Back on track, Robert Whittaker wants on UFC's next Australia show

Riding a two-fight losing skid, including the first knockout loss of his MMA career, Robert Whittaker needed to get back on track in a big way over the weekend.

He did just that with a unanimous decision sweep of the scorecards – and he did it in front of a very pro-Whittaker crowd. Whittaker (12-4 MMA, 3-2 UFC), born in New Zealand and now living in Australia, cruised past Mike Rhodes (6-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 43 in Auckland to snap his slump.

The “TUF: Smashes” welterweight winner after the fight said it was a matter of getting back to the basics.

“I learned a lot of hard lessons in my previous fights,” he said. “I had a lot of things I had to fix myself, fix mentally and physically. When doubting yourself, just get back to your roots and stay true.

“I went out there and I did exactly what I needed to do. I threw my weapons at him and let him try and adapt and fix himself to what I was going to do. I’m my biggest critic, and I look at my own performance, and the fact that I got hit, I’m not happy with. I see holes to fix, and I’m just going to keep patching the holes up and keep turning into the weapon I envision.”

That weapon had a little extra push behind it on Saturday in New Zealand, as he got support from the Kiwi crowd, even though he’s an Aussie, as well.

Whittaker said he’d like to get on the card in Sydney, if the UFC returns to Australia as rumored later this year.

“I’d like to fight at home,” he said. “I don’t think I could say no if there was a fight at home. You bring the fight to my doorstep, I’ll be there. I think that’s how it is.”

That heavy crowd support in New Zealand was something he definitely felt, and apparently getting to feel it again in Australia, where he hasn’t fought since winning “TUF: Smashes” against Brad Scott in December 2012, is a mighty big lure.

“It’s definitely hard (to concentrate) when you can feel it in your skin vibrating,” Whittaker said of the ovation he got. “I just take a few deep breaths and try and wish it away, but it definitely adds an edge to everything I am. The fact that I had so many fans out here and the fact that I had my home country backing me is just part of the team and part of the strength. It was awesome.”

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 43, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.