When Whittaker clashed with Derek Brunson, it was the meeting of two hopeful middleweight contenders coming off five wins on the bounce. Brunson had knocked out his previous four opponents, and Whittaker, fighting in the friendly confines of Melbourne, wanted to deliver a memorable fight for his home fans. What resulted was a classic one-round war that earned a Performance of the Night bonus for Whittaker and Fight of the Night honors for both. The rock-em sock-em affair remains a signature Whittaker performance.
Rolling off the momentum of his finish over Brunson, Whittaker found himself right on the edge of title contention. Against “Jacare” Souza, Whittaker faced someone coming off back-to-back first-round finishes and one of the more difficult challenges at 185 pounds. In a tight contest, Whittaker found a home for his signature head kick and became the first person to finish the Brazilian, marking himself as a top contender in the division.