He made his name as Australia's first UFC champion before injury and illness confined him to a long spell on the sidelines.
But if anything, the lay-offs only made New Zealand-born Robert Whittaker more determined as he prepares to make a long-awaited return to the octagon.
'Rollercoaster' barely begins to describe what the last year's been like for Whittaker, but he admits there was one positive that stood out among it all.
"It's been exactly that - highs and lows," he said.
"I've never pulled out from a fight before, especially on home soil, and for me to have to pull out from that was pretty gut wrenching," he said of what was meant to be his first title defence against Luke Rockhold at UFC 221 in Perth.
"But, in saying that, if I would have fought I would have missed the birth of my daughter so I’m happy with the way things worked out after all."
There were injuries that kept the fighter down, but the main reason was illness.
First a staph infection before an even bigger blow - a bout of chickenpox.
"The chicken pox was nasty," Whittaker said.
"Getting chicken pox as an adult, I tell people and they laugh at me but it was terrible. Worst thing I've ever had!"
Whittaker had won eight consecutive fights before that combination of illness and injury struck but now he's ready to add to the streak, flying out to Chicago this weekend for his maiden title defence.
Whittaker is in a rematch against 41-year-old Cuban Yoel Romero, who he beat on points last year to win the UFC middleweight title.
"I feel 100 per cent now, I feel like I could fight him tomorrow," he said.
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