Watch: Israel Adesanya sharpens his wrestling ahead of rematch against Robert Whittaker
Israel Adesanya has been working on his wrestling and overall grappling skills ahead of his highly-anticipated rematch against longtime rival Robert Whittaker. In a video posted to his ‘FREESTYLEBENDER’ YouTube channel, Adesanya let fans in on his training routine for his fight against Whittaker.
‘The Last Stylebender’ can be seen sharpening multiple aspects of his grappling. Adesanya is shown fighting from the bottom position, engaging in grappling scrambles, securing the top position and fighting from there, landing takedowns, and defending takedowns. Additionally, the UFC middleweight kingpin showcases his ground and pound abilities, and defensive and offensive submission skills.
Time for the rematch 🍿 #UFC271 https://t.co/Wmxcl7GMVx
Furthermore, apart from honing his grappling skills, Adesanya and his team at City Kickboxing in New Zealand also focus specifically on their breathing and mental training.
The video shows how Adesanya and his team undergo training in a pool to improve their breathing and mental strength. Apparently, this particular training regimen is aimed to help fighters apply their combat skills in a different environment and then utilize those refined skills in bouts.
It purportedly trains them to use stress to their advantage and perform better under the bright lights. This also strengthens their nervous system and mental capacity.
Watch Israel Adesanya’s grueling training session in the video below:
Israel Adesanya labels Robert Whittaker "a silly boy" but is serious about UFC 271 fight
UFC 243 in October 2019 was headlined by a fight between then-interim UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and then-UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker. The fight was primarily contested in the striking realm and witnessed Adesanya win via second-round KO to become the undisputed UFC middleweight champion.
Naija stand up! HE'S DONE IT!
@Stylebender finishes Whittaker in the 2nd round! Wow! #UFC243 https://t.co/IS1f8lL8Lt
Adesanya is now set to defend his title in a rematch against Whittaker at UFC 271 on February 12th. Ahead of their second showdown inside the octagon, the Nigerian-New Zealand MMA stalwart spoke to Combat TV regarding ‘The Reaper.’ He referred to Robert Whittaker as “a silly boy.”
Regardless, Adesanya admitted that he’s taking the fight seriously as Whittaker’s team is smart. Furthermore, alluding to ‘The Reaper’ potentially trying to outwrestle and beat him – akin to how Jan Blachowicz did at UFC 259 – Adesanya stated:
"I'm not going to fight him [Robert Whittaker] the way I fought him the first time... And I know he's not going to fight me the way he fought me the first time. He's a silly boy. If he thinks he has someone else's blueprint to beat me, he's a silly man. But his team's smart so that's why I take him seriously. He himself, he's a silly boy."