The 26-year-old triumphed in the men’s 97 kilogram division at the Australian National Selection Competition, which was their official qualification event for next year’s Games.

It followed Whittaker earning victory at the Australian Wrestling Championships back in May.

With a maximum of eight places on offer in the Commonwealth Games team, four of the 12 winners at the selection trials will miss out.

Whittaker, who is the interim middleweight champion in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), will hope to be included in Wrestling Australia’s final selection.

He claims that techniques can cross over from wrestling to mixed martial arts, but asserted that the sports were completely different.

“I don’t blur the lines, when I wrestle, I wrestle Olympic freestyle, when I’m in my stance, and I’m wearing my boots, that is what I’m doing,” he said.

“When I do MMA and I compete in the UFC, it is a different sport altogether.

“I think I give both sports the respect they deserve.

“I love the technical aspect of wrestling, the fact you can get in there and train day in and day out and then on the mat when you pull it off, it takes no effort, it is smooth like water, it is a great feeling.

“All techniques can be crossed over, it just depends on the calibre of wrestler you are.

“My aspiration is always to get to a high level and to do my best.”

A potential middleweight world title fight could take priority for Whittaker, who was born in New Zealand but moved to Melbourne when he was a baby, in the coming months.

A clash with Georges St Pierre, in Perth, during February has been rumoured.

Should the Australian make the Commonwealth Games team, he could then be competing for medals two months later in Gold Coast.

The Games are scheduled to take place from April 4 to 15, with wrestling taking place from April 12 to 14 at the Carrara Sports and Leisure Centre.