After a torrent of memes and Instagram callouts, Robert Whittaker and Darren Till finally met in the cage on Saturday night and it was about as close and exciting a fight as something with this much anticipation behind it deserved.

Both men had their moment in the fight; Till dropped Whittaker in the first after he landed a flush elbow strike, while Whittaker returned the favour in the second. Rounds three through five were close, with Whittaker landing a higher volume of shots but Till landed the arguably more powerful ones.

After the fight, both men appeared to be at peace with the result. They embraced in the cage, and shared a joke about Till’s infamous in-out feints but both told the media afterwards that the 25-minutes were among the most ‘stressful’ of their careers — something which Whittaker referenced on social media when paying tribute to the team who prepared him for the fight.

 

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At this difficult time in the world, a massive appreciation goes out to everyone involved. Firstly to all my coaches and training partners, @alexprates07 @standstrongboxingcoachjustin @charliebechwaty @andrew_grange74 @justinlang_ep @jacobmalkoun @isidoxz , their families and all my team mates at the gym @graciejiujitsusmeatongrange , the sacrifices you all make on a daily, forever grateful #oneteamonedream ! My sponsors @musashinutrition , @kaplan_homes , @bethesda @bethesda_anz , @sweatcentral , @omenbyhp . My management team @rivalsportsmanagement @titusday77 and @courtneyhardday behind the scenes so much happens and these guys get it done no worries! My father @menaijack my day 1, all my family back home my mother in law @melina.iannelli.3 helps us incredibly on a daily basis. My wife @sofiamareewhittaker and kids for continuing to be my reason why. Many people may not know this my wife is the one that helps with all my food prep, nutrition tracks all she has been doing for years, studies and specialises everything for me, this weight cut was the best one yet, I was the healthiest I’ve ever been stepping in that octagon, love you Sofia ! To all my supporters #reapernation , all is appreciated forever grateful for you, and we will keep posted more @reapergearrw coming soon! Everyone involved here in @yasisland #fightisland @ufc @ufcanz @ufcpi @danawhite thank you for letting us fighters continue to do what we love in these crazy times, nothing has gone by unnoticed and I will forever be grateful and now excited for the next! #onwardsandupwards One last mention @darrentill2 it was a pleasure mate, what a chess match! Now for some dip and chips. Daz? 🍻

A post shared by Robert Whittaker (@robwhittakermma) on Jul 26, 2020 at 3:12pm PDT

He began by listing off various training partners and coaches he helped him along the way, before moving to his wife who he said was crucial in devising a nutrition plan for him.

“My wife @sofiamareewhittaker and kids for continuing to be my reason why,” he wrote. “Many people may not know this my wife is the one that helps with all my food prep, nutrition tracks all she has been doing for years, studies and specialises everything for me, this weight cut was the best one yet, I was the healthiest I’ve ever been stepping in that octagon, love you Sofia!

“To all my supporters #reapernation , all is appreciated forever grateful for you, and we will keep posted more @reapergear coming soon!

“Everyone involved here in @yasisland #fightisland @ufc @ufcanz @ufcpi @danawhite thank you for letting us fighters continue to do what we love in these crazy times, nothing has gone by unnoticed and I will forever be grateful and now excited for the next! #onwardsandupwards