Former UFC champion Robert Whittaker has thus far lived up to his moniker, ‘The Reaper.’ Apart from his two losses to Israel Adesanya and the most recent one against Dricus Du Plessis, Whittaker has single-handedly beaten everyone else at 185 pounds so far. As he prepares for his upcoming fight against Khamzat Chimaev, ‘The Reaper’ shed some light on his frequently used second nickname. The former champion shared the origins behind ‘Bobby Knuckles’ and how that came to be known as his second fighter nickname.
Whittaker joined the UFC in December 2012 and has since been one of the very best in his division in the promotion. Whittaker’s chosen nickname is ‘The Reaper’. However, ‘Bobby Knuckles’ is also commonly used for him. Interestingly, it was a nickname given to him by fans and not one he picked himself.
Whittaker recently joined Demetrious Johnson for an interview on his YouTube channel. During the interview, he addressed the origins of the nickname ‘Bobby Knuckles,’ saying,
“I got no idea. That is the thing, I made up ‘The Reaper’ but ‘Bobby Knuckles’ was a crowd cultivated nickname. And it has just stuck, people just love it. I never corrected them on it because I was like they will burn themselves out. It took off and I was like I guess I will just make a shirt about it.”
Johnson also added to the story saying that his original nickname as a fighter was black ice. He chose this name as he felt he was slick as ice and also black. However, as he continued fighting, fans gave him the nickname ‘Mighty Mouse.’ The 37-year-old hated this moniker initially, but he eventually grew to like it and then stuck with it.
A closer look at Robert Whittaker’s return to the UFC
Early last week it was announced that the UFC would be heading to Saudi Arabia for the very first time. To make a splash in the new market, the UFC is bringing a stacked card. The event will be headlined by Robert Whittaker who takes on Khamzat Chimaev in a five-round main event.
This will be the first time ever in a five-round event for Chimaev. Given how the division is laid out right now, the winner of this fight will most definitely get the next shot at the title. The event takes place on June 22nd, 2024, and will be streamed on ABC.
