UFC: Robert Whittaker figures out Darren Till in ‘stressful’ unanimous decision on Fight Island

Former middleweight champ Robert “The Reaper” Whittaker was back to his brilliant best on Sunday, working out Darren Till by the second round and from then on working him over to take a unanimous decision in the headline bout at UFC Fight Island 3.

“I just got my head down and that got me across the line,” said Whittaker in his post-fight chat. “My brain is on overload. That fight was so stressful. I hope the fans and everybody can appreciate it because that was one of the most technical fights I’ve ever had to fight.”

The 29-year-old Whittaker had brimmed over with excitement during media day when talk turned to his superior wrestling skills, and what he planned to do with them come time for the cage door to close.

There was a whiff of that in the second, as Whittaker took Till to the floor about two minutes in and started going to work with his elbows. But there had been plenty of work from the Australian previous to that on Till’s right – and leading – leg. Worried words at the break from the Till camp confirmed Whittaker’s plan was working.

From then on in it was a matter of working Till over, as the significant strike count (52 to 29) showed. Whittaker threw 156 strikes in total, to Till’s 81. The judges all saw the bout 48-47 to Whittaker.

“We were both feinting, we both knew each other strengths,” said Whittaker. “He felt me out. In the first round he caught me – he didn’t do that again. I had to really adapt on the go. It was such a dynamic fight.”