MMA fighter Robert Whittaker voiced his disagreement with the idea of Israel Adesanya getting an immediate rematch with new UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland, arguing that it would not be fair to the rest of the division and that Adesanya should earn his way back.
Robert Whittaker, a prominent MMA fighter, strongly believes that Israel Adesanya shouldn’t be rewarded with an immediate rematch with UFC middleweight champion, Sean Strickland. He shared his opinion in an interview on Wednesday, arguing that it wouldn’t be fair considering this wasn’t Adesanya’s first loss as champion. Adesanya, according to Whittaker, should not continuously be given the chance for a rematch after every loss. He believes Adesanya has more to prove before he can seek another title match.
The recent defeat of Adesanya at UFC 293 was a shock in the world of MMA, resulting in his losing his middleweight title for the second time in just three fights. His loss was even more surprising as he was widely considered the favorite and was overpowered by Strickland, the underdog. Interestingly, after his initial loss to Alex Pereira, he got an immediate rematch and won, but this time, he lost to Strickland completely. Despite this, UFC President, Dana White, appears to favor the idea of another rematch between Strickland and Adesanya, though he later expressed some doubts about it.
Whittaker believes that allowing Adesanya a rematch would be unfair to other fighters in the division. In his view, the new champion, Strickland, should have some input on who he gets to fight next. As Whittaker points out, Strickland won his title in a masterful upset and should be able to enjoy his victory because every middleweight fighter will be gunning for him. As a former champion who lost twice to Adesanya, Whittaker saw new opportunities for himself and other middleweights with the loss of this longtime title holder.
While many attributed the results of UFC 293 to a poor performance by Adesanya, Whittaker applauded Strickland for his dominance and strategic play which counteracted many of Adesanya’s best techniques. Fans and fighters alike are now eager to see who will challenge Strickland next. Many expected Dricus du Plessis, the man who defeated Whittaker at UFC 290, to be the obvious contender, but an injury prevented him from stepping up. Other fan favorites such as Paulo Costa and Khamzat Chimaev, set to face each other in October at UFC 294, could become the next contenders if they perform well. However, the possibility of an Adesanya rematch remains due to his star power within the UFC. Whittaker playfully suggested himself as an “easy picking” for Strickland’s first title defense, although he admits he doesn’t know what the best next step would be for the division.