Israel Adesanya gives wholesome reaction on live TV to former foe Robert Whittaker's return to win column
Israel Adesanya recently shared some heartwarming words for his former opponent, Robert Whittaker. Adesanya is pleased to see Whittaker returning to the win column.
The two fighters have already faced off twice in the octagon. Adesanya emerged as the undisputed UFC middleweight champion after defeating Whittaker by TKO in the second round of their first meeting at UFC 243. In their title fight rematch at UFC 271, 'The Reaper' was aiming to exact revenge, but he was unable to do so and lost the bout by unanimous decision.
However, Whittaker's start to this year has been incredible. He put himself back in the title picture after knocking out Ikram Aliskerov in the first round of the main event of UFC Saudi Arabia following a unanimous decision victory against Paulo Costa at UFC 298 this past February.
During a recent appearance on the Today Show Australia, Adesanya shared his reaction to his iconic UFC 243 walkout in Melbourne. He also congratulated Whittaker on his recent victory, saying:
''I was fighting the local hero, Rob Whittaker, who just actually had a great win a week or two weeks ago, but I was fighting him here and defending my belt for the first time on enemy territory. I said, ‘You know what? I’m going to make it a show.’ And I did.''
He continued:
''It [Whittaker’s knockout of Aliskerov] was beautiful. Robbie’s that guy. We fought twice. We always have history, but it was good to see him back in the win column, and he’s coming for me, so I’ve got to stay ready.”
Check out Israel Adesanya's comments below (5:38):
Adesanya hasn't competed in the octagon since September 2023, when he lost the middleweight title to Sean Strickland at UFC 293. He will make his return at UFC 305 on Aug. 17, where he will face reigning champion Dricus du Plessis.
Robert Whittaker predicts Israel Adesanya vs. Dricus du Plessis clash
Robert Whittaker recently expressed his thoughts on the upcoming title clash between Israel Adesanya and Dricus du Plessis at UFC 305.
Whittaker, who has faced Adesanya and du Plessis, feels that the aggressive fighting style of the South African might be a serious threat to the former champion. In an interview with The Sporting News, 'The Reaper' shared his prediction for UFC 305's main event, saying:
''Stylistically, this suits Dricus quite well. I think the performance we saw displayed in his last fight, that level of pressure he put on Sean Strickland, he’ll use to great effect against Adesanya, especially when we saw Strickland use the same sort of thing against Adesanya when they fought. I’m going to lean towards Dricus for this one. [H/t: The Sporting News]”