Robert Whittaker has avoided the circus, letting his fighting do the talking.
Verbal sparring sessions on social media are all well and good. It’s a chance to see professional fighters go toe-to-toe before they enter the cage and it gives us MMA journalists an easy article to write.
At some point, the talking gets tiring. Case and point, the entire top of the Middleweight division.
Michael Bisping is the ring leader in this circus of a division. He holds one win in the past 365 days, likely won’t fight until November and is the most active mud-slinger.
The antithesis, the flip side of Michael Bisping is a man whose renounced nickname, Bobby Knuckles, couldn’t be a better fit. Robert Whittaker is the only fighter who hasn’t joined the circus, and yet has put on the most jaw dropping, eye widening, head spinning performances ever seen this side of the Mississippi.
Since Bisping’s last title defense, a decision win over 46-year-old Dan Henderson, Whittaker has gone 3-0, extending his perfect Middleweight record to 7-0. Those three wins were over Derek Brunson, Jacare Souza, and Yoel Romero.
Fun Facts: Brunson has only been finished by Jacare, Romero and Whittaker. Jacare’s 2 UFC losses have come from Romero and Whittaker. Romero’s lone UFC loss was to Whittaker.
Case and point, Whittaker is the most active and accomplished middleweight fighter in the division today. He is the interim UFC middleweight champion. He is the future of the middleweight division.
If this is the case, then why does it seem like we’ll be seeing Bisping fight Georges St-Pierre, Yoel Romero, Luke Rockhold or even Chris Weidman before Whittaker? For one, Whittaker is sidelined with a serious knee injury and likely won’t fight until next year.
The more pressing reason is that Whittaker isn’t engaging Bisping in a war of words. Whittaker has stayed quiet on social media while fighters like Rockhold, Weidman, and Romero have traded verbal barbs with the champion. St-Pierre has even re-introduced himself into the mix.
These supporting acts in the circus have tried to entertain us outside of the cage. What they haven’t done is put on a performance that deserves a standing ovation. Rockhold hasn’t won a fight since 2015. Weidman holds 1 win in 4 fights. Romero is coming off a loss. St-Pierre hasn’t fought since 2013 and has never competed at middleweight before.
The act is also getting old. The same repeated jokes about Bisping’s eye, Romero’s cheating ways, Rockhold’s celebrity ex and Weidman’s dad. The fighters themselves are getting old, past the age of what most consider “prime”: Bisping (38), Romero (40), Rockhold (32), Weidman (33), St-Pierre (36).
Whittaker has fought instead of talked. Whittaker is 26 years old. Whittaker had gold wrapped around his waist. Whittaker is the only option at middleweight.
If Whittaker isn’t the next title challenger at middleweight, then the circus continues. After that, Whittaker may have to entertain a clown and become apart of the circus to get a shot at the UFC middleweight championship.
