Tag: UFC 271

UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya is a happy man after signing a new deal with the highest platform in MMA.

It was reported earlier on Wednesday that Adesanya has agreed to a new multi-fight deal with the UFC. This comes just days before his highly-anticipated rematch with Robert Whittaker at UFC 271.

Adesanya has become a household name for the UFC since even before his first fight with Whittaker. From his interim title win over Kelvin Gastelum to his latest title defenses over Marvin Vettori and Paulo Costa, fans have come to belove the 185-pound champion.

Adesanya’s head coach at City Kickboxing, Eugene Bareman, recently alluded to his stance that he feels the UFC could do more to promote one of their biggest stars on the roster. He feels that the UFC has underpromoted his star pupil in the past.

During his UFC 271 media day press conference, Adesanya was asked whether or not he feels valued now after signing a new contract.

“100%. That’s the thing. The thing I want to know is, what’s my value to the company?” Adesanya said. “You can’t undersell my value. If you are, you’re kidding yourself. I bring so many different looks to this company, even without trying.

“I’m Nigerian. I brought that whole nation. Me and the three kings, the continent of Africa is on our back. I wear it on my chest. We have the Oceania region looking at us. I’m a guy that crosses over to the mainstream so easily. And I have this appeal. I have that “it” thing. So I’m glad that the UFC is starting to see that.”

“They’ve already known that. They’ve known this since the jump. Dana knew this since the jump. But yeah, I’m just the guy who deals with my dealings with the UFC behind the scenes. And I’m glad that we came to an agreement with this new deal. And I look forward to this effect trickling down to the rest of the fighters.”

Adesanya is undefeated at middleweight after making the full-time move to MMA following an accomplished career in kickboxing. In their first matchup, Adesanya knocked out Whittaker to cement his status as the middleweight champion and one of the biggest stars in MMA. Adesanya’s lone blemish on his UFC record came against Jan Blachowicz for the light heavyweight title at UFC 259.

Another win over Whittaker would continue Adesanya’s path of attempting to lap the division. The winner of another UFC 271 fight, Jared Cannonier vs. Derek Brunson, will more than likely get the next title shot.

Where do you rank Israel Adesanya among the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world?

Heading into their rematch at UFC 271, Robert Whittaker is in a different headspace than he was two years ago.

“Bobby Knuckles” Whittaker has his chance at redemption this Saturday in a rematch against UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya. When they last headlined at UFC 243, there was a lot of commotion going into the fight.

The event took place in Australia, Whittaker’s native home, which fueled a rivalry with his New Zealander opponent. It’s a sigh of relief for Whittaker to not deal with the pressure of home court again, as this fight will take place in Houston, Texas.

Bad blood weighed heavy in their last battle. This time, it is strictly a moment to prove who is the better fighter. Whittaker claims to know Adesanya’s game and can prove “The Last Style Bender” is “beatable”.

He will enter battle with the championship on his mind and his ego in check. Pre-fight tension carried a lot of weight in their first match, but Whittaker is not falling for any media traps this second go-around.

“This one is completely different. I feel there’s an underlying sense of mutual respect. We’re both the best in the game. He’s the champ and I’m #1, and we’ve ran through everybody else. I think there’s a certain level of mutual respect that comes from that.

“I think the fact that the New Zealand/Australia rivalry isn’t so much getting thrown at everybody’s faces here; understanding that this is Australia and New Zealand taking over the world sort of thing. In saying that, we’re not mates. Far from it. But I just don’t think because we’re in Houston and the media is not angling that rivalry, the fight isn’t personal,” Whittaker explained to Submission Radio.

Whittaker took home three impressive victories to get back to Adesanya after their 2019 bout. He learned from his “reckless” mistakes in the first encounter and plans to turn things around in the rematch.

In comparison, since UFC 243, Adesanya defended his belt three times and took home one lost to Jan Blachowicz in a bout for the light heavyweight title.

Both fighters simply want to win. They have devastated the competition as champion and #1 contender to make it back to this point. Of course, “Izzy” wants to keep his belt, and Whittaker never wanted it taken from him. And on February 12, Whittaker will look to seize his opportunity to even the score with Adesanya and reclaim the middleweight crown.

Do you think Robert Whittaker will once again become Middleweight Champion at 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.

MASSIVE!

🇵🇱 @JanBlachowicz puts himself in position to secure the final round. #UFC259 pic.twitter.com/k5Q7CjdHad

— UFC (@ufc) March 7, 2021

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.

The wait is over, #UFC271 fight week is 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄! 🍾

[ #UFC271 | Saturday | Live on ESPN+ PPV: https://t.co/K6X32sFKyB ] pic.twitter.com/A5hO3f7sjh

— UFC (@ufc) February 7, 2022

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?

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.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CZKLJsqhWXG/

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.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CZkrMEtMmnH/

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?

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.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CZKLJsqhWXG/

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.”

Naija stand up! HE'S DONE IT!@Stylebender finishes Whittaker in the 2nd round! Wow! #UFC243 pic.twitter.com/IS1f8lL8Lt

— UFC (@ufc) October 6, 2019

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?