5 Defining Moments: Rob Wilkinson

Once was not enough for Rob Wilkinson.

On a quest to become a two-time Professional Fighters League champion, the Factory X-trained Australian will lock horns with Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov when their light heavyweight semifinal serves as the PFL 8 co-headliner on Aug. 16 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida. Wilkinson, 32, qualified for the playoffs with a technical knockout of Tom Breese in April and a split decision over Joshua Silveira two months later. He has yet to lose through seven appearances in the PFL.

As Wilkinson approaches his forthcoming battle with Yagshimuradov at 205 pounds, a look at five of the many moments that have come to define him:

1. Tip of the Iceberg

Wilkinson took care of Jamie Abdallah with third-round punches and laid claim to the Australian Fighting Championship middleweight title in the AFC 15 main event on March 19, 2016 at the Melbourne Pavilion in Melbourne, Australia. Abdallah succumbed to blows 4:07 into Round 3. Wilkinson entered the cage with a perfect 9-0 record and momentum to spare, having stopped his four previous opponents inside one round. Abdallah forced him work a little harder to reach the finish line. Wilkinson called his bluff in the third round, where he stepped forward with shots from both hands, drove “The Real Deal” to the fence and cut loose with more punches until the job was done. He made one more stop on the regional scene—Wilkinson dismissed Alexander Poppeck with a rear-naked choke under the European Fighting Challenge banner in Finland—before taking his talents to the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

2. Cannon Fodder

City Kickboxing star Israel Adesanya dazzled in his organizational debut, as he put away Wilkinson with knees and punches in the second round of their UFC 221 middleweight prelim on Feb. 10, 2018 at Perth Arena in Perth, Australia. The end came 3:37 into Round 2. Adesanya was measured and methodical. Wilkinson spent much of the opening round whiffing on takedowns—he completed only two of his 10 attempts—and trying to bully the Nigerian striker in the clinch. Those efforts proved fruitless. The undefeated Adesanya blasted him with knees to the face and stiff jabs, all while focusing on the body with damaging combinations. He broke the battered and bloodied Wilkinson’s will along the fence late in the middle stanza, as he let fly with knees and punches until referee Steve Perceval had seen enough.

3. Boosting the Resume

Wilkinson beefed up his trophy case when he buried Daniel Almeida with punches and captured the Hex Fight Series light heavyweight championship in the HFS 21 headliner on April 9, 2021 at the Melbourne Pavilion in Melbourne, Australia. The curtain fell 1:22 into Round 1. Almeida stepped forward behind heavy power punches at the outset but paid the price for his overzealousness. He shot on an ill-advised single-leg and then chose to cling to Wilkinson’s ankle when the takedown attempt failed, leaving his head exposed to an opponent who was all too willing to capitalize. Punishment was swift. Wilkinson unfurled a series of unanswered hammerfists that left the Brazilian semi-conscious on all fours and led to an immediate stoppage. A little more than a year later, “Razor Rob” arrived in the PFL.

4. Million-Dollar Man

The resurgent Wilkinson prompted a cut-induced doctor stoppage against Omari Akhmedov in their light heavyweight final as part of the PFL Championships inside the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 25, 2022 in New York. Akhmedov was deemed unfit to continue in between the second and third rounds of their encounter, closing the book on his three-fight winning streak. Wilkinson, who banked $1 million for his efforts, had far too much horsepower for the undersized American Top Team representative. He uncorked power punches from both hands—his right uppercut was particularly effective—and walked through the game but outmatched Akhmedov’s return fire, which included crushing leg kicks and a handful of overhand rights. Wilkinson hacked open a gnarly diagonal cut on the Russian’s right brow with a well-placed knee late in the second round, pressed his fading counterpart to the cage and unleashed a hellacious burst of punches that nearly ended it there. Akhmedov made it to the bell, but the cageside physician declined to allow him to go any further.

5. Flag Thrown

Wilkinson returned to his roots, followed a game plan that was heavy on grappling and earned a unanimous decision over Thiago Santos in their PFL 1 co-main event on April 1, 2023 inside The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas. All three judges scored it 29-28. Wilkinson completed multiple takedowns across the first 10 minutes, consolidated them with positional advances and made it virtually impossible for the Brazilian to create the space he needed to get his offense in gear. Santos rallied with a strong third round, where he freed himself from clinches, pieced together combinations and leaned on thudding kicks to the body. Wilkinson waded through fatigue down the stretch, held on for a decision victory and cast an eye towards repeating as PFL light heavyweight champion. However, the result was later overturned to a no contest after the Tasmanian was found to have tested positive for an elevated testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio. Wilkinson did not compete again for more than a year.