‘He’s a f***ing beast’: The ‘old man’ coming for Australia’s UFC star

AN AUSSIE UFC star has the horrifying task of bringing down one of the sport’s most devastating men in a historic bout this weekend.

Yep, you wouldn’t want to mess with Yoel Romero.

AUSTRALIAN UFC star Robert Whittaker is in for the fight of his lifetime this Sunday (AEST) at UFC 213.

The 26-year-old middleweight, who is yet to be defeated in the division after moving up from welterweight in 2014, has become one of the most promising fighters ever produced by Australia.

His most recent success in the Octagon came against Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza in Kansas back in April, a fight ending in a bloody technical knockout.

The fearless Aussie has set the bar high for himself, declaring he wants to become one of the sport’s most renowned fighters by the end of his career.

“I just don’t want to be a champion,” he said via Yahoo Sports. “I want to be one of the best fighters there ever was. People may think that’s crazy, and that’s their opinion. That’s what I want to live up to, and I feel that’s totally within my reach.”

As confident as he is, Whittaker has a mammoth task to complete this weekend before walking the path of the sport’s greatest ever: defeating Cuban wrecking ball Yoel Romero.

Robert Whittaker has been an unstoppable force since moving to the middleweight division.

Whittaker is currently hard at work preparing to fight the devastating 40-year-old in Las Vegas this weekend. A win against the fighting veteran will make him Australia’s first interim titleholder in the UFC.

Romero is adamant he’s been the underdog in all his fights and has the odds against him in his historic clash with Whittaker at T-Mobile Arena.

“I’ve never been the favourite in all of my fights,” he said on the UFC’s Embedded vlog series before the weekend’s bout.

“I’ve always been the old man. Do you think that bothers me? The real favourite is Jesus Christ. Nobody is like him. We’re ready.”

Despite paying $2 next to Whittaker’s $1.83, Romero’s terrifying physique will be enough to put a chill down the young Aussie’s spine.

As a sweat-clad Romero brings his sparring partners into submission on the gym mats, it’s clear Whittaker has a serious fight on his hands. The sheer terror Romero inspires in his opponents can be summed up by one of his sparring partners after finishing a session. “He’s a f***ing beast,” the Cuban’s training aide told interviewers.

Australia’s Robert Whittaker has a serious fight on his hands.

Yoel Romero looks good for 40.

Whittaker knows he has Australian UFC history riding on his fight, potentially making it one of the most successful weeks in the country’s combat sport history after boxer Jeff Horn’s shock upset over Manny Pacquiao in Brisbane over the weekend.

“I’m trying not to think about it too much,’’ he told The Daily Telegraph.

“Obviously I was super stoked for Jeff Horn to win, and win the way he did.

“It was an incredible result.

“And Jeff, he showed so much heart too. Which is really what counts at the end of the day, right?”

“I don’t want to give that stuff too much time because it also brings pressure — and added pressure is something I don’t need.

“For me, this weekend isn’t about becoming Australia’s first UFC champion. I want to beat Yoel Romero because he’s the stone I step on to greater things.”