Robert Whiteford has lost just once in his last 13 appearances. | Photo: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com
Scotsman Robert Whiteford made waves when the Ultimate Fighting Championship touched down in his homeland for the first time, as he knocked out Paul Redmond with a left hook and follow-up ground strikes at UFC Fight Night “Bisping vs. Leites” on July 18.
In this exclusive interview with Sherdog.com and MMAViking.com's Ryan O'Leary, the 32-year-old looks back on his victory in Scotland, discusses training abroad and reveals his desire to fight at the upcoming UFC Fight Night event in Dublin on Oct. 24:
Sherdog.com: You waited and waited to sign with the UFC. Did you ever think you would not get the call?
Whiteford: I always knew that I’d make the UFC. People would say to me, “If I make the UFC …” and I would reply, “When I make it.” It is my destiny to fight, and I’m only getting warmed up.
Sherdog.com: How did it feel to fight again after being sidelined with injuries for more than a year?
Whiteford: It felt great to get back into the cage. It’s been far too long. The injury I had was pretty bad, but I used that time to work on other aspects of my game. My boxing and footwork improved tenfold, and I felt ready stepping into the cage in Glasgow.
Sherdog.com: Why do you choose to train at American Top Team rather than staying in Scotland?
Whiteford: I train with the best team in the world. That’s the answer. I still train in my home village of Fauldhouse with my boxing coach Colin McNeil and long-time sparring partner Kev Brooks when I’m back in Scotland and also at the Griphouse in Glasgow, but ATT is a different level. Other fighters don’t understand that and never will until they experience it for themselves.
Sherdog.com: What do you like to do outside of the cage?
Whiteford: I chill with my cat, Ollie, and my girlfriend in Scotland, who recently I proposed to, so life’s pretty good. I always watch the UFC, which is every week, and I train as a lifestyle choice, so my life doesn’t change much from when I have a fight and I don’t.
Sherdog.com: What motivates you?
Whiteford: I often say this to people: You are a fighter or not from an early age. There are lots of martial artists out there, and some are very good and effective at what they do, but not everyone is a fighter. I knew from an early age that I was a fighter, and I haven’t lost that. I fight every day to improve myself, because it is who I am and who I must be. It’s in me. You can’t train that -- never.
Sherdog.com: How did it feel to have fought and won at home at the UFC event in Glasgow?
Whiteford: It was a dream come true. I always knew the UFC would come to Scotland at some point. I just didn’t know when it would be. We are a fighting nation, and when I walked out, 11,000 Scots showed the world how loud they could be. It was a truly special moment, and I couldn’t help but get engaged in it. I usually have no emotion, but the UFC in Scotland moved me.
Sherdog.com: What are your goals moving forward?
Whiteford: I didn’t come here to be average. I play to win, and I train hard to make that happen. Let’s see what the next 12 months has in store. That’s all I’m saying.
Sherdog.com: When do you want to get back in the Octagon?
Whiteford: I’m ready and wanting to fight ASAP. I want to stay active and move up the rankings. Put me on the Dublin card [in October], and I’ll take the roof off that place, as well.
Sherdog.com: You have been calling out Dennis Siver, whom you were once scheduled to fight. Why do you want this matchup?
Whiteford: Unfinished business. Dennis has been on the scene for a long time and I don’t take him lightly, but it’s time for me to clear up in everyone’s mind what would have happened if the fight had gone ahead in Stockholm [last October].