I rewatched their first fight yesterday, and all I got to say is that Robert Whittaker is not only a super skilled fighter, he also showed how much heart he has on his way to a decision win in which he still managed to stick to a super smart gameplan even with a leg injury that occurred two minutes into the first round.
His front kicks successfully kept Romero at bay throughout the fight, not allowing Romero to close in and explode…the few times Romero managed to do it (i.e. explode with a flying knee), he ate a kick to the midsection and lost balance a couple times for his effort.
Whittaker’s takedown defense in that fight was nothing short of incredible and he got Romero tired for trying so many unsuccessful takedown attempts, while managing to stay pretty fresh.
Needless to say, Whittaker is a complete fighter…smart, gritty, has the heart of a lion, great movement, great combos, and incredible takedown defense. He also seems like a super nice guy, always respectful and got a great accent. He became one of my favourite fighters after his win over Jacare, and I was rooting for Jacare in that fight. He’s definitely got the GSP aura.
That said, I think Romero proved to everyone why he’s so dangerous in his last fight yet again. Rockhold is no slouch. One punch, kick, or knee, and it’s over. If he’s smart, Romero has taken notes and won’t make the same mistakes that he made in his first fight with Robert. Batter the legs, preserve energy for the later rounds, don’t try as many takedowns…Romero can win this for sure.
But my pick is Whittaker by TKO in the later rounds.
