Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Robert Whittaker
It may be a top-heavy card, but the two headliners from the 185-pound division surely are not there to disappoint this Saturday at UFC 234 from Melbourne, Australia. The RotoWire MMA staff gets together to make their picks.
The UFC is back on pay-per-view Saturday in Australia, featuring one of the country's own. Jon Litterine breaks down five key fights and makes his pick for the entire card.
Richard Mann returns to recap a wild UFC 230 from a stats-based perspective, relaying the paths to victory for the top DraftKings performers.
The UFC's annual trip to Madison Square Garden is upon us. Jon Litterine returns to break down the PPV card and offer up his fantasy picks.
In a pay-per-view card without a single finish, there was still plenty of room for fighters to rack up fantasy points. Richard Mann returns to break down the striking and grappling numbers from the night's highest scorers.
More Fantasy News
Shut down for four weeks
Whittaker will be shut down for four weeks while he recovers from hernia surgery, Aaron Bronsteter of TSN.ca reports.
ANALYSIS
Whittaker felt strong abdominal pain the night before his scheduled title defense against Kelvin Gastelum and was forced to undergo surgery, cancelling the fight. The four-week time period appears to be the time in which Whittaker will be unable to train, so he'll need some additional time beyond that to get back into fighting shape. It remains unclear if and when he'll be able to reschedule his bout with Gastelum.
Whittaker felt strong abdominal pain the night before his scheduled title defense against Kelvin Gastelum and was forced to undergo surgery, cancelling the fight. The four-week time period appears to be the time in which Whittaker will be unable to train, so he'll need some additional time beyond that to get back into fighting shape. It remains unclear if and when he'll be able to reschedule his bout with Gastelum.
Pulls out of title defense
Whittaker was forced to withdraw from his title defense fight against Kelvin Gastelum due to a hernia in his abdomen, Brett Okamoto of ESPN reports.
ANALYSIS
Whittaker will miss out on the opportunity to defend his title on home soil. The injury was reportedly not related to his weight cut. Whittaker will undergo surgery Saturday, Okamoto reports. It's not yet clear how long he'll be away from the octagon and if the pair will be able to reschedule the fight.
Whittaker will miss out on the opportunity to defend his title on home soil. The injury was reportedly not related to his weight cut. Whittaker will undergo surgery Saturday, Okamoto reports. It's not yet clear how long he'll be away from the octagon and if the pair will be able to reschedule the fight.
Date set for title defense against Kelvin Gastelum
Whittaker (hand) will defend his middleweight title against Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 234 on Feb. 10 in Melbourne, Australia, MMAFighting.com reports.
ANALYSIS
The matchup had been set for several months, though the actual bout has been delayed by Whittaker's hand surgery and the pair's schedule as they serve as coaches for season 28 of The Ultimate Fighter. The 27-year-old old will enjoy the support of his home country as he makes his first title defense. He's riding a nine-match winning streak, including two straight decision victories over Yoel Romero.
The matchup had been set for several months, though the actual bout has been delayed by Whittaker's hand surgery and the pair's schedule as they serve as coaches for season 28 of The Ultimate Fighter. The 27-year-old old will enjoy the support of his home country as he makes his first title defense. He's riding a nine-match winning streak, including two straight decision victories over Yoel Romero.
Lays out timeline for early-2019 return
Whittaker (hand) told Ariel Helwani of ESPN that he won't be able to defend his middleweight title until 2019 at the earliest, likely in February.
ANALYSIS
Whittaker is scheduled to coach the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter opposite Kelvin Gastelum, and the two head coaches typically square off at the end of the show. It's unclear if the timelines will match up for these two, however, as Whittaker needs additional time to recover from his recent hand surgery before he begins rehab. Rehab will take several more weeks, and then Whittaker wishes to at least get in a semi-normal fight camp while training at 100 percent. When he does finally square off with Gastelum, Whittaker has the advantage in both size and power, and likely enters as the betting favorite, provided he takes the time he needs to fully recover.
Whittaker is scheduled to coach the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter opposite Kelvin Gastelum, and the two head coaches typically square off at the end of the show. It's unclear if the timelines will match up for these two, however, as Whittaker needs additional time to recover from his recent hand surgery before he begins rehab. Rehab will take several more weeks, and then Whittaker wishes to at least get in a semi-normal fight camp while training at 100 percent. When he does finally square off with Gastelum, Whittaker has the advantage in both size and power, and likely enters as the betting favorite, provided he takes the time he needs to fully recover.
Will face Kelvin Gastelum after coaching TUF 28
Whittaker (hand) will defend his middleweight title against Kelvin Gastelum after the two coach season 28 of The Ultimate Fighter, MMAFighting.com reports.
ANALYSIS
Whittaker recently underwent surgery to treat a hand injury suffered in his most recent title defense against Yoel Romero, but was expected to return before the end of 2018. Though the exact date and location of the event have yet to be determined, the filming of the show should give "Bobby Knuckles" plenty of time to recover. When the two do square off, Whittaker will have a distinct size advantage over Gastelum -- a former welterweight that was unable to consistently make weight and had to move up a class. The strength of both fighters lies in striking, as Whittaker should have a slight edge in power, while Gastelum has a small advantage in terms of speed. Look for Whittaker to enter as the betting favorite.
Whittaker recently underwent surgery to treat a hand injury suffered in his most recent title defense against Yoel Romero, but was expected to return before the end of 2018. Though the exact date and location of the event have yet to be determined, the filming of the show should give "Bobby Knuckles" plenty of time to recover. When the two do square off, Whittaker will have a distinct size advantage over Gastelum -- a former welterweight that was unable to consistently make weight and had to move up a class. The strength of both fighters lies in striking, as Whittaker should have a slight edge in power, while Gastelum has a small advantage in terms of speed. Look for Whittaker to enter as the betting favorite.