Former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker expressed his desire to fight Israel Adesanya and take the belt off him, stating that he cares about the fight more than he previously let on, after Adesanya’s victory over Alex Pereira in the UFC 287 main event.
Former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker expressed his happiness for Israel Adesanya after watching him knock out Alex Pereira in the UFC 287 main event. However, Whittaker admitted that he also felt a spark of motivation after the fight. Speaking to Submission Radio, Whittaker revealed that his desire to fight Adesanya had intensified after the fight.
Whittaker lost to Adesanya twice before, with the first fight ending in a TKO at UFC 243 and the second one going to the distance at UFC 271. Despite the losses, Whittaker believes that he can work out the puzzle of Adesanya’s skillset and take the belt away from him. He stated that his better skillset and mindset would help him win the third match against Adesanya.
Whittaker also discussed the UFC’s plan to match him up against Pereira if he had won against Adesanya. However, as Pereira lost to Adesanya, Whittaker is uncertain about his path to the belt. But he is not giving up and is still determined to fight Adesanya for the belt, even if it means running through other competitors to get there.
Whittaker’s determination to fight Adesanya for the belt proves that he is in the right headspace to bring his A-game to the Octagon. His fans hope to see the two fighters face off once again in the future, with the possibility of Whittaker emerging as the new middleweight champion.