Tag: UFC 271

Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker has given a firm and hilarious response to those suggesting a victory over Israel Adesanya is as simple as “take him down.”

Whittaker and Adesanya are set to share the Octagon for the second time in this weekend’s UFC 271 main event. The pair first collided at UFC 243 in 2019. Having seen the gold ripped from his grasp in his home country, “The Reaper” will be out for revenge and redemption come February 12.

While both men have been in fine form at 185 pounds since their meeting, racking up three wins each, Adesanya did suffer his first professional defeat in the period between his Whittaker matchups.

The first blemish on his record came last March in his pursuit of two-division championship glory. Against then-titleholder Jan Blachowicz, “The Last Stylebender” was beaten on the scorecards after being taken down and controlled in the championship rounds.

Unsurprisingly, some fans pointed to Blachowicz’s performance and labeled it the “blueprint” to beat Adesanya. But just three months later, the Nigerian-New Zealander maintained his middleweight dominance by defending Marvin Vettori’s takedown attempts and outpointing the Italian across five rounds.

Why, then, are we still seeing the same hypothesis on Adesanya’s wrestling being thrown around? Whittaker believes it’s because those who haven’t fought professionally don’t have a grasp on the mechanics and mindset involved in fighting.

During a recent appearance on Submission Radio, “The Reaper” suggested there’s no way anyone who hasn’t competed at the highest level of fighting can comprehend the feeling of being in a scrap.

“I don’t think anyone, anyone who doesn’t fight at the highest level has any real grasp on what it feels like to be in a fight,” said Whittaker. “And I mean anyone, anyone who hasn’t fought at the highest level; they can’t fully grasp how hard it is to do certain things in a fight, or what’s going through your mind during a fight, or how high the stakes are, and how heavy the pressure is. Unless you fight at the highest level, nobody knows. You can’t know.”

With that sentiment in mind, it’s no surprise Whittaker is so frustrated at one portion of the MMA fanbase…

Whittaker: If It’s That Simple, Why Hasn’t Anybody Done It?

Taking the opportunity to vent his annoyance at one pre-UFC 271 narrative, Whittaker laid into those who continue to brand his path to victory against Adesanya as being as simple as a takedown.

Understandably, he said if it’s that simple, why have 20 middleweights failed to have their hand raised against Adesanya?

“People are saying, ‘You just gotta get him on his back.’ Why hasn’t anybody done it?! Why hasn’t anybody done it?! If it’s that simple, why has nobody in the history of Adesanya’s career just taken him down and held him down for five rounds? Why? Because he’s fucking hard to take down! You know what I mean? He is a nightmare to take down. He’s got long limbs, he’s got long arms, and I’m pretty sure he works a little bit of wrestling defense; I just have an inkling that’s what he does,” Whittaker added with sarcasm.

“When I see people just like, ‘Ah, it’s simple, you just take him down.’ Yeah, it is simple. You know what else would be simple? If I get a piece of paper and write down a game plan that says, ‘Punch him in the chin.’ That’s a simple game plan that is sure-fire to win,” Whittaker continued. “It’s a little harder to pull off, you know, when you have all the factors of a title fight going through that.”

Concluding his entertaining rant, Whittaker reminded the “just take Adesanya down” brigade that game plans are met with a moving opponent attempting to defend against it, something that is often not considered.

“Remember, it’s not like a game plan where you give it to someone and then all they have to do is execute that game plan on a dummy that isn’t moving; that isn’t trying to actively counter-act whatever the hell it is that you’re doing [LAUGHS]. I went on a bit of a rant there,” concluded Whittaker.

It’s safe to say that if you see Robert Whittaker walking around Houston this week, don’t say the words, “take Adesanya down” or “just do what Blachowicz did…”

Do you think Robert Whittaker has what it takes to dethrone Israel Adesanya?

Continue Reading Whittaker Unloads On The “Just Take Adesanya Down” Brigade at MMA News.

UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya doesn’t think Robert Whittaker’s recent fights are any indication that he stands a chance against him.

Adesanya and Whittaker are set to meet once again for the middleweight belt, nearly three years after Adesanya earned the title over Whittaker at UFC 243. Adesanya had earned the interim title over Kelvin Gastelum before knocking out Whittaker just a few months later.

Whittaker has won three straight over the likes of Darren Till, Jared Cannonier, and Gastelum. Many believe he’s bounced back in a big way and could potentially be the one to dethrone Adesanya.

But, Adesanya thinks Whittaker may be getting too much credit for his recent wins. During a recent interview on his YouTube channel, Adesanya gave his thoughts on Whittaker’s recent successes.

Israel Adesanya Feels Robert Whittaker’s Improvements Are Overblown

“Yes. Way too much [credit’,” Adesanya said. “To the point where I’m like, did he invent a new move or something? Did he reinvent the jab or I don’t know what. He improved, yes, but not to the point where people have blown it up to be. The proportion. I think maybe people just have low standards, that’s all. I just have high standards….

“He played the game very well against all three opponents, I feel. At the same time, you put those three guys together, they don’t amount to me. The way they play the game, it’s not the same. So like I said, [GSP voice] ‘I was not impressed by your performance.’” (h/t Bloody Elbow)

Adesanya has shown big improvements in his own right over his past few fights. After struggling with former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz’s grappling at UFC 259, he was able to stuff Marvin Vettori‘s ground attack at UFC 263.

Many believe that Whittaker’s best chance at defeating Adesanya will be to utilize his wrestling. But, it may be easier said than done.

What is your prediction for Israel Adesanya vs. Robert Whittaker 2?

Robert Whittaker’s coach Alex Prates has revealed how the former champion has grown into a “whole different beast” on the feet ahead of his rematch with Israel Adesanya.

At the start of 2019, Whittaker was on the UFC’s middleweight throne, riding a nine-fight win streak, and was unbeaten since 2014. That form came crashing to a halt at UFC 243 in Melbourne. Spoiling the champ’s homecoming, then-interim titleholder Adesanya showed his striking superiority by TKOing “The Reaper” in the second round.

But after taking a break from the sport and finding his love for martial arts again, Whittaker has returned to his best. In three outings since his title loss, the New Zealand-born Australian has outpointed Darren Till, Jared Cannonier, and Kelvin Gastelum. In doing so, he’s secured a shot at redemption.

In the UFC 271 main event this weekend, Whittaker and Adesanya will share the Octagon for a second time.

Whittaker Has Had A Helping Hand From An Aussie Legend

Whittaker has been extremely open about his 2019 defeat. From the pressure placed on him by accentuated media narratives to issues with ego, the former middleweight king hasn’t been shy in discussing what went wrong on the night, which saw him approach the fight in a rash and unusually rushed fashion.

But while he was comfortably outstruck and pieced up by Adesanya, an elite striker who has since outpointed Yoel Romero and Marvin Vettori, and finished Paulo Costa, Whittaker’s team are confident the necessary adjustments have been made.

During an interview with Sherdog, Coach Alex Prates discussed the constant improvements Whittaker has been making between his recent appearances. With big progress in the last year, Prates says fans should expect to see the “best Robert Whittaker” to date this weekend.

“We started to adapt a little bit. I think we learn a lot from that loss to Israel. A few things that make Rob a very dangerous opponent… I think he was coming from nine wins in a row before he lost to Adesanya. We learned a lot,” said Prates. “When you get to a level of striking, a few things, the basics, have to be astounding. So we start to change a little bit, we start to adapt… get all the fundamentals right. He got better. He got a little bit better with Darren Till, he got better with Cannonier, he got better with Gastelum.

“But the biggest improvement, I have no doubt, the biggest improvement that was made in Robert’s game was in-between the last fight with Gastelum and this fight with Adesanya,” added Prates. “He’s probably gonna be, potentially, the best Robert Whittaker you guys have ever seen.”

While a number of factors have helped Whittaker expand his weaponry and fine-tune his arsenal, Prates says one addition to the team has made him a “whole different beast” on the feet. That helping hand has come from renowned Aussie boxing trainer Johnny Lewis.

With the aid of a trainer who’s coached six world champions, Prates believes Whittaker now has what it takes to match “The Last Stylebender” punch for punch.

“He’s sharp, his hands look sharp. We are having the help of a very famous boxing coach in Australia, Mr. Johnny Lewis,” Prates continued. “He’s a guy who trained six world champions. I think Johnny is about 70… He was retired but he came back to train a bronze medalist, that won the bronze medal for Australia in Rio and became professional.

“I know Johnny for a while few a through common friends. So I asked for a favor from him to oversee Rob’s boxing for this fight and he took us on board. I’m very grateful. And the results are showing. Rob’s hands… he looks a whole different beast now,” concluded Prates.

While Whittaker has undoubtedly improved and found the form of his life in his three fights since the crushing loss to Adesanya, whether he can hand the Nigerian-New Zealander his first defeat at middleweight is another question.

We’ll find out if he’s made enough of an adjustment on February 12.

Who do you think will leave UFC 271 with the middleweight gold, Robert Whittaker or Israel Adesanya?

Continue Reading Coach Explains How Whittaker Is A “Whole Different Beast” On The Feet at MMA News.

UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya has revealed his main motivation ahead of his rematch with Robert Whittaker next weekend at UFC 271.

Adesanya will look to continue his dominant reign atop the 185-pound mountain when he runs it back with Whittaker. The pair first met at UFC 243 in 2019. With a second-round finish, “The Last Stylebender” secured his place on the throne.

Since that fight, both men have been in fine form. The champion has successfully defended his belt against Yoel Romero, Paulo Costa, and Marvin Vettori. Despite falling to his first loss in professional MMA when he attempted to challenge for Jan Blachowicz’s light heavyweight title last March, Adesanya has remained unbeaten at middleweight.

Whittaker, meanwhile, has rebounded from his championship defeat with two main event triumphs against Darren Till and Kelvin Gastelum plus a pay-per-view co-main victory over top-five contender Jared Cannonier.

The pair will now share the Octagon for the second time inside Houston’s Toyota Center on February 12.

Adesanya Targets “Devastating” Finish

The consensus for the clash appears to be split. While some look at Adesanya’s 2019 victory over Whittaker and expect a similar level of dominance, others have pointed to the former titleholder’s form and fight IQ and suggested he’ll be bringing a much tougher test to the champ this time around.

While some fighters may fall victim to complacency when facing an opponent they’ve already comfortably had their hand raised against, Adesanya is not worried about that.

During a recent interview with Chisanga Malata, “The Last Stylebender” suggested his desire to finish the rematch in an even more devastating way is what motivates him ahead of 2022’s second pay-per-view card.

“That’s not been the case this time (complacency after UFC 243 win),” said Adesanya. “It’s actually made me more motivated to do it again and do it more decisively, if that’s even possible, which it is. That’s what my motivation is for this fight, that’s what got me up for this fight, was to do it again, and (in a) more devastating fashion.”

According to Whittaker, Adesanya’s latest defense against Vettori proved he was beatable at middleweight. The New Zealand-born Australian will hope to prove that to be the case when his chance for redemption arrives next weekend.

Who do you think will leave UFC 271 with the middleweight gold, Israel Adesanya or Robert Whittaker?

Continue Reading Adesanya Reveals His Main Motivation For Whittaker Rematch at MMA News.