Robert Whittaker is back in Australia after falling short at UFC 271.
Whittaker collided with Israel Adesanya on Feb. 12. This wasn’t the first time the two clashed inside the Octagon. Back in Oct. 2019, Whittaker was stopped in the second round via TKO by “The Last Stylebender.”
The rematch played out quite differently but the winner remained the same. Most agree that Whittaker shouldn’t be ashamed of his efforts, going the distance with Adesanya and making it a competitive fight.
Back To What Truly Matters
Robert Whittaker has returned home and while he didn’t bring UFC gold back with him, he had something a bit more special waiting.
Whittaker is of the belief that he should’ve had his hand raised in the rematch with “Izzy.” Here’s what he told reporters during the UFC 271 post-fight press conference.
“I thought he looked very beatable. I thought I beat him,” Whittaker said at the post-fight press conference. “I thought I did enough, I got inside his reach, I beat him to every punch, beat him every time. He didn’t land anything that really hurt me but that one shot in the first.”
Whittaker is also convinced that he will eventually get a third fight with Adesanya.
“Honestly, a third fight between me and Izzy is inevitable,” Whittaker said. “It’s inevitable, because I’m going stomp anybody who comes in front of me again and he knows that too. That’s why he said, ‘I’ll be seeing you in the future.’
“I don’t see him losing the belt anytime soon, he’s good. I think I am the person to beat him and my mission stays the same.”
For now, Whittaker will take the opportunity to relax and spend time with his family. When he gets back on the horse, he’ll likely have to run through the 185-pound weight class again if he expects another crack at middleweight gold.
