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UFC Fight Night 65 Results: Robert Whittaker Blasts Brad Tavares for Quick KO
Brad Tavares and Robert Whittaker both entered the Octagon at UFC Fight Night 65: Hunt vs. Miocic in Adelaide, Australia, on Saturday, looking to build some momentum in the middleweight division, but only one could take the next step up the ladder towards title contention.
Tavares bounced back with a win over Nate Marquardt in his last bout, ending a two-fight skid. Whittaker, a former Ultimate Fighter winner in the welterweight division, meanwhile, made his successful 185-pound debut with a win over Clint Hester in his most recent bout.
Although both men had high hopes, Whittaker dashed Tavares’ early in Adelaide.
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The New Zealander, who now lives in Sydney, didn’t take long to feel the fight out, throwing a couple exploratory kicks early and eating a couple hard low kicks.
Less than a minute into the fight, Whittaker launched a front kick that missed, but followed with a left hook that did not. Tavares fell to his backside, but instantly popped up.
As soon as Tavares regained his feet, Whittaker caught him with another left hand that put him back on the mat. Whittaker followed him to the canvas, but as he launched a couple of finishing blows, the referee was already moving in to stop the fight.
At 44 seconds of the first round, Whittaker scored the biggest win of his career, quickly staking his claim in the UFC middleweight division.
“I’ve always known I’ve had power. I think the huge weight cuts I did to get to 170 (pounds) took it out of me,” Whittaker said after the fight. “Here (at 185) it’s easier, so I can worry about the training instead of the eating.”
Having won his last three fights – the two most recent at 185 pounds – Whittaker (14-4) can now go back to worrying about training… for his next fight. And after his win over Tavares, Whittaker is likely to draw another Top 15 fighter his next time out.
