"Without a doubt" - Dan Hooker confident that Israel Adesanya vs. Robert Whittaker 3 is imminent
Dan Hooker doesn't think the rivalry between Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker is over.
In the aftermath of UFC 271, Whittaker told reporters that a trilogy bout between himself and 'The Last Stylebender' was inevitable. Hooker, Adesanya's friend and teammate, agreed with 'The Reaper's' statements.
Appearing as a guest on Submission Radio, Hooker weighed in on a potential Adesanya-Whittaker trilogy bout:
"After a performance like that, [that] sets up a third fight down the road, I feel like, without a doubt. Rob showed that he himself is on another level from everyone else in that division. So he'll definitely get a couple of wins in and be back in the title picture for sure."
Check out Dan Hooker's comments on a potential Adesanya vs. Whittaker trilogy bout below:
Robert Whittaker is down 0-2 to Israel Adesanya after he landed on the wrong end of a unanimous decision during Saturday's pay-per-view event. However, there's clearly a gap between the Australian and the other 185 lbs contenders. Having won two rounds of the fight in the eyes of two judges, Whittaker has done better than any other middleweight against 'The Last Stylebender'.
At the post-fight press conference, Whittaker declared that he'll be back in the title picture sometime in the future.
Robert Whittaker's business with Israel Adesanya isn't over yet. 😤
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Dan Hooker comments on fans believing Robert Whittaker should have beaten Israel Adesanya
Israel Adesanya's recent title defense did not necessarily impress everyone. Some even believe that Robert Whittaker should have gotten the nod over him.
Dan Hooker thinks the fans were just let down by their sky-high expectations of 'The Last Stylebender'. Hooker stated:
"After such a dominant first fight... Israel pretty much having the fight finished off the first round and then doing the same again in the second round. Then that becomes people's bar for measuring. They expect that."
He added:
"That's why they always say it's dangerous to have a rematch with someone because you never want to take a rematch unless you feel like you can do better than the first time. And you know Israel's performance in the last fight is pretty hard to beat. That was about as dominant as a fight gets."
Still number ☝️
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Israel Adesanya's win over Robert Whittaker at UFC 271 marked the Nigerian-born Kiwi's fourth title defense. Jared Cannonier is likely next in line for a shot at the middleweight title. Adesanya is coming off two rematches and will be delighted to finally square off against a new opponent.