Israel Adesanya Beats Robert Whittaker In Middleweight Title Rematch

"I know I started off rocky in that first round, but I feel like I took every round after that. It is what it is, but you know what they say about leaving it to the judges. I'm happy that I fought my heart out and left it here. But, I'm gutted. I thought I did enough."

UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya won a unanimous decision over former champion Robert Whittaker in Houston.

Adesanya, who is based in New Zealand, previously knocked out Whittaker in the second round of UFC 243 in October 2019 to win the undisputed middleweight title in Melbourne.

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Whittaker, on the other hand, fought to a much more conservative gameplan in Saturday’s rematch at UFC 271 in Texas, which kept him in the fight all the way to the judges’ scorecards.

After a close title fight at the Toyota Center, all three judges agreed on a winner, and Adesanya was awarded the unanimous decision with scores of 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46.

Adesanya, 32, dropped Whittaker, 31, with a straight shot early in the fight, and the challenger cut a somewhat demoralized figure on his stool after the first round, telling his corner how much trouble the champion’s leg kicks had already caused him.

Whittaker, on the other hand, looked to keep Adesanya guessing for the rest of the fight, working behind a well-drilled double jab and mixing in takedown attempts to keep himself in contention.

However, it was Adesanya’s cleaner striking from range that proved crucial, as he kicked Whittaker’s legs throughout the fight, effectively neutralizing Whittaker’s offence on the ground to improve his record to 21-1 and extend his undefeated run as a middleweight.

Israel Adesanya Beats Robert Whittaker In Middleweight Title Rematch - SportRazzi
Israel Adesanya Beats Robert Whittaker

“I knew he was going to bring everything, because last time I took everything away from him. So, he had nothing to lose. And like I said, I’m the champ. Come get it,” Adesanya told former UFC champion Daniel Cormier during his post-fight interview.

Israel Adesanya then stated his intention to return to action in June against middleweight contender Jared Cannonier, who also won convincingly in Houston.

“I know June doesn’t have a pay-per-view yet, but like I said, I’m the new dog in the yard, I’m the big dog in the yard now. And I know the other dog, Jared Cannonier, did some work tonight.”

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Meanwhile, Whittaker was left disappointed after believing he had done enough to reclaim the title.

“I know I started off rocky in that first round, but I feel like I took every round after that. It is what it is, but you know what they say about leaving it to the judges. I’m happy that I fought my heart out and left it here. But, I’m gutted. I thought I did enough. I thought I took that,” he said.

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