Former UFC Champion Robert Whittaker on MMA Career, Israel Adesanya

What’s up everybody? This is Fred Richani of TSC. We have right here via Zoom a very special guest. He is a former UFC middleweight champion of the world hoping to be the new UFC middleweight champion of the world at UFC 271 when he takes on Israel arasana in a highly anticipated rematch live on pay-per-view we’re talking to the great bobby knuckles himself aka Robert Whitaker Robert. Thank you so much for joining us, especially with that. Awesome fallout chair. You got there. How’s everything going? Yeah, good mate good. Thanks for having me. I know the time difference is pretty crazy, but it’s good to be here happy to have you on now, let’s get some of these generic questions out of the way they’re on the fans minds, of course the rematch is finally official there were some rumors that maybe wasn’t officially signed sometimes they put the card before the horse now that it’s official.

How do you feel getting back to this point after winning three straight fights and surviving this crazy pandemic. Yeah. No, it was crazy. So, you know, I knew the fight was coming shortly after last fight and so with all the attention. That was brought with like is it happenings or not. I think that was just more for the fans and you know, for the public for the media to get them talking about something. But no, it’s good. You know, moving forward. It was never it was never like I just wanted to get back into the fighting scene. I just wanted to fight and you know, get come to terms with my new way of doing things because I changed a lot of things up after I lost the belt changed a lot of things up with the way I trained and especially how I conduct myself outside of the octagon.

I wanted to change things as a person. I guess and so I was kind of just finding my feet in those fights and you know, the pandemic was crazy the way things it changed around though. I was blessed to be able to fight and still be able to put on show for people. So, and it was a good way to find my feet, you know, it almost almost like it was a little slower, you know, to be able to find my feet and to get that done. So, to be where I’m at now to I’ve earned the right to have for the rematch and to, you know for getting this chance to yeah, you know, find some satisfaction in this fight, you know, going to this fight new improved self-improved and you know, I thought I’m going to leave this fight satisfied with whatever outcome that happens.

That’s awesome. Now. I’m not asking you to give us your game plan or anything like that. But I would imagine with the adversity that you dealt with personally professionally and everything else winning these three straight fights going the distance and all of them by the way as well. Is there one thing you could tell us that you really learned about yourself that you’re taking into the octagon with you. Yeah, you know, I guess. So after after I lost the belt. It was a I went on a bit of a sell searching thing. And went and found out like really really come to terms with why I fight how I want to fight how I want to train why I want to train how I want to do things.

So, you know, working through my whys and hows and what’s like it just it made things clearer for me made things easier made it easier to go to the sessions and made it easier to get into the fights to try new things. So, to be able to go into this next fight you improve self-improved and to, you know, have a real good grip on that, you know, I’m looking forward to it. We are definitely looking forward to that fight uc 271 February 12th toyota center h-town houston texas and live on espn plus pay-per-view, but in between all that right? You also had a pandemic and you’re in a country that has some of the strictest lockdowns out there now.

Obviously you want to keep people safe, everything else. But the reality is you’re also a professional fighter. And it’s complete full contact. So, what were some of the challenges that you faced over these last couple of years to get back to this point. Yeah. No, it was crazy. You know, and I was juggling. It just much like everybody else was it’s one of those things that like with the pen that came in and the lockdowns that were in force and the gym shutting down though. That was something we had to work through and you know, everybody else was in the same boat. Everyone kind of had to work through it and find a way to make it work and we did.

We found a way to isolate ourselves and to iso find isolated locations and to control that way and get partners that were happy to just isolate with us and you know, we made it work and Walter wasn’t optimal nobody wants to do that everybody’s gone through the same thing everybody had to have to find a way to adapt to this new way of living because I think it’s going to be with us for a while now these this is something we’re going to be dealing with you know, for the foreseeable future. So, you can see everyone’s kind of adapted and got used to it and we’re all in the same boat together sometimes with certain fighters, they get a rematch right away.

Maybe they get a rematch after a win or two you had to wait a couple of years looking back at that are you grateful for that. Do you feel like you’re a lot sharper now than you would have been if you just ran it back. Yeah, definitely. You know, I’m and I wanted that, I wanted to get back into finding I wanted to find my feet I wanted to find myself. I wanted to, you know, find myself in the fighting and it was necessary, you know, especially because straight after that loss with easy the first time I went on a break. I went on a hiatus, you know, I stepped to the left of fighting and you know, that was so pivotal for me and my career that you know, an instant rematch wasn’t something.

It wasn’t even something I was thinking about at the time. So, do you feel like a lot of fans and maybe some observers as well. Don’t realize that while your physical being physically in shape is great mentally. It’s just as important if not more man being mentally in shape is way more important than physical, you know, they’re both important. But you can’t fight without the headspace to fight it’s not at this level anyway. It’s so important to yeah, to be healthy, you know, mentally and you’ve been fighting for quite a while. I don’t think people realize this. You’re only 31 years old. If I’m not mistaken.

Yeah. And you’ve been fighting since 2009. So, I mean, that’s a whole lot of time. You’re definitely a young veteran to say the least obviously a former world champion. How’s your body feeling these days? How do you take care of yourself. Yeah. So, you know, recovery is a big thing it’s I try to make sure I get my eight hours sleep every night it’s hard sometimes with as many kids as I have but you know, I try to eat? Well, I try to make sure I get my sleep in I stretch a lot. They’re my main sources of recovery. I get a massage. Every once a week to try and you know, get through some knots, but otherwise it.

Yeah, it’s just that it’s more about how you train, you know, I have light days and strong days and hard days and just manage it what drew you into MMA in your adult life. I’ve done martial arts my entire life. So like I did karate. And then went from karate to xxx. So I went through that chain of events. And I guess it was like I just I enjoyed combat sports. I enjoyed martial arts. I enjoyed fighting and you know, I’m very competitive. So when I was gone through my martial arts, you know, journey I was competing in it. And honestly, just one thing led to another and I ended up fighting and got the first taste of it and the rest is history.

I just loved it and never looked back is there like a multiverse where Robert Whittaker has a different career path probably it’s hard to say there’s probably an alter alternate reality where rob Whittaker is a crappy electrician instead of a top-tier fighter for sure or hey, maybe a gamer. Maybe a streamer, right? Full-time, you know, competing in esports you’re still be competitive. Yeah. Well, I don’t know about esports can be like I gain plenty now, you know it’s I don’t know if I could do the whole esports thing. That’s seems. So stressful. Yeah. Yeah. And you got to start out young there’s kids that start like at 18 like 16 17 and they’re done by 25.

I’m like, yeah, retired. Yeah, I think it has something to do with like how fast that twitch twitch reaction is in the head and you know, there’s this it actually does degrade like you can do exercises and things to keep it going for longer, but it’s one of those things that you don’t have a lot of control over. Yeah, those kids are definitely built different as the kids say as for you. When it comes to gaming what are you playing these days. So I play a lot of bethesda titles as you can see in the chair play a lot of fallouts and skyrims and love the dark souls series.

So I play a lot of those and demon souls and things like that. And play a lot of indie games to be honest. If you like a lot of indie games on steam. It’s a lot of everything to be honest. Is there a hidden gem on steam in your steam library that you want to shout out like what sort of indie. Yeah, like something indie that maybe we haven’t played before. So, a lot of people haven’t played before they should check out rogue sales good value put like 70 hours into it for like an eight dollar game. It’s yeah, it’s pretty good if you like rogues like you prepare to have your heart broken, but because that thing’s hard man real hard now gotta ask.

You mentioned skyrim I’m a huge skyrim fan what path did you take in skyrim did you go, the straight and narrow did you join the thieves Guild how’d you end up. Oh, which playthrough, right? Yeah. Yeah, I generally what I do I got a wizardy. I got a magicky boy and then yeah. Honestly, I just go through the mages Guild line a win hold and then build my house with the without it with that deal. So, yeah, I just build my house and then end up getting a wife and putting all my decorations up making a little livestream. Awesome. Awesome. I dig it. Now, we always like to ask all our guests some kind of random rapid fire questions and a lightning round just to get to know them better.

Are you ready? I am, but I’m terrible at these like actually terrible. Well, let’s go. We’ll see about that? All right. Favorite late night snack or cheat meal? Anything anything like I made anything like there are nights I go out in the cupboards and I come back with anything that’s in the cupboard. So I just depends what flavor of the month it is. Okay. Okay. How about this. What’s the most obscenely unhealthy guilty pleasure food. You have is there something that you know, you definitely can’t eat as a professional athlete all the time, but man like after a big fight. You’re just gonna go grab it.

Yeah, it’s just like fast food like kfc or hungry jacks, but your burger King like that sort of stuff like I just love that sort of stuff that stuff is straight heart attack food as well. Like it’s terrible for you. But that’s they’re the things that a guilty pleasure after a fight for sure. All-time favorite fighter. Oh. Oh crap, mark hunt, maybe yeah, maybe take away time frames age, whatever. Is there a dream opponent you have somebody that’s like maybe a uc legend that you would love to have fought in their prime. No, no way. You know, I’ve been asked this question throughout my career.

You know, it’s just something that’s come up and I never have an answer for him. I don’t want to fight for fun? Like, and if it’s for money then I’m gonna pick some small guy that has no idea what he’s doing and I’ll try and fight and find him. What’s your favorite spots in Australia and new Zealand. If I’m heading over there, you know, we’ll went pre-apocalypse. You know what would you recommend me check out Sydney for sure sydney’s where I live and it’s let’s be honest. It’s the only reason anybody comes to Australia. So, Sydney for sure can’t speak too much on new Zealand, I haven’t spent a great deal of time over there in Australia.

There’s a conception or maybe it’s a misconception that while it is beautiful there are a ton of things that could also kill you there. So, have you had any close calls being in Australia with some of these giant spiders or boxing kangaroos or any of that nature no. Yeah, like there’s been a couple times like you can see on my Instagram because I had there was a massive funnel web that was running around my house and that was terrifying funnel webs will kill you. They’re terrifying, they are some big nasty ass spotters if you’ve ever seen a funnel web. They are thick, they are hairy they you can’t step on them because they’re too big.

Like they are scary funnel webs, but also I’ve had a brown snake in the back they’ve had to kill with a shovel like brown snakes are they’ll kill you as well. They don’t they’re not fun, but yeah, you get used to it. It’s not too bad. So, it’s just part. It’s just part of life, right? Well, it’s not like I’m dodging them every day. It’s the other odd occasion really fair enough besides gaming besides of course, training what are your hobbies. I’ve played some I try to try I’ve been trying to learn the guitar. So that’s a bit of fun other than that really like I read a lot read a lot watch a lot of anime.

Whatever what anime I’ve seen too much to even start like recently there’s a in the current season season two of 86 has come out. That’s really good. It’s really good. Other, but otherwise I’ve seen too much fun. Like, if you could be one anime character in real life who would you be one punch man. Easy easy just because like he may not even be the strongest character across the board, but he’s just so chill I like the way I like the limitations. He has, you know, how he can’t fly, but he can jump super high like I don’t know. I like it I like his character as far as game consoles are you somebody like me that has like all the infinity stones on every single console known to man.

Is there one that you’re particularly a favor what are you playing on right now PC. So, I’m a PC gamer. But if I had to pick a console it’d be PS5, probably that’s the one I’m running at the moment my sons use the Xbox though and they love it. And I think there are a lot of quality of life things on the Xbox there are certainly some benefits to, you know that to one or the other but I’m liking the PS5. So that’s why demonstration bought it and that dual sense controller is badass. I don’t know how they made the dual shock even better, but it’s a great controller.

Yeah, it’s crazy. I accidentally keep pressing r2 all the time and attacking npcs by accident. It’s killing me we’ll work on that don’t worry. How do you juggle everything man, being a professional fighter obviously maintaining your health at the highest level and of course, you know, being a family man. Mate that’s the game that’s the hard thing isn’t it. That’s the thing everybody wants, you know, is balance. This is trying to spend too much time responded trying to spend time with you your kids and your work and your games and yourself and finding that sweet balance where everything is firing off. Well, is just that’s the journey like for me anyway, that’s that is the goal of life is trying to achieve that perfect balance because everybody feels that when they’re out of balance.

You know, if you don’t spend enough time with your family you feel it you miss them you feel guilty if you spend too much if you don’t spend enough time on the mats you’re not fit enough you feel guilty. You’re worried about the first fight worry that you’re not getting better, but you’re happy with the family, you know, you’re gonna spend time with your wife at the same time like which is you can’t really connect to either either it’s you know, that’s it. That’s life. That’s the hard part. That’s the hardest level than that for sure. And I would imagine it’s important to have family members have a spouse who understand that lifestyle and understand that.

Hey, you know, we can leave a great life, but there’s a lot of time and dedication that it takes in order to get to the top. Yeah, you know, having having supportive people around you is the everything. It’s I wouldn’t be where I am today without my wife sofia and you know, her understanding and help along the way because I’ve been with her. Well, before I was a fighter. So, she’s helped me and cultivate me to becoming this to being able to do what I do. So, yeah, it’s you need it. You need you surround yourself with good people. So she’s the real mvp sure 100 easily hands down.

All right, and we’ll get you out here on a positive note, what’s the best piece of advice you give anybody watching listen to this for success? For success? Don’t quit find out what you love doing and just pursue it, you know, and don’t give up just don’t quit determination perseverance, you know wins out. It may not be now may not be in 10 years just, you know, just get at it get at it. And then what’s that saying if you love what you’re doing you’re never working on a day in your life. Something like it’s like if you’re enjoying the journey, then what does it matter well said.

Well said. Well, we appreciate the time Robert. We definitely have enjoyed watching your journey, especially the journey back to title contention UFC 271 February 12th live on pay-per-view here on espn plus in the States on pay-per-view taking on Israel otasania Robert best of luck. Actually, one more question. Is there anything you wish I asked you in this interview? You got me coming, right? I think that was I think it was very good. Awesome. Well, Robert, thank you so much for your time. Best of luck February 12th and beyond. Appreciate it. Mate. Thank you very much.