Robert Whittaker is grateful to have overcome a five-round war with Yoel Romero.
Last night (July 8), Whittaker battled Romero for the interim Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight title. “The Reaper” took a unanimous decision victory and the gold inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada to close UFC 213.
Speaking with Megan Olivi, Whittaker said having the type of fight he had with Romero was crucial for his career:
“I feel this was an important fight to have. (I) had some obstacles I had to get through. It was a really trying fight. It was a hard fight, it wasn’t a fight that I finished early. It was a fight that was hard-fought and hard-won. I think I needed that right now. Was it the performance I wanted? No, I like going in there, not getting touched and getting out in the first minute. That just gives me something to work on. I’m gonna go back to the drawing board, stick in the program and just get better.”
The newly crowned interim champ expressed his excitement in having a unification bout with Michael Bisping down the line.
“It’s gonna be a hard match-up. I feel like it’s fate. We were supposed to fight another time and it was called off. So, I really do feel like this is fate. I think that’s gonna be a massive clash. Australia and England always have a fun rivalry, the best of times. So, I think this is gonna be an absolute blockbuster.”
