Whittaker praises Jacaré: 'Thank God it won't be a jiu-jitsu fight'

R. Whittaker (left) trains elbows for R. Jacaré (Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC)

Undefeated at middleweight, Robert whittaker comes from six consecutive victories in the division and will have the opportunity to face, this Saturday (15), one of the best fighters in the category. The New Zealander knows he will have to avoid the ground with Ronaldo Jacare, one of the most successful MMA fighters in the history of jiu-jitsu. But Whittaker's praise for the Brazilian goes beyond his skills in the gentle art. The middleweight believes Jaca's hands are underrated.

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“He hits like a truck and, of course, he has practically legendary jiu-jitsu. Thank God, we won't face each other in jiu-jitsu. We will go there, we will start standing up and it will be an MMA fight. I think I have superior hands, I have really good movement, I'm very fast and I hit hard. If he can get through this, it’s his credit”, commented Whittaker, to the North American website MMA Junkie.

If he gets past Jacaré, the New Zealander will have won seven consecutive victories and will now be able to dream of a chance at the title in the complicated middleweight division. However, this is not on Whittaker's mind, who guarantees that it is disrespectful to think about his future already counting on a victory over the Brazilian.

“My thoughts about the future don’t go beyond Jacaré. If I were to look after him I would be disrespecting him, and he's a fighter I wouldn't want to disrespect. I really hope I can do my best against him”, noted Whittaker, currently number six in the middleweight rankings.