UFC 213: Whittaker outlasts Romero to become Australasia’s first UFC Champion

Whittaker shrugged off a knee injury sustained in the first round to surge home against Cuban Yoel Romero at UFC 213 in Las Vegas to be crowned the interim middleweight champion.

“We were destined to fight mate, I think it’s fate, it really is”, Whittaker said, as Bisping approached Joe Rogan and the mic. With the result possibly going either way in a very close encounter, “The Reem” came out on top in the third fight with Werdum and will now, more than likely, challenge Stipe Miocic once again for the heavyweight title.

The entire division needs this fight, and far more than it needs Bisping and St-Pierre to use each other as walking ATMs.

That kind of talk has become a hallmark of Whittaker’s journey to the brink of history.

Several years later, he progressed to hapkido under current coach Henry Perez and when his mentor switched to mixed martial arts, Whittaker followed him, soon making an impact on the Australian scene with his aggressive style.

“Here, take that”, Bisping yelled without much conviction as he threw his own belt on the canvas. Despite Werdum exhibiting what appeared to be more energy than his opponent, Overeem still won.

Whittaker could be the next big thing in the middleweight division.

The event kicked off with news that the main event was called off as the women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes was forced out with illness just a few hours before the show.

“I worked hard for that bit of shining metal there”.

“May the best man win”. He defeated Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza last time out in the most impressive victory of his career.

At 26, Whittaker is undoubtedly the future of the company and there is every chance he will take over as the face of a burgeoning market just like Bisping did.

“He’s the champion for a reason” Whittaker said “He’s been in the sport for a hell of a long time”. “I respect him as one of the highest calibre of fighters”. The activity overwhelmed Romero and Whittaker was able to catch him and hurt him.

The post-fight scene in the octagon at UFC 213 turned from heartwarming to hokey in an instant. Romero is an Olympic silver medalist in wrestling with otherworldly knockout power. Still one of the best middleweights in the world, Romero said he has no plans to retire.

Whittaker proved in besting Romero that he can deal with any style.

“Now is my time”, insists Whittaker.

“I’m going to review the whole fight”.

Romero saw success early on in the bout, but he ultimately dropped a decision loss, as “The Reaper” pulled away as the fight carried on. The pendulum was definitely swinging in Whittaker’s favor as his confidence continued to grow with each punch and kick landed while Romero was labored in nearly every movement throughout the round.

Another area Whittaker probably doesn’t get enough credit for is athleticism.