Despite dealing with brutal kicks to the head as a mixed martial arts fighter, Rob Whittaker says wrestling is a much harder sport.
Claiming Australia's first UFC title last year, Whittaker is making the most of his wrestling skills to cross over and compete at next month's Commonwealth Games.
He leads an eight-strong wrestling Australian team named on Friday, with four Games debutants including Naomi de Bruin also successfully changing from judo to compete in the 76kg class.
Whittaker started competing in freestyle wrestling in 2015 to improve his UFC results but then saw the opportunity to represent his country at the Commonwealth Games or Olympics.
He won last year's qualifying tournament in November to book his place.
While wrestling looks fairly tame compared to some of the savagery of mixed martial arts, Whittaker said he found it tougher.
"I actually think that wrestling is much harder than MMA to be honest," the 27-year-old Sydneysider said.
"It is the ultimate test of the human body so anyone who says wrestling is gentle doesn't know wrestling.
"It takes you to a dark place and pushes your body well beyond what it's supposed to go to, plus it's very technical and very skilled."
Whittaker says he has the potential to win a medal in his first international tournament, with his ability to deal with pressure and pain transcending sports.
That was further tested late last year when Whittaker was floored by a staph infection in his stomach and then chicken pox.
Australia hope to win a medal after narrowly missing the dais in the 2014 Games in Glasgow.
The team won four medals at the 2010 Delhi Games, although Hassene Fkiri was disqualified and stripped of the silver medal after making an obscene gesture at the judges during the final.
Australian team: Women - Rupinder Kaur 50kg , Carissa Holland 53kg, Naomi de Bruin 76kg. Men - Tom Cicchini 50kg, Mehrdad Tarash 65kg, Connor Evans 74kg, Jayden Lawrence 86kg, Robert Whittaker 97kg.
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