Robert Whittaker shares picture of training with boxer Tim Tszyu ahead of Israel Adesanya rematch
Robert Whittaker has joined forces with boxer Tim Tszyu as he nears his middleweight title showdown against Israel Adesanya at UFC 271.
Taking to his Instagram, Whittaker shared a photo where he can be seen training with his compatriot at Hardcore Gym. 'The Reaper' captioned the post:
"Iron sharpens iron."
This isn't the first time Robert Whittaker has roped in Tszyu to prepare for a UFC bout. The former middleweight champion also sparred with the boxer for his last outing against Kelvin Gastelum at UFC on ESPN 22.
Robert Whittaker opens up on what caused him to lose to Israel Adesanya at UFC 243
Israel Adesanya captured the UFC middleweight strap from Whittaker by knocking him out in the second round at UFC 243.
In a recent interview on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Whittaker discussed how his anger played a big part in his non-performance against Adesanya in 2019:
"I got in my own head so much and I had so much grudge towards him and gripe that I wore myself out. I had so much anger and hate, and I wore myself out. It got tiring being angry at him, and for no real reason... You can see how out of the ordinary I fought. How reckless, if you would, how I fought. I guess that’s the biggest regret I would have in that fight. I wish I fought like myself."
Furthermore, Whittaker says the Adesanya loss led to a lot of soul-searching:
"After the first loss, I had a big chunk of soul-searching and trying to understand myself and my own headspace. That kind of set the foundation for everything else I can do."
Watch Robert Whittaker's full interview on The MMA Hour in the video below:
Since losing to 'The Last Stylebender', Whittaker has gone on a three-fight win streak in the company with victories over Kelvin Gastelum, Jared Cannonier and Darren Till.
Meanwhile, the upcoming fight between the top two middleweights will mark Adesanya's fourth title defense. The champion has already beaten Yoel Romero, Paulo Costa and, most recently, Marvin Vettori.
UFC 271 is set to take place on February 12, 2022 with Robert Whittaker and Israel Adesanya headlining the event.