Whittaker is confident for the duel against Jacaré (Photo: Jeff Bottari/UFC)
Riding on six consecutive victories at middleweight, Robert whittaker will have the biggest challenge of his career next Saturday, the 15th, at UFC Kansas, in the United States, when he will face the Brazilian Ronaldo Jacare. Despite the importance of the duel, the 26-year-old Australian shows calm and confidence, and states that he is even prepared to 'break his hand' to emerge victorious from the Octagon.
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“It’s just the nature of the beast. You play a sport where you throw your hands at people's skulls – you're asking for damage. I've had this injured hand my whole life. I'm not afraid to play it. I'm not afraid to break it. The place to do it is there, in the octagon”, declared the fighter, in an interview with the website 'BloodyElbow.com' (USA).
Known for his discreet style, Whittaker maintained a respectful attitude when commenting on his next opponent, whom he defined as a 'jiu-jitsu legend'. However, he guarantees that he has an advantage in the stand-up fight, and this will be decisive in coming out with a positive result at the end of the fight.
“It's no secret that he is considered a legend in jiu-jitsu, and mixed with his great MMA arsenal, it means he is a very dangerous fighter and deserves to be in the top five. (…) He also has powerful and heavy hands. Is his striking strong? No. I believe that my standup game is much better and I will try to make the most of this on fight night. I'm not going there with the mentality that it's going to be a jiu-jitsu match. I'm going to go there and fight him. It’s just a fight at the end of the day,” said Robert.
When asked if he would agree to fight on the ground against Jacaré, Whittaker, in a relaxed manner, assured that his jiu-jitsu is sharp, but admitted that it is not a good idea to go to the ground against the Brazilian.
“I like jiu-jitsu and I train a lot at the gym. Is the fight against Jacaré the ideal one to test him? Probably not (laughs). So it's no secret that I want to keep this fight going and he will want to take it to the ground”, said the Australian, who concluded by stating that he is ready to be tested against the best in the world at 84kg.
“I need these fights. I need these high-level fights to test my mettle, to see where I can grow and learn, and to develop more aspects of my own game. I need that trial. I need this test,” she concluded.
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