Australia's first UFC champion Rob Whittaker is one of the best middleweights on the planet - but what's not as well known is his obsession with video games.
Whittaker will be hoping to launch another title run when he collides with Paulo Costa in the co-main event at UFC 298 this weekend.
The 33-year-old comes into the fight having surprisingly lost two of his last three UFC bouts, with his latest loss to division champion Dricus Du Plessis.
He holds notable wins over 'Jacare' Souza, Jared Cannonier and Marvin Vettori - but some of his favourite victories have been while he's gaming.
'Gaming has been literally a fundamental part of who I am since I was old enough to hold a controller,' he told Newshub.
Australia's Rob Whittaker says gaming is a fundamental part of who he is
The Aussie UFC star says gaming is a great way to unwind from his grueling training
'The first game console I remember playing would have to be the Sega Mega Drive. My dad was into it at the time and I remember jamming Sonic the Hedgehog, Altered Beast, Ghosts'n'Ghouls and all that.
'It literally imprinted on me just how I would live the rest of my life at that point. I guess for me, I loved the fantasy, magic, dragons, the combat and the superpowers. I just haven't looked back since.'
While Whittaker looks in tremendous shape for his upcoming bout with Costa, he says gaming really helps with his mental health.
'The creation of the characters and going on these journeys is the easiest method of escaping. It's just like instant dopamine - I find gaming for me is just a really good meditation,' he said.
'I go to the gym and I'm slogging away. I'll go out in the fights and you know, fight week is stressful. There's a diet, I'm hungry and I'm training, I am exhausted 24-7. But I know I can just come in here and I can sit down, work on a game and I can progress my character and just unwind.
'Nothing exists other than what's going on in the game at that time.'
Whittaker last week vowed that his game plan is to bully the bully when he meets Costa this weekend.
'He's a tough, powerful dude, and he's a bully fighter,' Whittaker told Submission Radio.
Whittaker is even a character in one of his favourite games The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim
Whittaker will clash with former title contender Paulo Costa at UFC 298 this weekend
'If you give him the space and you give him his way, he'll just bully you in there, and he thrives in that sort of situation. But, mate, I've fought plenty of bullies before.
'I'm going to take the fight to him, I'm going to bully him, I'm looking to get in there and hurt him. So no, I don't think he'll be getting his way.
Meanwhile, Costa hasn't competed in 18 months - bailing on his last two planned bouts with Ikram Aliskerov and Khamzat Chimaev.
'Borrachinha', who is coming off a win against Luke Rockhold at UFC 278 in 2022, is also no stranger to stirring up controversy online.
In 2022, he famously launched an astonishing attack on the Brazil national football team for being 'feminists who apologise for being straight and white' - claiming they cannot win the World Cup.
'Brazilian soccer team were respectable when they had drug dealers to make party's officials,' he tweeted, somewhat incoherently at the time.
'bokep thailand shemale f***** like Ronald at 2006 or 2002,' he added. 'Now they all are feminists or apologise for being straight [and] white. They cannot win the World Cup, sorry. Bring old times back.'
He has a storied history of controversial tweets, with Costa having previously landed himself in hot water over a use of a racial slur on social media in the direction of former UFC fighter Mike Perry.
Despite his recent inactivity, a win against Whittaker will move him back in the conversation for a title shot at middleweight.
UFC FightingMarvin Vettori
Whittaker will be hoping to launch another title run when he collides with Paulo Costa in the co-main event at UFC 298 this weekend.
The 33-year-old comes into the fight having surprisingly lost two of his last three UFC bouts, with his latest loss to division champion Dricus Du Plessis.
He holds notable wins over 'Jacare' Souza, Jared Cannonier and Marvin Vettori - but some of his favourite victories have been while he's gaming.
'Gaming has been literally a fundamental part of who I am since I was old enough to hold a controller,' he told Newshub.
Australia's Rob Whittaker says gaming is a fundamental part of who he is
The Aussie UFC star says gaming is a great way to unwind from his grueling training
'The first game console I remember playing would have to be the Sega Mega Drive. My dad was into it at the time and I remember jamming Sonic the Hedgehog, Altered Beast, Ghosts'n'Ghouls and all that.
'It literally imprinted on me just how I would live the rest of my life at that point. I guess for me, I loved the fantasy, magic, dragons, the combat and the superpowers. I just haven't looked back since.'
While Whittaker looks in tremendous shape for his upcoming bout with Costa, he says gaming really helps with his mental health.
'The creation of the characters and going on these journeys is the easiest method of escaping. It's just like instant dopamine - I find gaming for me is just a really good meditation,' he said.
'I go to the gym and I'm slogging away. I'll go out in the fights and you know, fight week is stressful. There's a diet, I'm hungry and I'm training, I am exhausted 24-7. But I know I can just come in here and I can sit down, work on a game and I can progress my character and just unwind.
'Nothing exists other than what's going on in the game at that time.'
Whittaker last week vowed that his game plan is to bully the bully when he meets Costa this weekend.
'He's a tough, powerful dude, and he's a bully fighter,' Whittaker told Submission Radio.
Whittaker is even a character in one of his favourite games The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim
Whittaker will clash with former title contender Paulo Costa at UFC 298 this weekend
'If you give him the space and you give him his way, he'll just bully you in there, and he thrives in that sort of situation. But, mate, I've fought plenty of bullies before.
'I'm going to take the fight to him, I'm going to bully him, I'm looking to get in there and hurt him. So no, I don't think he'll be getting his way.
Meanwhile, Costa hasn't competed in 18 months - bailing on his last two planned bouts with Ikram Aliskerov and Khamzat Chimaev.
'Borrachinha', who is coming off a win against Luke Rockhold at UFC 278 in 2022, is also no stranger to stirring up controversy online.
In 2022, he famously launched an astonishing attack on the Brazil national football team for being 'feminists who apologise for being straight and white' - claiming they cannot win the World Cup.
'Brazilian soccer team were respectable when they had drug dealers to make party's officials,' he tweeted, somewhat incoherently at the time.
'bokep thailand shemale f***** like Ronald at 2006 or 2002,' he added. 'Now they all are feminists or apologise for being straight [and] white. They cannot win the World Cup, sorry. Bring old times back.'
He has a storied history of controversial tweets, with Costa having previously landed himself in hot water over a use of a racial slur on social media in the direction of former UFC fighter Mike Perry.
Despite his recent inactivity, a win against Whittaker will move him back in the conversation for a title shot at middleweight.
UFC FightingMarvin Vettori
