my career in phenomenal ways. It gave me that push I needed to make a name for myself and to get my skillset out there.
It’s a hard road to walk still, you start slow but I don’t tend to give up. It’s just been awesome.
Have you experienced a sudden surge in popularity?
I definitely get more recognised than I used to around Australia and I’m always grateful for that. It’s definitely nice to know that people are watching and can appreciate what you’re doing to yourself for their entertainment.
How would you describe your experiences in the house?
In one word, it was horrible. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life and I’m definitely not keen to redo that.
Why was it horrible?
They do their best to really try and take you out of your comfort zone. I think they really succeeded – they really try and make you uncomfortable and push you to the limit mentally on what you can take.
I think a lot of the boys showed signs that they were breaking mentally.
Describe your last fight with Colton Smith.
My last fight went really well. I stuck to a steady game plan and I played to my abilities, stayed composed the whole way.
I knew I had the power to stop him and it took patience to land that one hit but I knew it would come. I was very happy with the result.
How has your training been in Montreal at Tristar Gym?
My training at Tristar has been really tough. I went there to give my all and I think that’s what I did. I trained with a lot of high-calibre people under the coaching of Firas Zahabi and I think it went absolutely splendidly.
I think the results of my camp will show on [fight night].
You have a background in Goju-ryu Karate. Do you feel that this is evident in your current style?
I think my background in Karate is definitely going to be a trait that I’m going to take into every other martial art I do.
No matter what I do, I think there will always be that trait of Karate in me. It’s one of my strengths and I’m going to try keep it strong and stick with it.
What are your thoughts on Court McGee?
Court McGee is a top bloke and a really good fighter. I was an absolute fan of his when he was on the series.
I really like his fight style – he’s a really strong pressure fighter, doesn’t mind brawling but he can also take you down and fight on the ground.
He can always go the distance so you know you’re in for a war when you fight him. I’m really looking forward to fighting him.
Have you worked on anything specific for this fight?
Court McGee is such a well-rounded fighter. I think the better claim would be just to strengthen all aspects of my game and I think I’ve accomplished that.
I’ll just try to enforce my will on him and see what he can do.
You’re now 2-0 in the UFC and you’ve been labelled as a hot prospect. Do you feel any additional pressure as a result?
Not at all. I never really let what other people say affect me. I really am my own biggest critic and I set my own expectations.
I listen to what other people say but it doesn’t register as much until I actually acknowledge it.
You’re now coming up to three fights in the last eight months. Do you plan to keep up this busy schedule?
I’ll fight anyone they put in front of me whenever they put them in front of me. I need to fight, that’s my job now and I enjoy doing it.
Just keep lining them up and I’ll just keep knocking them down.
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