Even before UFC 243, and Robert Whittaker’s disastrous loss to Israel Adesanya, doubts were creeping into the discourse. After all, ‘Bobby Knuckles’ had just gone 10 of the most brutal, unforgiving rounds imaginable against the earth-elemental-made-man that is Yoel Romero.
In his first fight with the ‘Soldier of God’ he blew out his knee, in the second, he busted his hand. Between the two bouts he suffered a staph infection in his stomach as well as an intestinal hernia, leaving him in “serious condition” and ultimately requiring surgery to repair. None of this even mentions the intense amount of head trauma he suffered on the way.