A large chunk of the UFC fanbase is awaiting the former UFC middleweight champ, Robert Whittaker’s fight at UFC 298. However, the UFC community has also been fascinated by the fact that Whittaker carries two monikers instead of one. A sizable chunk of the UFC community loves his nickname ‘Bobby Knuckles’. So let’s learn some more about the former UFC middleweight champ’s nickname here.
Numerous UFC fans may also know Whittaker by his other nickname, ‘The Reaper’. The Australian has said that he prefers ‘The Reaper’ as his nickname over ‘Bobby Knuckles’. This is probably because he never chose ‘Bobby Knuckles’ as his nickname himself. Instead, it was a fan who coined this moniker for Whittaker.
A report from ‘The Athletic’ reveals that a listener of the MMA-coverage house, ‘Co-Main Event’s’ podcast came up with this term. The listener, Colby Hentges, expressed his choice via an X update from his account named, ‘colbyhentges’. It read:
“How about, “Bobby Knuckles” ?”
Hentges’s choice of nickname for Whittaker garnered quite a lot of attention from the UFC community. Somehow, the noted UFC play-by-play commentator, Jon Anik, also got to know about it. He referred to Whittaker as ‘Bobby Knuckles’ in one of the UFC broadcasts, which made it as popular as his original nickname.
Although there’s no mentioned reason why Hentges chose this moniker. But the ‘Co-Main Event’ podcast co-host, Ben Fowlkes, once tried to justify Whittaker’s ‘Bobby Knuckles’ nickname. Fowlkes mentioned that Whittaker’s name was Robert, and he punched people with his knuckles, in justification.
But despite preferring ‘The Reaper’, Whittaker doesn’t have any issues with ‘Bobby Knuckles’. The above-mentioned report from ‘The Athletic’ also revealed Whittaker’s take on both his nicknames when he said, “They’re both me”. His fans will also want to watch their beloved star getting back to the winning books on 17 February.
Will Robert Whittaker get back to winning ways at UFC 298?
Whittaker’s previous outing at UFC 290 ended in a devastating defeat for him. ‘The Reaper’ dropped to the canvas in the second round of his fight after absorbing a vicious right hook from the current UFC middleweight king, Dricus Du Plessis. ‘Bobby Knuckles’ was finished by his rival just after a few more seconds in the second round.
This is why he will be desperate to make a strong comeback. But ‘The Reaper’s’ UFC 298 rival, Paulo Costa, is also a heavy-handed KO-artist. ‘The Eraser’ is also known for his punch-heavy style of fighting and has knocked the lights out of his rivals multiple times. Well, nobody knows if ‘Bobby Knuckles’ will be able to accomplish his mission and make a successful comeback or not. But it won’t be wrong to expect that the fans will witness a slugfest at the UFC 298 co-main event.
