Light Heavyweight

Robert Whittaker

The Reaper

28-9

Age
35
Height
6'0"
Reach
6'2"
Stance
Orthodox
Camp
Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Smeaton Grange
Out of
Australia
Style
striker
Fight IQ
C+ · 62
Finish rate
18%
Win rate
76%

Career methods

KO/TKO
11
Sub
5
Dec
12

FightMetric

SLpM

4.41

SApM

2.68

Str Acc

46%

Str Def

54%

TD Avg

0.71

TD Acc

38%

TD Def

87%

Sub Avg

0.00

Tape read

Pocket striker

Fight IQ

62C+

Thin sample — 1 loaded UFC rows, 37 career fights for Robert Whittaker. Reaction and agility are wider intervals.

IQ

C+

Ground

D

Defense

C+

Counter

C

Reaction

proxy

C+

Agility

proxy

C

TD react

C+

Chin

B

What they do well

No standout plus-mark on this card.

Where they leak

  • Ground game

    Thin offensive ground game. Wins come standing; once taken down this fighter is hunting a stand-up, not a sweep chain.

  • Counter punching

    Limited counter threat. Opponents can miss without paying a finishing tax.

  • Punching agility

    Heavy or economical. Combinations are chosen, not sprayed — opponents can time the entries.

Scouting report

Robert Whittaker “The Reaper” is a 35-year-old Orthodox light heavyweight out of Australia, camped at Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Smeaton Grange. The tape read: pocket striker. Career mark 28-9-0 — 11 by KO/TKO, 5 by submission, 12 by decision. Fight IQ grades C+ (62).

What works. Durability is the standout at 69 (B). Standard UFC durability. Can be hurt, usually recovers if the shot is not clean. Ground game D on 0.71 TD/15 and 0.00 sub attempts. Striking defense C+ at 54% / 2.68 SApM. Counter punching C; punching agility C (output × accuracy × age curve). Takedown reaction C+ on 87% TD defense. These are tape proxies — not lab reaction times — built from FightMetric rates, finish shares, and 1 loaded UFC rows.

Where it breaks. Ground game is the soft spot (27, D). Thin offensive ground game. Wins come standing; once taken down this fighter is hunting a stand-up, not a sweep chain. Opponents who force wrestling and keep the fight on the fence have historically been the ones who make this résumé leak. Losses lean decision more often than a highlight — the issue is usually control of minutes, not a glass jaw.

Recent tape (1 bouts): L Ridder (Decision - Split R5). Form index negative over the last 1. Most of the loaded finishes happen before the deep water.

Ground game

27 D

Thin offensive ground game. Wins come standing; once taken down this fighter is hunting a stand-up, not a sweep chain.

  • 0.71 takedowns / 15 at 38% accuracy
  • 0.00 submission attempts / 15 · 5 career sub wins

Striking defense

64 C+

Eats more than a championship pocket should. High SApM or a porous guard will get taxed against power.

  • 54% striking defense · 2.68 SApM
  • 0 KO/TKO losses in 9 defeats

Counter punching

52 C

Limited counter threat. Opponents can miss without paying a finishing tax.

  • 46% accuracy on 4.41 SLpM
  • 0.60 knockdowns / 15 · 11 KO/TKO wins

Timing & reaction

65 C+

Late on the read. High absorb or a leaking TD defense suggests the first move often belongs to the opponent.

  • Str def 54% · TD def 87% — the two read-and-react rates
  • 2.68 shots absorbed / min (lower = sees it earlier)

Punching agility

55 C

Heavy or economical. Combinations are chosen, not sprayed — opponents can time the entries.

  • 4.41 SLpM at 46% — output with cleanliness
  • Throws without paying full retail: 2.68 SApM

Takedown reaction

66 C+

Hips arrive late. A committed wrestler will get them down; the question is what happens next.

  • 87% takedown defense — the live reaction to level changes
  • 2 submission losses (once the fight hits the mat)

Durability

69 B

Standard UFC durability. Can be hurt, usually recovers if the shot is not clean.

  • 0 times finished by strikes in 9 losses
  • 12 decision wins — proof they last and still score

Fight history

DateOpponentResMethodRndSig
Jul 26, 2025Reinier de RidderLDecision - Split5 5:0066/142