Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker has suggested he’s got a few tricks up his sleeve ahead of a potential rematch with Israel Adesanya.
Whittaker scored a unanimous decision win over Jared Cannonier at UFC 254. It was his second straight victory and cemented ‘The Reaper’ as the top middleweight contender.
Whittaker is now lined up to fight ‘Stylebender’ who previously dethroned him via second round TKO at UFC 243. Speaking to media post-fight the Aussie expressed his desire to forget about fighting for the next few months while he focuses on the festive period and his growing family.
“I’ve got Christmas and the newborn in January,” Whittaker said. “I don’t want to be thinking about a fight in the leadup to my newborn. With all my kids, I’ve been thinking about my fights. I’ve had my mind elsewhere. I felt like I wasn’t in the moment. I refuse to do that for this one.”
The suggestion of a Adesanya rematch was put to Whittaker who seemed willing but not in a hurry to face off against the New Zealander for a second time.
“He’s a tough fight, man,” Whittaker said. “I’m stoked to fight him. He’s a hard fight. He’s so good and he only looked better in his last fight – and the fact he beat me once already. But I feel like I’ve got a couple of tricks I can roll out. I feel like I can play it differently this time. Honestly, I know he’s trying to do everything else, and good on him to do that. I’m not thinking about him. Maybe me and him shouldn’t think about it just for a little bit. He can go up to light heavy(weight) or heavyweight. Whatever he wants to do, it doesn’t bother me. My plans are Christmas, my baby, and then, hopefully, our timelines line up then.”
Despite his willingness to wait for another shot at Adesanya, Whittaker believes they are destined to square off once again, he said.
“I do want to fight him one day – one day. Whether it’s in my career or in the parking lot as two old fellas one day. I feel like our paths will cross again. As a warrior, it’s something I need to do. But I’m not worried about who I fight next. My whole mentality with this game is: ‘You line them up. I knock them down.’ I’m pretty good at that.” (Transcribed by MMA Junkie)
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