Robert Whittaker v Israel Adesanya: Aussie star training out of backyard in preparation for big fight
Robert Whittaker is effectively training out of his own backyard - doing regular sweat sessions in a home gym that’s been custom-built to prepare him for his date with destiny in Melbourne on Sunday.
UFC
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Robert Whittaker lives so far off the grid on the outskirts of Western Sydney, his address doesn’t exist on Google Maps.
Yet his travel time to the gym?
“A couple of steps,” the UFC middleweight champ laughs.
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As part of his preparations for the biggest fight in Australian sports history, News Corp Australia can reveal Whittaker is effectively training out of his own backyard — doing regular sweat sessions in a home gym that’s been custom-built to prepare him for Sunday’s UFC 243 blockbuster against Israel Adesanya.
After buying a new family home in Glenmore earlier this year, Whittaker then hired a tradesman to overhaul the room between his bedroom and kitchen, installing a squat rack, treadmill, bench press, wrestling mats and a variety of fight gear.
Over in one corner, sparring equipment and handwraps are piled up. In other, medicine balls and coloured therabands.
While by a large glass window that looks out into his backyard, enough weights to satisfy an athlete who benches 120kg, squats 150kg and still calls himself “not really that strong”.
“But having all this here, it just allows me to fine tune,” Whittaker said at the weekend.
Certainly, the space is vastly different to that first home gym in the garage of his Menai housing commission home.
“We had a boxing bag and a concrete floor,” his dad Jack recalled.
“Then when we got a bit more money together, I bought a barbell and a couple of weights.
“Rob’s definitely come a long way since then.”
Again, the proof sits around this home gym.
Like the clothes rack against one wall, where the champ has hanging some dozen shirts and hoodies from his signature Reaper and Bobby Knuckles clothing range. Then on a small cabinet, his trophy for GQ Man of the Year.
While against a mirrored wall near the doorway, and up on its own stand, sits the UFC middleweight belt.
Quizzed on how it differed from the new version Whittaker will be fighting for at Melbourne’s Marvel Arena, he laughed: “I’m not exactly sure … I’ll have to win it and find out.”
Undoubtedly, Whittaker is being aided in that pursuit by this space he has made specifically to defend titles.
Same deal the Gracie Jiu Jitsu gym he co-owns, which is only 15 minutes drive away at Smeaton Grange.
Elsewhere, the champ also makes the long haul each week to Cronulla for major workouts with his chief strength and fitness coach, Justin Lang.
“So being able to do some of my stuff here at home, it’s cool,” he said.
“Plus, I’ve been able to set things up exactly as I wanted them.”
Since winning The Ultimate Fighter on the Gold Coast way back in 2012, Whittaker has appeared another five times on Australian cards and never lost any of them. The 28-year-old has also won his sole appearance in New Zealand, back in 2014.
“And my preparation for this fight, it’s been absolutely perfect,” he insisted.
“I’ve honestly never felt in better physical shape than I do right now.
“I’m ready.”