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Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Robert Whittaker responds to 'annoying' glove grabs in Reinier de Ridder UFC loss
Robert Whittaker opened up on Reinier de Ridder repeatedly grabbing his gloves in his UFC on ABC 9 loss. Whittaker (26-9 MMA, 17-7 UFC) was edged out in a split decision loss to De Ridder (21-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC) in July in Abu Dhabi. The former middleweight champion almost finished De Ridder when he knocked him down in Round 3, but De Ridder survived. However, De Ridder was seen grabbing Whittaker's gloves when trying to avoid the follow-up shots on the ground, which Whittaker thinks potentially played a role in him surviving. "The glove grabs were definitely prevalent when I was trying to finish him," Whittaker told FOX Sports Australia. "That's the biggest moment that he really took advantage of that. I think, I don't know, in hindsight – yeah, it was annoying. His whole style is he comes up to you, clinches you, sags on you, and just kind of drains you that way, closing the distance, keeping it close. "But while I was trying to finish him in the third, I couldn't punch him. I couldn't bring my arms back to get any sort of power. That's the only real time – I even looked at the ref at one stage. There was a certain time I really felt the glove grabs being a bit of a problem. It is what it is. ... I do think it's along the same vein as cage grabbing. Like, guy survives a takedown or changes a position by grabbing the cage, huge upset." Although it was a close fight, Whittaker was classy in accepting the outcome of their fight. "A lot of things I was happy with, a lot of things I was unhappy with," Whittaker said. "Got to give it to De Ridder: He's got a particular game plan. He makes it awkward for you. He's good at what he does, and he executed. He pushed it on me and he came away with the split decision win. ... It's hard to quantify how much (De Ridder's knees to the body) affected my gas tank. I was very tired in the later rounds. "Maybe it affected it more than I thought. They didn't tickle, I'll give you that much. More than the actual impact and the damage that it did to me, because we did meticulously work for them, it's more the amount that it stopped my rhythm. It stopped me moving forward, it stopped me from reaching in by a hair of an inch, and that kind of disrupted my attacking patterns, and I didn't adapt. I didn't adapt early enough until the later rounds." This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Robert Whittaker responds to glove grabs in Reinier de Ridder loss
USA Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Robert Whittaker responds to 'annoying' glove grabs in Reinier de Ridder UFC loss
Robert Whittaker opened up on Reinier de Ridder repeatedly grabbing his gloves in his UFC on ABC 9 loss. Whittaker (26-9 MMA, 17-7 UFC) was edged out in a split decision loss to De Ridder (21-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC) in July in Abu Dhabi. The former middleweight champion almost finished De Ridder when he knocked him down in Round 3, but De Ridder survived. However, De Ridder was seen grabbing Whittaker's gloves when trying to avoid the follow-up shots on the ground, which Whittaker thinks potentially played a role in him surviving. "The glove grabs were definitely prevalent when I was trying to finish him," Whittaker told FOX Sports Australia. "That's the biggest moment that he really took advantage of that. I think, I don't know, in hindsight – yeah, it was annoying. His whole style is he comes up to you, clinches you, sags on you, and just kind of drains you that way, closing the distance, keeping it close. "But while I was trying to finish him in the third, I couldn't punch him. I couldn't bring my arms back to get any sort of power. That's the only real time – I even looked at the ref at one stage. There was a certain time I really felt the glove grabs being a bit of a problem. It is what it is. ... I do think it's along the same vein as cage grabbing. Like, guy survives a takedown or changes a position by grabbing the cage, huge upset." Although it was a close fight, Whittaker was classy in accepting the outcome of their fight. "A lot of things I was happy with, a lot of things I was unhappy with," Whittaker said. "Got to give it to De Ridder: He's got a particular game plan. He makes it awkward for you. He's good at what he does, and he executed. He pushed it on me and he came away with the split decision win. ... It's hard to quantify how much (De Ridder's knees to the body) affected my gas tank. I was very tired in the later rounds. "Maybe it affected it more than I thought. They didn't tickle, I'll give you that much. More than the actual impact and the damage that it did to me, because we did meticulously work for them, it's more the amount that it stopped my rhythm. It stopped me moving forward, it stopped me from reaching in by a hair of an inch, and that kind of disrupted my attacking patterns, and I didn't adapt. I didn't adapt early enough until the later rounds."
USA Today
05-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Robert Whittaker: If Khamzat Chimaev can't stop Dricus Du Plessis on the ground, he loses
Robert Whittaker doesn't see Khamzat Chimaev surviving a five-round war with Dricus Du Plessis. Du Plessis (23-2 MMA, 9-0 UFC) defends his middleweight title against Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) in the UFC 319 main event on Aug. 16 from United Center in Chicago (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+). Whittaker suffered stoppage losses to both Du Plessis and Chimaev. He was quickly submitted in his most recent outing against Chimaev at UFC 308 last October. However, with Chimaev showing a tendency to slow down in his only two decision wins against Gilbert Burns and Kamaru Usman, Whittaker questions his ability to survive the championship rounds against Du Plessis – if he's dragged there. "Honestly, I have to say Dricus would be a favorite," Whittaker told FOX Sports Australia. "I think I'm leaning towards Dricus. The whole thing can be summed up – Chimaev will take him down. It's will he finish him before he gets back up? That's the million-dollar question because if he doesn't finish him on the ground, I think he loses." Former middleweight champion Whittaker (26-8 MMA, 17-6 UFC) will look to rebound when he takes on Reinier de Ridder (20-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC) in the UFC on ABC 9 headliner July 26 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. "Four fights, I see the light at the end of the tunnel," Whittaker said on his future. "I want four more. I see the stepping stones needed to do what I want to do. Four fights gets me into that title shot, gets me into a position to finish on top, to have that fairytale ending. So, I'm working towards it."
Daily Mirror
22-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Gout Gout's true colours on show with six-word mantra after Usain Bolt statement
Gout Gout has taken the athletics world by storm since he rose to international acclaim in 2024, and a message on his phone's wallpaper is indicative of his sprinting aspirations Australian sprint sensation Gout Gout keeps his Olympic ambitions close at hand with a distinct motivational message as his phone's wallpaper. Since he was 15, Gout has been smashing national records and turned heads this March with a scorching 19.98 in the 200m at the Queensland Athletics Championships. The teenager then claimed the Australian 200m crown in April, although his sub-20-second runs weren't officially recorded due to an overly helpful tailwind. He does, however, hold the national record of 20.04. Gout also cracked the 10-second mark in the 100m the same month, which was another wind-assisted feat but a clear indication of his burgeoning prowess. The 17-year-old has since captured international attention, sparking conversations about possible Olympic success. With sights set on competing among the world's elite at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, Gout is gunning for gold, especially as the Games will come to his home country in 2032. Talking to GQ, Gout shared the six-word motivational mantra that he sees each day and adorns his phone screen: "You're going to be Olympic champion." Coming off the back of Noah Lyles' gold-winning performance of 9.79 in the 2024 Olympics, the stakes are high for young Gout who, at just 20 years old by LA 2028, could be setting the track alight, reports the Mirror US. Gout has not only set his sights on becoming an Olympic champion, but also dreams of dominating the track scene like the famed 100m and 200m world record holder, Usain Bolt "I think the limit is just obviously winning Olympics and winning world championships and honestly dominating like Bolt did," Gout shared with FOX Sports Australia. "I think that limit is reachable for me. "The times I've run so far could potentially make it into [Olympic] finals, make the top four, top five, top six. Just getting better and aiming for LA obviously would be a great achievement," he added. "[Just] trying to be on that podium running against [Letsile] Tebogo, Noah [Lyles], [Lachlan] Kennedy, all them athletes. That's definitely a goal of mine and to keep aiming for the top." However, Gout's coach, Di Sheppard, has cautioned the young athlete that achieving his goals will require sacrifice and acceptance that his talents will eventually plateau. "I've been telling him for a couple of years that when we get to a set point, your social life will be pretty much non-existent, in the sense you just can't go out where you want," she told The Guardian. "He's at that point pretty much now, which is kind of tough when you think he's still at school. Things will plateau, that's a natural part. It has to come to a 'Bang, OK, now we've got to find our next adaptation phase to go up.' "For us to go to the top – we're still a long way from there – and because we know that's our end goal, we don't get too wrapped up in the good things that come. They're stepping stones, and that's how I've tried to teach Gout. There's no clear path up."
Daily Mirror
18-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Gout Gout's most expensive buy says a lot about him as he makes admission
Gout Gout has taken the athletics world by storm at the tender age of just 17 - but the Australian sprinting sensation has remained incredibly level-headed in his spending Gout Gout has shown remarkable restraint with his finances despite his rapid rise in the athletics world at the age of just 17. Hailing from Queensland, Australia, where he was born two years after his parents fled South Sudan, Gout Gout quickly developed a passion for sports. Initially an enthusiastic footballer, he soon shifted focus to sprinting, excelling particularly in the 100m and 200m events. Gout Gout first made waves at 15 when he shattered the Australian U18 men's 200m record, clocking in at 20.87 seconds during the Australian Junior Athletics Championships. But it was in December 2024 that he truly stunned the world. The young athlete blazed through the 200m final of the Australian All Schools Athletics Championship in 20.04 seconds, securing the second-fastest U18 time ever recorded, surpassing Usain Bolt's record in the same age bracket and breaking the Australian and Oceanian record previously held by Peter Norman since 1968. Despite the potential for newfound wealth to turn heads, Gout Gout has stayed grounded. In a candid chat with GQ, he revealed he has been modest with his spending, explaining: "I've saved a lot and I bought myself a new car when I got my Ps, so that's probably the biggest purchase I've made so far. I haven't gone crazy." Showing his true colours, he also shared his commitment to looking after his loved ones, adding: "Long term, I'd like to set myself up and set my family up." While he may be a few years off from Olympic glory, Gout Gout has already made waves in athletics, grabbing silver in the 200m at the 2024 World Championships in Lima and securing fifth in the 4x100m relay at the same event. On top of his international exploits, the youngster has dominated domestically, winning the U20 100m and the 200m at this year's Australian Athletics Championships with blistering times of 9.99 and 19.84 seconds, respectively. His striking achievements at a tender age have led to comparisons with the legendary Bolt, who captured eight Olympic golds and another eleven at World Championships during his own career. Embracing high aspirations, Gout Gout told FOX Sports Australia about his ambition to emulate Bolt's incredible dominance. He said: "The limit is just obviously winning Olympics and winning World Championships, and honestly dominating like Bolt did. I think that's a limit that's reachable for me." Although comparisons with Bolt have been frequent, the athlete expressed feelings of mild irritation at constantly being likened to the sprinting giant. Speaking to Nine last year, he said: "My stride length is pretty long, my knee height is pretty high and just the amount of tallness I get when I'm running. "I'm just me trying to be me. Obviously, I do run like him. I do sometimes look like him, but obviously, I'm making a name for myself, and I think I've done that pretty well. I just want to continue doing that and continue to be not only Usain Bolt but continue to be Gout Gout."
