Robert Whittaker is making a point of sharing his story with the world. Photo / Getty Images
Robert Whittaker is making a point of sharing his story with the world. Photo / Getty Images
Robert Whittaker's road to the top of the mixed martial arts world was long and rocky. The UFC middleweight opens up to Christopher Reive about taking strength from the hardships life has thrown his way.
On the playground at school, Robert Whittaker was known as the poor kid.
Alcoholism affected his family. His parents had split up. He and his brother Steven were raised by their father, Jack, in a Western Sydney housing commission unit.
Growing up in the housing commission environment, Whittaker saw a lot of hardships – both his own and those of the people living around him. Life's struggles surrounded him daily; when he overcame one, another was just around the corner.
Enrolled in a karate school at a young age to learn self-discipline and self-defense, mixed martial arts became Whittaker's ticket to a better life. Now, he wants to share his story.
"I feel that if someone like myself told their story to some of the kids I grew up with and they could relate to that story they might have been able to take something from it," Whittaker said. "They might have been able to take a message or anything else from it that these hardships and trials, they hit everybody – it doesn't matter who they are."
The 28-year-old will be embarking on a speaking tour around Australia and New Zealand later this year, recounting tales of his youth, the troubles he faced throughout his life, and how he clawed his way to where he is today – one of the top mixed martial artists the world has to offer.
Robert Whittaker was crowned UFC middleweight champion after a win over Yoel Romero in 2017. Photo / Getty Images
"Selfishly, I think it's going to be a sort of therapy session for me. Being able to speak about it and tell my story is going to allow me to understand it that much better honestly. Although I'm doing the speaking tour, I'm still working through a lot of these things I'm talking about. This is a way for me to just put myself on the spot and just run with it. I think selfishly there's that, but if one person can relate to my story and take something from it, then the whole tour was a success. One person being impacted by something can make a huge difference in society."
The New Zealand-born fighter made his professional MMA debut in 2009, cutting his teeth on the local scene. In three years, he posted a 9-2 record with all wins by knockout or submission, catching the eye of the UFC.
He got his break as part of the UFC's Ultimate Fighter programme in 2012, winning the welterweight tournament and earning a spot on the main UFC roster. At the time, he was still working as a sparkie, and kept his job on hold early in his UFC career.
He was among the trailblazers for Australasian mixed martial artists looking to make it to the top level of the sport. Since his UFC debut in 2012, at least 13 more fighters from the region have joined the promotion.
After making the jump up a weight class to middleweight in 2014, he never looked back. Seven fights later, he was the UFC's middleweight champion.
Robert Whittaker held the UFC middleweight championship for more than two years. Photo / Getty Images
"I underwent those trials and tribulations and managed to work my way to a world title," he said.
"I'm not trying to sell a message to try to teach people, I'm not that person. I'm a guy that's trying to get out there and tell people my story and hope they can relate to some of it and take what they want from it."
The hardships didn't stop for Whittaker as he grew older. He has dealt with more than his fair share of setbacks due to injury and illness, and recently opened up on his struggles with depression, which is something he is still learning how to deal with effectively.
Mental health has become an important talking point in recent years, with awareness of mental illness and how it affects people continuing to rise.
For Whittaker, it's not so much a crushing depression where he gets to the point he doesn't feel like moving, but an ongoing, sneaking depression that slowly drains his spirit.
"My first point of call is to just retreat into myself, go play some video games and isolate myself," he explained. "It happens subtly and slowly, it creeps on me. The line between using it as a coping mechanism as well as just playing games for the enjoyment of it is very blurred. It's something that I've only been able to identify lately, I'm starting to build that skillset up to identify it and communicate about it, but it's something I've always had.
"The biggest thing is I've just had some great people around me. My wife and family are the foundation of everything for me, then my coaches and team – they don't care if I'm the champ or not, they just want me to be happy and try to look after me. That network of support is great.
"You really need to build that foundation, to build that network of people that mean the most to you, the people that care about you, because when you're winning everyone wants to be your mate."
Whittaker recently lost his title to Kiwi Israel Adesanya, who stopped Whittaker in the second round of their bout at UFC 243 in Melbourne earlier this month. It was his first loss since 2014, and his first in the middleweight division.
Robert Whittaker was stopped by Israel Adesanya in the second round of their bout at UFC 243. Photo / Photosport
The loss stung, but the former champion didn't dwell on it for too long. Instead, he's getting back into competing, with local jiu-jistu tournament on his horizon while he awaits his next walk to the UFC octagon.
As it stands, Whittaker expects to be waiting until early next year for his next UFC bout, with storylines still to play out in the division toward the back end of 2019.
"Obviously I'm a little disappointed (to lose the title) – I think I'd be broken if I wasn't – but to be honest everything in the lead up was absolutely perfect," Whittaker reflected. "The fight itself could have been done a little differently, but that's easy to say reflectively. You have to be prepared to lose sometimes. Fortunately - or unfortunately, whichever way you want to see it – I've lost before, but I've got back on the horse and I'm worked my way back to a title. I'm only 28 now, so my journey is nowhere near over.
"Hats off to Izzy. We went out there and fought, I got clipped and he won. Hats off to him for that, but it is what it is. It doesn't make me any less of a fighter. I'm just going to get back in there and beat up the next guy."
Robert Whittaker has experienced the highs and lows of mixed martial arts. Photo / Photosport
Robert Whittaker Up Close and Personal
Bruce Mason Theatre, Auckland. Monday December 2. ISAAC Theatre Royal, Christchurch. Tuesday December 3.
