'I hope they beat the hell out of each other'-Robert Whittaker on upcoming rematch between Israel Adesanya and Marvin Vettori
Robert Whittaker had a hilarious response when asked about his preferred outcome for the UFC 263 headliner between Israel Adesanya and Marvin Vettori. In a recent interview with Brett Okamoto from ESPN, Whittaker revealed that he couldn't care less about the winner while expressing hope that both fighters 'beat the hell out of each other'.
Revealing Robert Whittaker's take on the UFC 263 main event, Brett Okamoto wrote on Twitter:
"I asked Robert Whittaker (@robwhittakermma) if any part of him wants Israel Adesanya to beat Marvin Vettori, so he can take the belt back from the man who beat him. His response ... “I don’t care. Whatever. I hope they beat the hell out of each other to be honest.”
On a more serious note, Robert Whittaker believes that Marvin Vettori has a tendency to up his game against high-level opponents. Summing it up as a tough call, Robert Whittaker told Brett Okamoto:
"It's hard to say, isn't it? Their first fight in 2018 was pretty close. I think Izzy is really good. I could see Izzy taking that fight. But Vettori is tough as nails and he seems to take high-level opponents to a place where they are uncomfortable because of his resilience and toughness. Plus, he has a good skill set. I think Vettori will know what to expect from Adesanya this time, because he knows the level of striking he brings. In saying that, however, I do think Adesanya has gotten better since the last time they fought. So, I guess I'm on the fence."
Robert Whittaker was expected to fight for the title
Robert Whittaker scored a dominant victory over Kelvin Gastelum in the main event of UFC Vegas 24, putting him on a three-fight win streak. When the UFC announced the middleweight title bout between Israel Adesanya and Marvin Vettori, many fans were upset about Whittaker being passed up for the rematch.
However, 'The Reaper' revealed that he had been offered the title shot but that it was impossible for him to pull off the June date. Whittaker further told Brett Okamoto:
“More or less, I was offered the fight about an hour after my fight with Gastelum. There was just no way, physically, I could do that. Not only do I have injuries from that last fight to deal with, I have to fly home to Australia, and then two weeks in [mandatory] isolation. I have to see how my body was feeling, and then I’d have to prepare; all by June. It was impossible.”