UFC on FX 6: Whittaker vs. Scott

Robert Whittaker (10-2) vs. Brad Scott (8-1)

Brad Scott and Robert Whittaker will make their official UFC debuts after a season on The Ultimate Fighter.

Whittaker has made it look easy on this season of TUF, winning his two bouts to get to this final round by very quick knockouts. The two wins took him a combined minute and a half, showing the power he can unfurl at any point. Scott had more struggles on TUF, needing a split decision to get out of his semifinal bout. Although Scott is a deft fighter, he just hasn’t shown what it takes to compete with Whittaker, who has indicated that he may have a promising UFC future if he continues to fight at such an elite level. Meanwhile, scrapping out split decisions will not be a likelihood against this fighter for Scott. Take WHITTAKER, even as a significant favorite, to win this one.

Prior to TUF, Whittaker lost via decision to Jesse Suarez, but he has clearly recovered his strong form since then. Of his nine career wins, none have gone to the final bell—four have been knockouts, five have been submissions. But that doesn’t include his two TUF knockouts that demonstrated his unorthodox striking power, which regularly keeps his opponents off balance. At just 21 years old, he should only be improving. Play on him to earn another knockout here.

At 6-foot-1, Scott owns a two-inch height advantage in this fight. Interestingly enough, he had never won via decision prior to his two TUF bouts. His eight career wins were five knockouts and three submissions. Although it may be difficult to knock Whittaker out, given his striking prowess, maybe Scott will have the chance to break him down for a submission. Whittaker’s other career loss, to Hoon Kim, was a triangle choke submission. Still, that appears unlikely given Scott’s struggles to the finals and Whittaker’s dominance. Unless the odds begin to help him more, play against.