Sydney, Dec 8 (IANS): Mixed martial arts fighter Robert Whittaker has become the first Australian to hold an undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) title.

The 185 pound sydneysider was announced the champion on Friday, after the former middleweight titleholder George St Pierre (GSP) vacated the belt due to a stomach illness called colitis, reports Xinhua news agency.

After racking up eight straight victories inside the octagon with his devastating power and well rounded skill set, Whittaker had already won the UFC's interim strap back in July against feared Cuban wrestler Yoel Romero.

With a major UFC event coming up in Perth during February, many anticipated Whittaker would get his opportunity to unify the belts against St Pierre, but with GSP now out of the picture, it has been announced that American middleweight contender and former champ Luke Rockhold will challenge the Aussie for the title.

Widely expected to break numerous attendance records, the event will be the first UFC card ever held in Western Australia.