Robert Whittaker still believes fans want to watch him take on Israel Adesanya.
Robert Whittaker is still one of the best fighters in the UFC middleweight division. As a former champion at 185 pounds, Whittaker has faced some of the toughest fighters in the division and is continuing to do so at the highest level. In the past eight years, the only two fights Whittaker has lost were the ones against Israel Adesanya. With that much success over the past years, there is no doubt in Whittaker’s mind that he will earn himself another title shot soon.
Whittaker already has his next bout all lined up. He will be taking on Paulo Costa at UFC 284 in Perth Australia. Whittaker believes that with a win over Costa he will be the rightful number one contender and if Adesanaya should still be the champion at that time, the two should fight for the third time. Although Whittaker has been unsuccessful in the past two meetings with the champ, he feels that fans still want to see that fight.
“If you’re following the trajectory of how the first fight went and then the second fight, the third fight, it’s gonna be a different story,” he said on Submission Radio. “It’s one of those things I’m earning my right to get that fight and then a fight between us, especially a third fight it’s gonna be an absolutely monstrous fight everybody will tune in for that fight just because of what we bring to it.”
Robert Whittaker feels as if he has leveled up since his last meeting with Israel Adesanya
Whittaker knows that things will be different if he gets the chance to face Adesanya again. He feels he is getting better in every fight and that his skills are continuing to grow even after 30 professional fights. He was asked if he thinks he has leveled up since the last meeting with Adesanya back in February, to which he answered.
“Massively, you can see it in the last fight. I took a lot of confidence from that second Adesanya fight that I lost and the first one and you know, getting a win over Vettori the way I did as well just reinforces that confidence just makes me better,” he said. “I just get more experience I see what works and what does not work and, you know, for that I’m just much better.”
There, of course, is a chance that Adesanya may not even be the champion when Whittaker and Costa get around to facing each other. Adesanya will take on his former kickboxing rival Alex Pereira in the main event of the upcoming UFC 281 card on Nov. 12. With a win in his fight, Whittaker is hoping for a shot at the winner.
