Whittaker hinted at competing at the Rio Olympics and at the Commonwealth Games in a 2015 interview and Saul believes it is likely we could see Whittaker compete on the Gold Coast. "He's the current Australian wrestling champion and the prognosis is probably very good that he'll remain in that standing," Saul said. "The Reaper" is best known inside UFC circles for his striking, but impressed fans and pundits alike with his take-down and wrestling defence against Romero at UFC 213. The Cuban is known as one of the best grapplers in the world of combat sports and has an Olympic silver medal to his name. Whittaker sustained a knee injury in that bout on his way to winning the interim title. A title unification match-up awaits, against the winner of the November 4 fight between champion Michael Bisping and Georges St-Pierre, which will headline the UFC 217 event. "What can I say? [Whittaker's] a world champion in another, very similar sport, he's beaten one of the greatest wrestlers of all time and we're just waiting to see, and hoping that everything falls into place," Saul said.

The signs from Whittaker's camp are also promising. "The intent is still there," Whittaker's manager Rhys Dal Cin said. "They're looking to compete in the final trial in November. The knee is fine. He's back at training. Everything from the injury in July is back on track and he's going really well." With UFC 217 taking place on November 4, there are only three weeks between Whittaker's future opponent being determined and the selection event for the Commonwealth Games, which takes place in Melbourne on November 25. "We won't know until we know what happens at the start of November," Dal Cin said. "It could be a quick turnaround, or someone could get injured and it could blow out to six or nine months. You just never know." A future fight for the middleweight championship will take place at some point in 2018, but with the Gold Coast games running in mid-April, Team Whittaker is hopeful that the dates all line up accordingly.

"If the timing works out, he gets the places and finishes that he requires and if the wrestling federation agrees, we hope we'll be there at the Comm Games," Dal Cin said. The UFC was aware of Whittaker's intent to participate in wrestling competitions before the fight against Romero, with provisions in place that allowed him to wrestle outside of the confines of the octagon. But his camp will look to maintain communication with the governing body throughout this process. "There's nothing that dictates within his agreement [with the UFC] that he cannot be a part of the Comm Games, but we obviously have to keep them in mind," Dal Cin said. "He's a contracted fighter and we'll work closely with [them] all the way through the process." There are 12 wrestling weight classes for men and women, but the federation is still awaiting word from Games administrators as to how many divisions they will be able to occupy, and if the number of Australian representatives will be restricted. "If it's 12, and Rob's the national selection, then it's very straightforward," Saul said. "It depends how many positions we get that will determine who and how many we take."