Sofia Whittaker is an Australian celebrity wife who worked with different gyms and was also an assistant store manager. She is best known for being the wife of New Zealand-born Australian mixed martial artist, Robert Whittaker (The Reaper).
Sofia’s husband fought in the Welterweight division of the UFC and now fights in the Middleweight of the UFC. In his career, he has fought the likes of Chris Tallowin, Ben Alloway, Brad Scott, Yoel Romero, and Israel Adesanya. He has become an undisputed champion and also became a Middleweight Champion.
Who is Robert Whittaker’s Wife, Sofia Whittaker?
Robert’s wife was born Sofia Maree Ianneli and hails from Sydney, Australia. She has kept details about her family private but her parents are Tony Ianneli and Melina Iannelli. She shares a close relationship with them and also shares their pictures on social media.
The celebrity wife of “The Reaper” has a sister named Constance Iannelli who later became known as Constance Moxon.
Concerning her education, Sofia Whittaker attended St. John Bosco College at a young age before heading to the Australian Catholic University where she studied and obtained a bachelor’s degree in Exercise and Health Science.
She graduated from the institution in 2010 and started a life working in a gym and developing her career over time. She also worked as an assistant store manager, exercise science qualified at ASN Miranda.
At the time, she maintained a more private life. She only reached the spotlight through her famous relationship with Robert Whittaker, who has had a wrestling and mixed martial arts career.
Despite the fame associated with her, Sofia has been able to keep a private life before her relationship with Robert reaches the public.
Nonetheless, she is famed for attending many matches of her husband’s matches.
Sofia’s Relationship Timeline with Robert Whittaker
Sofia and Robert have been together for over 2 decades. On her Facebook page, she first shared her picture with the fighter in 2012. Nonetheless, the couple has been together since 2006.
This assertion is based on Sofia’s report on Instagram in December 2023 that she had shared about 17 birthdays with Robert.
In 2014, the couple became married amid family and friends.
The same year Robert Whittaker married his wife, he had numerous fights. He fought Stephen Thompson, Mike Rhodes, and Clint Hester, losing only to Thompson.
Meet the Famous Couple’s Children
Robert and Sofia Whittaker are parents of 5 children – 2 girls and 3 boys.
Their first son was born on May 27, 2015. This was a year after the couple married. Robert and Sofia’s first child was named after Robert’s father Jack Whittaker.
A year after the birth of Jack, the celerity couple welcomed their second child, a son named John Whittaker. He was born in December 2016.
On February 7, 2018, the couple welcomed a daughter named Liliana Whittaker. She is currently 7 years old.
Their son Jace Whittaker was born on January 17, 2021, before the couple’s last child was later born.
The couple’s children have been exposed to fighting sports. There are many pictures of them training alongside their father.
Fascinating Facts About Robert Whittaker
He started a Karate school at the Age of 7
The former UFC champion was born Robert John Whittaker on 20 December 1990. At the age of 7, his father enrolled him and his brother in a Goju-ryu karate school. This was to help the then-young boys in self-discipline and self-defense.
It was at that time that he fell in love with fighting and continued in other aspects of the sports.
The Reaper Started His Career in 2009
After years of practicing and joining different aspects of the sport, Whittaker became a professional and was signed to Australia’s Xtreme Fighting Championships in 2008. Nonetheless, he made his debut on March 14, 2009, in a fight against Chris Tallowin.
He won his debut fight in technical knockouts.
Afterward, he fought against Richard Walsh where again he recorded another win.
He had numerous other fights across Australia from 2009 to 2011, winning most of them.
Around the time, he won the SFA Welterweight Championship in March 2012.
His career became notable and by 2012, about 3 years after he made his debut, he started his UFC career. He won The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes Welterweight Tournament.
On November 8, 2014, he made his Middleweight debut in a fight against Clint Hester. Whittaker won the fight which was also dubbed “Fight of the Night”.
This would lead to many other fights, and many performances of the night, and on July 8, 2017, he won the interim UFC Middleweight Championship. Fight of the Night. Later promoted to undisputed champion.
See Also: Who Is Ciryl Gane’s Wife? Bio, Age, Career, Height, Net Worth Of The UFC Fighter
The Australian Fighter Started His Wrestling Career in 2015
Whittaker has proven himself as a fighter who would easily fit in different aspects of the sport. With this in mind, he started competing in freestyle wrestling in 2015 where he competed at the Australia Cup in Canberra.
Two years afterward, he won a gold medal at the Australian National Wrestling Championships.
Afterward, he competed in several tournaments such as Australia’s 2018 Commonwealth Games and the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Summary of his freestyling wrestling career:
- He won the 2015 Australia Cup – 97 kg.
- He won a gold medal at the Australian National Wrestling Championships in 2017 – Gold medal – 97 kg.
- The New Zealand-born qualified for the 2018 Commonwealth Games – 97 kg.
Other Interesting Fast Facts About Whittaker
- The Reaper was a natural athlete and was good in rugby and was placed in in Cronulla Sharks club as a youth.
- He played in Junior Rugby League when he was 5 years old and later, he played in 2 grand finals for Kingsgrove Colts. Also, he played in the NRL development program with the Cronulla Sharks.
- On November 14, 2018, Rob received the prestigious GQ Sportsman Of The Year award in Sydney.
- He once begged his wife to fight minutes before emergency surgery for a hernia and a twisted bowel.
- His listed height is 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) while his weight is 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb).
- Whittaker’s reach is 73”
Summary of his professional records
Number of fights – 31
- 24 WINS
- 9KO/TKO (38%)
- 5 submissions (21%)
- 10 decisions (42%)
- 6 LOSSES
- 2KO/TK0 (33%)
- 1 submission (17%)
- 3 decisions (33%)
Discussion about this post