Ultimate Fighting Calendar
UFCUFC 197: Jones vs Saint Preux
Middleweight3 rounds scheduled
WIN
Robert Whittaker
Robert Whittaker
“The Reaper”
28-9-0
RESULT

Robert Whittaker def. Rafael Natal (Unanimous Decision)

Unanimous Decision · Round 3 · 5:00
Rafael Natal
BrazilRafael Natal
“Sapo”
21-9-1
Saturday, April 23, 2016
MGM Grand Arena, Las Vegas, United States

Robert Whittaker defeated Rafael Natal by Unanimous Decision in round 3 (5:00) in the Middleweight bout of UFC 197: Jones vs Saint Preux, held Saturday, April 23, 2016 at MGM Grand Arena, Las Vegas.

Fight stats

Robert Whittaker
Rafael Natal
0
Knockdowns
0
89 of 176
Significant strikes
62 of 137
51%
Sig. strike accuracy
45%
92 of 179
Total strikes
63 of 138
0 of 0
Takedowns
0 of 4
—
Takedown accuracy
0%
0
Submission attempts
0
0
Reversals
0
0:02
Control time
0:00
Significant strikes by target
51 of 129
Head
36 of 95
10 of 11
Body
4 of 15
28 of 36
Leg
22 of 27
83 of 166
Distance
61 of 135
2 of 4
Clinch
1 of 2
4 of 6
Ground
0 of 0

By round

ROUND 1
0
KD
0
23 of 51
Sig. str.
22 of 48
23 of 51
Total str.
23 of 49
0 of 0
Takedowns
0 of 1
0
Sub. att
0
0:02
Ctrl
0:00
ROUND 2
0
KD
0
31 of 61
Sig. str.
21 of 46
33 of 63
Total str.
21 of 46
0 of 0
Takedowns
0 of 2
0
Sub. att
0
0:00
Ctrl
0:00
ROUND 3
0
KD
0
35 of 64
Sig. str.
19 of 43
36 of 65
Total str.
19 of 43
0 of 0
Takedowns
0 of 1
0
Sub. att
0
0:00
Ctrl
0:00

Judges' Scorecards

Derek Cleary
#WhittakerNatal
1109
2109
3109
Total3027
Chris Lee
#WhittakerNatal
1109
2109
3109
Total3027
Patricia Morse Jarman
#WhittakerNatal
1109
2910
3109
Total2928

Media Scores

22
Whittaker
–
0
Natal
●30–27 Whittaker×16●29–28 Whittaker×6
All 22 media scorecards▾

Fan Scorecards

100%
Whittaker
0%
Natal
60 fan scorecards submitted
●30–27 Whittaker81.7%●29–28 Whittaker16.7%●30–26 Whittaker1.7%
Fans' round-by-round verdict
R1
100%
Whittaker
R2
83%
Whittaker
R3
98%
Whittaker

Scorecard data via mmadecisions.com

Frequently asked questions

Who won Robert Whittaker vs Rafael Natal?

Robert Whittaker defeated Rafael Natal by Unanimous Decision in round 3 (5:00) in the Middleweight bout of UFC 197: Jones vs Saint Preux, held Saturday, April 23, 2016 at MGM Grand Arena, Las Vegas.

What were the judges' scorecards for Robert Whittaker vs Rafael Natal?

The judges scored it 30–27, 30–27, 29–28 — Robert Whittaker won the decision.

Referee
John McCarthy
Time format
3 Rnd (5-5-5)
Pre-fight comparison▾

Win probability

Robert Whittaker 55%45% Rafael Natal

What the model gave each fighter going into the fight, from their pre-fight UFCal Elo ratings. See all Elo ratings

Tale of the Tape

28-9-0
Record
21-9-1
1609
Elo rating
1578
1
Win Streak
0
35
Age
43
6'0"
183 cm
Height
6'0"
183 cm
73"
185 cm
Reach
77"
196 cm
Orthodox
Stance
Orthodox
Middleweight
Weight Class
Middleweight
Australia / New Zealand
Nationality
Brazil

Striking Profile

4.41
SLpM
3.10
43%
Str. Acc.
47%
3.40
SApM
2.48
59%
Str. Def.
57%

Grappling Profile

0.71
TD Avg.
2.55
38%
TD Acc.
34%
80%
TD Def.
77%
0.00
Sub. Avg.
0.50

Recent form (last 5 fights)

Robert Whittaker · 3-2
  • W
    Nikita Krylov
    UFC 329: McGregor vs Holloway 2Sat, Jul 11, 2026
    TKO · R3 · 1:01 · Light Heavyweight
  • L
    Reinier de Ridder
    UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs De RidderSat, Jul 26, 2025
    Split Decision · R5 · 5:00 · Middleweight
  • L
    Khamzat Chimaev
    UFC 308: Topuria vs HollowaySat, Oct 26, 2024
    Submission · R1 · 3:34 · Middleweight
  • W
    Ikram Aliskerov
    UFC Saudi ArabiaSat, Jun 22, 2024
    TKO · R1 · 1:49 · Middleweight
  • W
    Paulo Costa
    UFC 298: Volkanovski vs TopuriaSat, Feb 17, 2024
    Unanimous Decision · R3 · 5:00 · Middleweight
Rafael Natal · 2-3
  • L
    Eryk Anders
    UFC Fight Night: Weidman vs GastelumSun, Jul 23, 2017
    TKO · R1 · 2:54 · Middleweight
  • L
    Tim Boetsch
    UFC 205: Alvarez vs McGregorSun, Nov 13, 2016
    TKO · R1 · 3:22 · Middleweight
  • L
    Robert Whittaker
    UFC 197: Jones vs Saint PreuxSat, Apr 23, 2016
    Unanimous Decision · R3 · 5:00 · Middleweight
  • W
    Kevin Casey
    UFC Fight Night: Johnson vs BaderSun, Jan 31, 2016
    TKO · R3 · 3:37 · Middleweight
  • W
    Uriah Hall
    UFC 187: Johnson vs CormierSat, May 23, 2015
    Split Decision · R3 · 5:00 · Middleweight

Career Averages

Based on 25 fights · 17 fights
59.6
Avg sig. strikes
38.6
0.64
Avg takedowns
2.12
1:04
Avg control time
3:09
150
Career high strikes
73
4
Career high TDs
8

Strike Distribution

Robert Whittaker
Strike target
Rafael Natal
72%
Head
58%
10%
Body
14%
18%
Leg
28%
Robert Whittaker
Strike position
Rafael Natal
87%
Distance
66%
7%
Clinch
12%
7%
Ground
22%