The rumors of 's demise were greatly exaggerated. At least, that's the way things look now after the 29-year-old just handed Jared Cannonier his first loss after three consecutive wins in the co-main event of UFC 254.
Whittaker defeated Cannonier via unanimous decision on Saturday in Abu Dhabi, with all three judges scoring the bout 29-28 for Whittaker.
The Australian Whittaker entered the fight as an irresistible 185-pound force over the last few years, and he carried with him to the Octagon UFC championship credentials. And even though he had just looked spectacular in his five-round win over the always dangerous Darren Till, some in the sport had already penciled in Cannonier as the next challenger for UFC champ Israel Adesanya.