Following his first round TKO victory over Derek Brunson in the main event of UFC Fight Night 101 this past weekend in Melbourne, Australia, Robert Whittaker wouldn’t mind a crack at top middleweight contender Gegard Mousasi next.
Robert Whittaker’s rise up the 185lbs ranks got an extra boost this past Saturday night as his first opportunity to headline a UFC event went almost perfectly. After weathering the storm early on he came back to hit Brunson with a head kick and then followed up with some ground and pound until the referee called it off. Speaking in the post fight press conference he reflected on the fight and his performance.
“It’s funny, because I actually remember in the fight as I was backing away, I was thinking, does he think he rocked me? I wasn’t rocked,” Whittaker said. “I was still in it. A lot of people were critical of his game plan charging forward, but ask the last four dudes. He takes you out of it.”
So what’s next for the former ‘Ultimate Fighter’ winner? Well when asked if a fight with Gegard Mousasi would make sense, the New Zealander didn’t shy away.
“He’s a top athlete, he’s a top fighter, and he’s a cool dude,” Whittaker said. “If that’s a fight the UFC wants, that’s a fight they’ll get.”
One things for sure and that’s with this win over Brunson, Whittaker has now broken from the pack of up and coming prospects in the UFC’s middleweight division and has big fights with marquee names in his future. At just 25 years of age, now riding a 6 fight win streak, he has the confidence and ability to back up his words and made a real statement.
“I think they understand I’m for real and I’m here to stay,” Whittaker said. “This is my run. I just want to move up. I want to take these hard fights, and fight these tough dudes and eventually fight for the belt. If I’m healthy and I’m ready, I’ll fight anywhere, any time.”
