"The more you succeed, the more you win, the harder it is to lose. It's harder with the MMA community. Fan criticism is worse than any punch, any kick. And don't get me wrong, I love the MMA community. They're like wings to me. That said, they can turn on you in an instant.
Countless times after I lost to Du Plessis, I've read comments like, "It's time to throw Rob out, he's not the same anymore." You know what I mean? The same Dustin Porier constantly knocking out his opponents, but I'm sure he received similar comments in his own address," - said Whittaker on the air of The MMA Hour.
Whittaker returned to his winning ways in February, defeating Paulo Costa on points.