Tag: Robert Whittaker

Israel Adesanya says he is fighting for another interim belt at UFC 243. The Kiwi believes Robert Whittaker is still the interim champion and questions when he was even declared the undisputed champion. “I’m just calling it as I see it,” Adesanya said to MMA Junkie. “I’ve never lied. I’ve never said anything that wasn’t […]

The post UFC 243’s Adesanya: ‘I Don’t Know When Whittaker Became The Undisputed Champ’ appeared first on MMA News.

Robert Whittaker and Israel Adesanya are preparing to headline a massive pay-per-view (PPV) this weekend in Melbourne, Australia.

The pair will unify their middleweight championships in the main event of UFC 243 from the Marvel Stadium. While talking trash isn’t really Whittaker’s style of hyping a fight, it’s certainly Adesanya’s, who has been keeping the fire going with his remarks. Speaking to MMA Junkie, Whittaker claims he remains unphased by “Stylebender’s” talk. However, if the talk would’ve gotten personal, then he would’ve addressed it personally.

“Not at all,” Whittaker said. “If it had become personal, I would have taken care of it personally. He’s just selling the fight, and he’s being human, and he’s running his own thing, and I’m happy for that. It takes work off my plate. But I can’t be anybody but myself. I’m just doing the same thing I always do.

“I find a lot of what he says funny. I get a good chuckle out of it, so yeah, it definitely has not affected me. I look forward to fighting him on Sunday just because he’s a good fighter, plus he wants it.”

This is undoubtedly the biggest fight of both men’s careers. With Adesanya being a New Zealand resident, and Whittaker fighting out of Australia, not to mention more than 50,000 fans expected to attend, the fight has the potential to be the biggest in the country’s history. However, Whittaker is treating things like it’s just another fight.

“I am treating it just as another fight,” Whittaker said. “Intellectually, I can look at it and say, ‘You know, this huge. This is my title defense. It’s a milestone for me, and I can’t wait to get there.’ It’s going to be a great event. But in terms of the fight game, it’s just another fight.

“I think (the enormity of the moment) will be something that I reflect on after the fight. I can see it being the biggest fight ever, especially in this part of the world. I’m very excited for the amount of spotlight that’s going to put on not only the sport, but especially the athletes. That’s very important for me, because that’s another motivator for my career at the moment. So yeah, I’m very happy with how this is unfolding.”

Who are you picking to get the job done between Whittaker and Adesanya?

The post Robert Whittaker: If Adesanya Talk Would’ve Gotten Personal, I Would’ve Handled It Personally appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Israel Adesanya believes he’s the main draw at UFC 243 — which is why he claims he is getting paid more than middleweight champion Robert Whittaker.

The pair will collide in a middleweight title unification fight at UFC 243 this Saturday in what promises to be the biggest fight in Australasian history. It will also be taking place at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium which has a 55,000 capacity.

For Adesanya, he’s the only reason why that venue was chosen:

“If it was Rob or anyone else…it could be Robert/Romero part 3, it could be Rob and Chris Weidman, it could be Rob and anyone else, it would not be at Marvel Stadium,” Adesanya said in an interview with Submission Radio (via MMA News). “It would not be in that kind of an echelon, that kind of a capacity, because it’s just Rob. But at the same time, this is me.”

Whittaker is not usually one for trash talking or promotion for that matter. So it’s all on Adesanya to carry the card which he is fine with. After all, he claims to be getting paid more than “The Reaper” for a reason:

“We have to just be honest. We can’t just lie about it,” Adesanya added. “I’ve been the one pushing the culture forward for fighting down here with my team. And he, unfortunately, hasn’t been because, unfortunately, he’s been pulling out sick.

“And that’s OK. I called in sick back in my old job once in a while. I know the vibes. But, yeah, I’m the one pushing the culture forward, so let’s put it this way: if it was anyone else with Rob, it would not be in Marvel stadium. It wouldn’t sell out the way it has been. But because it’s me, that’s why.

“There’s a reason why I’m getting paid more than him, substantially more than him. There’s a reason why my stock is much higher than him.”

What do you make of Adesanya’s comments?

The post Israel Adesanya Claims He Is Getting Paid ‘Substantially More’ Than Robert Whittaker appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.